How To Track A Cell Phone Location Without Them Knowing
There are many legitimate reasons for wanting to know how to track a phone without them knowing. Maybe you have children you need to monitor or employees suspected of stealing.
Knowing how to track a cell phone location without them knowing could be critical for keeping kids safe and out of bad situations. Seeing their whereabouts with a GPS location tracker and being able to locate them can provide great peace of mind.
In this article you'll learn how to track a cell phone without them knowing.
How To Track A Cell Phone Location Without Them Knowing?
Of all of the ways to track a phone without them knowing, spy apps are most reliable and provide more information about activity on the phone than any other option.
If you can access the target device for 10 minutes, you can download one of these apps to track their phone without them knowing.
uMobix
uMobix is my top choice because it's what I use to track my son's iPhone without him knowing.
uMobix has capabilities that far exceed any other spy app, with the exception of our next choice on this list.
The uMobix app provides access to more social media apps than any other software on the market, including Tinder, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, WhatsApp, Skype, TikTok, Telegram, Snapchat, and Zoom, just to name a few.
The full feature list will be included in my upcoming uMobix review, but the short version is that it gives you full control over the target phone. Not only for tracking and surveillance but also for changing settings such as restricting what apps can open or disabling Wi-Fi.
It even has a spy app detection feature to alert you to other tracking apps that are already installed on the phone. At first glance, this seems like a hilarious feature for a spy app to have. But, if you are spying on your child for their safety, it would be a huge concern if you found that you weren't the only one tracking them.
Live tech support by phone is available, which can be a lifesaver when installing the app in a limited amount of time.
No complaints aside from intercepted data only remaining available for 30 days. But, this limit is higher on multi-month plans so I'm only taking away a half star for it.
- GPS tracking
- Remote camera activation
- Can stream live video
- Remote microphone activation
- Access to all social media apps
- Data retention limited to 30 days on basic plan
FlexiSPY
The FlexiSPY spy app is not as user-friendly as other phone trackers apps, but it uses the most comprehensive security technology currently available. It too remains totally hidden from the user and has a long list of capabilities, with these being some of the highlights:
- Map-based phone tracking
- Call Logs
- Monitor Social Media Content, including Facebook
- Search History
- Keylogger
- Compatible with all versions of Android and iOS
To me, the most alluring abilities of FlexiSPY are related to taking control over the hardware on your phone. Once this app is installed, it gives the spy full root control and allows them to silently activate the front and rear cameras or turn on the microphone and listen as the target device spies for you.
Read that last sentence again. It's worth having a slightly less modern interface to have safe and reliable ways of looking at more information.
- Extremely powerful
- Live camera streaming
- Pre-loaded phones available
- GPS tracking
- Microphone access
- Call recording
- Older interface
- Expensive
EyeZy
EyeZy is one of the newest and most powerful ways to track an iPhone without their knowledge. Exploiting iCloud syncing gives access to the person's current GPS location, contacts, e-mail, photos, and videos. Even more information is available when tracking Android smartphones using Wi-Fi sync.
If it is possible to get physical access to the smartphone, eyeZy offers a wide range of advanced capabilities including:
- Keystroke Capture
- Website Browsing History
- Alerts for specific conversations
- Call logs
Perhaps most impressive is that you can spy on Facebook, Tinder, Snapchat, Skype, WhatsApp, KiK, and Instagram text messages to see what the person does online.
- Easy online dashboard
- Totally hidden
- Fast installation
- GPS tracking
- Access to all social media apps
- Great tech support
- Not quite as powerful as mSpy
mSpy
Although not as user-friendly as the first option, the mSpy app has a lot of features that are unavailable with other tracking apps. Perhaps most importantly, the mSpy app is totally hidden from the user and anyone using the device will never know it is there.
There is a long list of available spy capabilities but these are just the highlights:
- Call Logs
- All Text Messages
- Monitor Social Media Content, including Facebook
- Search History
- Keylogger
- Compatible with all versions of Android and iOS
Deleted text messages in the target cell phone can be recovered with this app and it can also block calls.
mSpy is best for tech-savvy users that require the greatest access to the device.
