Your smartphone’s location services are the first step to sharing your location with your loved ones. However, after toggling it off, you might wonder if it’s a complete cloak of invisibility. Yes, there are still other ways your phone can be tracked when location services are switched off. This article will share with you all the different ways your phone can still be tracked and what you can do about it.
How can a phone be tracked?
Right away, you should know that all smartphones have different signals that are constantly being sent out to maintain communication with the world around. Every connection creates multiple alternative pathways for your device to be tracked. Let’s talk about these methods.
GPS
First, you have the GPS, which usually works better when your location services are turned on. This uses data from nearby GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites to pinpoint your location with remarkable accuracy. However, we often misunderstand what this means in terms of turning on or off a location. You see, your smartphone is the GPS receiver, and it’s not a passive component. It receives signals from satellites, and when you turn off your location services, you’re only restricting apps and operating systems from using the GPS data. This means the GPS data is still accessible, which is how a sophisticated actor with direct access to your device’s firmware can still access the raw data.
Cell tower
Cell tower triangulation is entirely unavoidable. To provide you with service, your phone must ping and connect to the nearest cell towers. Hence, calculating that signal’s strength and the timing of your phone’s connection to mobile towers (usually at least three) provides mobile carriers with the ability to triangulate your position. This method also works globally and does not require GPS. It’s also independent of your location services setting. Hence, your carrier can use that data to maintain network efficiency and, when legally required, provide location history.
Cell site simulator
Cell Site simulators are invasive tools often used by law enforcement and government agencies. These devices mimic cell towers, thereby tricking nearby phones (not just the target phone) into connecting to them. After establishing a connection, the simulator can force the phone to reveal its unique identifying number (IMEI) and exact location. This method usually exploits the way cell towers operate. So, it can happen even when you switch off location services or even remove the SIM card from that device.
Public wifi and Bluetooth signal
Your smartphone is consistently scanning for known Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices around you. You’ll also find airports, city streets, and retail stores littered with these signals. Usually, companies and data brokers can use sensors to detect the unique MAC address of your phone’s Wi-FI and Bluetooth radios as you move past them. Using multiple sensors, it’s possible to correlate your movement or habits within a mall, airport, or city center. Even though modern IOS and Android versions now use randomized MAC addresses to fight this, the practice can still be effective.
Law enforcement & mobile carriers
As said above, your mobile carrier has access to your location data being generated by cell tower connections. So, through legal channels like court orders, warrants, or subpoenas, law enforcement can access detailed historical records of where that device has been and even request near-real-time location tracking based on tower pings. For instance, law enforcement can use this in a process known as “tower dump” to reveal the location of thousands of devices near a crime scene at a specific time. Using that tower dump, law enforcement can even access information about calls, texts, and potentially subscriber details sent within that period.
Can someone track my phone if my location is off?
With all we’ve talked about, you can see that your phone remains connected even after turning off location services. Yes, disabling location services would prevent apps and services from accessing GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. However, your phone isn’t completely untraceable, as it can still be triangulated to its position by our mobile carrier. Furthermore, hackers or malicious actors can still use cell site simulators or Wi-Fi/Bluetooth data to determine your location.
How to tell if my phone is being tracked?
Most sophisticated tracking would happen almost anonymously. But there are still some signs you can look out for. That said, always remember that failing batteries, outdated operating systems, or buggy legitimate apps can cause the signs listed below. But usually, a combination of the different issues is a good reason to investigate further.
Battery drain
If your phone’s battery is draining faster than usual, there’s a chance an activity is causing the drain. Typically, spyware and tracking apps operate continuously in the background, performing checks and transmitting data. Such excessive activity causes battery drain.
Extra apps
Another sign is apps that you don’t remember installing on your smartphone. The best way to see the list of apps on your smartphone is through your settings. On Android, go to the Settings app, followed by Apps or App management and then select All Apps. On iPhone, go to Settings, scroll down and tap on apps to see all the applications installed on your device. Beyond that, you should also check under VPN & Device management as these can be used to deploy tracking software.
Unprompted action
If you notice your smartphone is acting strangely, such as the backlight turning on randomly, making noise, or shutting down and restarting, there might be an anomalous activity going on. Also, look out for strange pop-ups, applications opening and closing on their own. All of these indicate that there’s a remote party interacting with your device.
Overheating
Tracking apps and spyware often use a lot of resources, which can make your smartphone slower and sluggish, alongside being unusually warm. If you notice any of this and it’s happening more than your smartphone typically is, then there might be some resource-intensive tracking processes in the background.
How to block my phone from being tracked?
While you can’t completely make it impossible for anyone to track you, there are still steps you can take to reclaim a significant degree of your privacy.
Turn off location service & GPS
The first important step is to turn off location service. We do know the entire point of this article has been how turning it off won’t make you untraceable. But you can’t skip this step. Turning off location service will prevent apps and your operating system from using GPS, Bluetooth, and crowdsourced Wi-Fi to pinpoint your location. Remember, this step only stops most app-based tracking.
Shut down the phone
The only 100% specific step to make sure your phone can’t be tracked is shutting it down completely. When your phone is powered off, it can’t communicate with cell towers, Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices, and more. So, this step makes your phone entirely offline.
Disable wifi in public places
When you aren’t using your Wi-FI or Bluetooth, you should be intentional about turning them off directly from your settings menu. This stops your phone from scanning for networks or broadcasting probe requests. We also recommend doing this whenever you are in public spaces.
Examine app permission
Whenever you download an app, ensure that the permissions it comes with are necessary. Many apps hide their need for location data in their terms of service and privacy policy. So, you should always read that. Also, check the app’s permissions you’ve granted and revoke location access when the app doesn’t have an apparent reason for needing it.
Use a VPN to browse
Consider using a VPN to mask how you access the internet. VPNs, or Virtual Private Network tools, encrypt your internet traffic and route it through a remote server to hide your IP address and location from the websites you visit, alongside your internet service provider. Using a VPN would protect your online activity. But remember, VPNs won’t hide your physical location from cell tower triangulation.
FAQ
Can police track your phone if the location is off?
Yes, the police can still track your phone by working with mobile carriers to use cell tower triangulation to find where your phone is with impressive accuracy. They can also use advanced tools like cell site simulators, which won’t require your location settings to be on.
Can my phone be tracked if I remove the SIM card?
Yes, your phone has its own unique identifier (IMEI number), which is different from your SIM card’s number. This IMEI number is transmitted to the cell towers, whether you’re using that same SIM card or not. It’s also why your phone can still contact the towers for emergency calls, and that connection can be tracked. So removing the SIM only stops your account from being billed.
Can Airplane mode stop tracking completely?
When you turn on Airplane mode on your smartphone, it disables cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth for your phone. This stops most of the real-time tracking. That said, if you re-enable Wi-FI or Bluetooth while still in Airplane mode, tracking would simply resume.
Does Find My Phone work if location services are turned off?
No, services like “Find My Phone” or “Find My Device” require enabling your location services. When you turn off location services, you can’t use any of those tools to locate your device on a map.
Conclusion
So, to answer your question, yes, your phone can be tracked even with location services off. And disabling it is still important but not the complete solution. Beyond that, you now have a number of different tools and methods you can use to dramatically reduce your digital footprint and achieve the maximum amount of privacy possible. Ultimately, safeguarding your privacy is an ongoing process. And most importantly, you can make informed decisions on how and when you want to be found.
