How to Locate a Person for Free? [US Guide]

Do you want to locate a person in the U.S? There are different situations where you might consider trying to find a person’s location. For Americans, there are many legitimate situations when you can do this. Perhaps you want to verify if an acquaintance is who they claim to be. Or you want to know about a family member you haven’t. In this guide, you’ll discover some of the best ways to locate that person for free. 

Is it legal to locate someone in the US?

You can locate someone in the U.S legally if you use publicly accessible methods. However, don’t forget that strict laws also govern how you use that data. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) prohibits obtaining “consumer reports,” which include location data from credit bureaus and specialty agencies, for the purpose of stalking, harassment, or other nefarious purposes. Here are examples of scenarios when you can find someone’s location in the U.S:

• Missing a loved one: If you are concerned about a friend or family member who has suddenly disappeared, try to locate them.
• Medical emergencies: You may need to locate a next of kin for critical medical decisions.
• Debt collectors: Legitimate creditors seeking repayment might track down an individual. However, this requires legal authority to carry out.
• Court documents and proceedings: You may need to serve legal documents, enforce a court-ordered child support or custody arrangement.
• Reconnecting with family: You can also track someone’s whereabouts when searching for birth parents or long-lost relatives. 
• Screening dating partners: Always verify the identity of your intended date to avoid falling victim to scams.

How to locate a person for free? 

You can track someone’s location in various ways. Some methods require external apps installed on your phone. Others work with your phone’s native tracking solutions. Let’s discuss the various methods for tracking, including using your Google search and messaging apps.

Check social media

First, we will discuss the steps to locate that person quickly on social media. Many of us live our public lives through our photos and videos. You can connect that information to get an idea of their city, country, or even their residential street. Here’s how to do this on Facebook using the location tags:

• Launch the Facebook app.
• Go to the person’s profile.
• Check out their photos and posts.
• Usually, if they add location tags, you’ll see it at the top of the post or the bottom of a photo. Sometimes they don’t use location tags, but instead use hashtags related to their location. 

You can also use Facebook check-ins, but this only works when you’re finding information about popular businesses, organizations, or celebrities in a particular location. If you want to give it a try, follow these steps:

• Search for that specific place you found connected to them in the main Facebook search bar.
• Navigate to the Place page or Business page results.

• Then select the “city”

• Then, pick the “category” they likely fall under.

• You can see “visitors’ posts or “checkins”

Use location-sharing apps

You can share your location with loved ones in a way that makes it easier to stay in touch and keep track of each other. Your smartphones have built-in solutions that make this possible. Let’s talk about these two popular location-sharing tools.

Apple Find My

The Apple Find My is one of the best location-sharing apps. You can set this up to track all your Apple devices, and those of your friends and family members. Here’s how you can get your family to share their location with you.

• Go to the Settings app on their Apple iPhone.
• Click on their name.

• Scroll down to select “Find My”

• Finally, they can enable “Share My Location” and “Share My Network.”

• Once set up, it’s time to share their location with you within the Find My app.
• So, they can open the app and go to the People tab.
• Then they can click “New Share” and pick their contact from the list.
• You’ll receive a notification of their shared location, which will be visible under the People tab of your own Find My app. 

Google Maps location sharing

Similarly, Google Maps location sharing is a great solution. One way it stands out is that it can be used on Android and IOS phones. All it requires is a Google account and the Google Maps app. Here are the steps they need to take to share their location with you:

• Open the Google Maps app.
• Click on profile avatar and select “location sharing.”

• Next, select “New share” and pick the contact (phone number or email) from the contact list.

• Pick how long they want to share. 

• Finally, you’ll see their shared location within your own Google Maps app.

With the Messenger location feature

Now you don’t have to leave your chat conversations to share your location with your friends. You can simply send them a pin of your whereabouts using the live location feature in messenger apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat. 

WhatsApp live location

The WhatsApp Live Location feature especially allows anyone to share their location with you for up to 8 hours. They can share in real-time or just send you pins of their nearby landmarks. To use this feature:

• Open the chat and click the paperclip icon.