- Online dashboard
- Proven track record
- Totally hidden
- Easy installation
- Location monitoring
- Great tech support
- Not as user-friendly as eyeZy
XNSPY
Xnspy is another professional cell phone monitoring app that helps you keep an eye on your kids and keep them safe. Additionally, it provides accurate monitoring at high refresh rates.
You can receive alerts if the phone is outside an allowed perimeter or if it is near off-limits places like an ex-girlfriend's house, bar, or bad part of town. If all you need is location tracking and geofencing XNSPY can be a good choice, though it lacks the power of the other tracking apps we have mentioned above.
Alternative Methods To Track A Cell Phone's Location Without Them Knowing
Android Device Manager
Few Android users have explored their settings deeply enough to find that Android Device Manager is pre-installed, but this service is always active by default. The great thing is that you can use it for tracking where Android devices have been with accuracy to within 60 feet. Conveniently, you don't need to download any app on the target device.
This control panel can be used from any computer, or any other device, by following these steps:
- Visit Find My Device
- Enter the number and Google Account information
- See where they are going or ring, lock, or remotely erase the device
One problematic step is getting the password. Figuring out how you will get the password may be harder then just borrowing their phone and loading a monitoring application.
Google Timeline
Although it still requires that you know their password, Google Timeline is another interesting option.
To use this method, the step-by-step instructions are:
- Step 1: Open Google Maps
- Step 2: Log in with the user's Account
- Step 3: Click on “Menu”
- Step 4: Select “Your Timeline”
Your screen should now show a timeline with the physical movements of the Android user. Alternatively, you can click on Menu -> Your Places -> Visited to view location history overlayed on Google Maps.
You can find out the current location by following the instructions above. Interestingly, you can view the data remotely at any time and the user of the target device will not be aware of being tracked.
Directly Accessing iCloud
Most people don't know that you can connect to iCloud accounts directly to track mobile devices. This method is not as easy to perform and data is more difficult to locate than simply using an app for tracking your children. But, with no free options for iOS available now, this is a method of last resort.
This method can access the following:
- Current Location
- Contacts
- iCloud Drive
- Erase Target Cell Phone
- Photos
Find My iPhone
Find My iPhone is a built-in app that allows owners to track down their iPhone if it gets misplaced or stolen. While it doesn't have advanced abilities like seeing files, it is still a good solution if you can work with just having basic location information about the person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to track a cell phone location without their knowledge?
The legality of using an app to track a cell phone depends on your location, the location of the person you track, who owns the target device, the target's age and relationship to you, and the consent of the user.
In most locations, tracking your child is perfectly legal. In many places, tracking a cell phone you own is legal even if the user does not know about it. It is generally illegal to install a tracker on a phone you do not own.
Because the legal situation can vary so much, I strongly recommend consulting a lawyer before attempting to track anyone.
Can I track my spouse's phone without them knowing?
In some cases, it may be tempting to track a spouse you suspect of cheating. Maybe your husband always comes home from work late, or your wife is dressing a little too nice for her girl's night out.
From a technical perspective, you can absolutely track your husband without him knowing. But, this is not something I would encourage or recommend doing due to the penalties and risks involved.
Do I need to jailbreak or root the phone to install a tracker?
If you intend to track anything more than the smartphone's location, you may need to jailbreak or root the target phone depending on the features you require. If you do not require advanced features, this step should not be necessary.
If you have the user's iCloud or Google credentials, you do not need to do this to track a phone's location.
Conclusion
There are numerous methods for tracking a phone without them knowing, but using software is by far the simplest. They include a slew of features in addition to the ability to remotely track a cell phone surreptitiously.
GPS location tracking, Internet browsing history, and even call recording have become commonplace. These apps have grown in popularity over the years due to their ability to empower users to take control of their lives and monitor their loved ones without restriction.
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