• Next, pick “Location.” 

• Then click the “Share Live Location” button.

• Finally, they can pick a duration (15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours).

Snapchat Snap Map

On Snapchat, you can make your friends and just about anyone see your location, depending on how you set your location sharing preferences. This feature is called Snapchat’s Snap App, and here’s how it works:

• Launch the Snapchat app on your mobile device.
• Navigate to the camera screen and pinch out with two fingers as though zooming into a photo. Alternatively, select the Map icon at the bottom left of the screen.
• This opens up the Snaps Map, where you can see yourself labeled as “Me” and the different people in your circle who have made their location visible.

• Then tap the “gear icon” to the top right of the screen.
• Now you have the option to enable “Ghost Mode,” which allows you only to share your location with a select number of people. If you don’t enable “Ghost Mode,” your area would be visible to your entire network. 

• If you enable “Ghost Mode,” you can choose from any of the settings to control how and who can see your location. 
• If a friend is sharing their location, you’ll see their “Bitmoji” appear on the map. Simply tap on it to view their profile and start chatting with them.

Alternative ways to locate a person in the U.S.

Besides these native tools we have talked about, there are other fantastic techniques to track a person’s location in the U.S. Let’s talk about other reputable solutions you can use for this purpose.

Track a person’s location with a number

You can locate a person in the U.S by starting with their phone number. Delightful web-based location tracking apps such as LocatePhone give you that advantage. This tool combines cellular tower location data, GPS technologies, and Wi-Fi to help you keep track of your loved ones. Here’s how to set it up:

• Open the LocatePhone website and go to “Find People” page.
• Enter the U.S. phone number and hit the locate button.

• Wait for location tracking to commence.

• Enter your email address to complete your account registration and view location on dashboard. 

With phone number lookup

While you won’t find their precise location, reverse phone lookup services offer more information about that target person. You need tools like NumLook, which allows you to search for details about any US phone number. All you need to begin your search is their phone number, and you can find the owner’s details, carrier information, whether it’s been connected to spam/scam, and more. Here’s how it works;

• Go to Numlookup and enter the U.S. phone number.

• Click the search button to begin. 
• Wait for NumLookup to find the results you need. 

Find the location by email

Besides tracking by phone number, you can also find a person’s location by email. This comes in handy when you’ve received a suspicious email from that individual and you want to confirm their identity. With LocatePhone, you have a low-cost tool to find out as much information about their location as possible. Here’s how it works:

• Go to LocatePhone email location tracker.

• Type the email and hit the Locate button. 

• Wait for the process to begin.
• Enter your email to complete your account creation.

FAQ

How to find a friend’s location on Google Maps?

You can track your friend on Google Maps, but it requires them to share it with you actively. They can do so by going to their profile picture within the Google Maps app, tapping the location sharing button, selecting how long to share for, and who to share with, such as their Google account, phone number, or link. 

Can someone track my location by my cell phone?

Yes, someone can track your phone when you share your location with them via apps like Google Maps, Apple Find My, and Android Find My. Some carriers also allow phones to be tracked in emergencies. Tools like LocatePhone are third-party solutions that can also be used. Beyond that, your loved ones can track your phone by installing apps or secret software that will send GPS pockets of data to their phone. 

🔎Read Also: Can Someone Track My Location with My Phone Number?

Can someone track my phone if my location services are turned off for free?

When your location is turned off, your phone isn’t using its built-in GPS tracking systems, which can hinder precision. However, there’s still a way this can happen, such as through cell tower triangulation, which provides a rough estimate of your location based on the cell towers your phone connects to. Also, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth tracking or dedicated software can be used. However, none of these methods is free.

Conclusion

Whenever you need to locate a person in the US, you can use any of the solutions we’ve talked about in our guide. From iCloud or Google-based tracking to tracking via third-party tools like LocatePhone, you have a decent chance of finding them in no time. All you have to do is set up these tools on your phone, and you may find them as effective as possible.