{"id":151234,"date":"2022-07-13T05:50:36","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T12:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=151234"},"modified":"2024-06-17T23:26:42","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T06:26:42","slug":"can-my-phone-be-tracked-if-location-services-are-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/tips-tricks\/can-my-phone-be-tracked-if-location-services-are-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Can My Phone Be Tracked If Location Services Are Off?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your smartphone comes with built-in <\/span>location services<\/span>, which are useful if you lose it or if you use an app that needs to know your location. But what if you don\u2019t want your phone to be tracked? Can the phone be located if you turn off <\/span>location services<\/span>? The answer is yes, it\u2019s possible to track <\/span>mobile phones<\/span> even if <\/span>location services<\/span> are turned off.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning off the <\/span>location service<\/span> on your phone can help conceal your location. This is important if you don\u2019t want third parties knowing where you are or being able to track your movement. However, a smartphone can still be tracked through other techniques that reveal its general location.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This article explains how your phone can be tracked and what you can do to <\/span>enhance your mobile security<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can a phone be tracked?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Whether you have an <\/span>iOS<\/span> or <\/span>Android phone<\/span>, there are ways it can be tracked even if <\/span>location services<\/span> are turned off. You may have used some of these yourself to find a lost or <\/span>stolen phone<\/span>. For example, the <\/span>Find My iPhone<\/span> app uses <\/span>Bluetooth<\/span> to help you find an <\/span>iPhone<\/span> even if it\u2019s offline.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have an <\/span>Android phone<\/span> and the <\/span>Find My Device<\/span> app, you can log in to your <\/span>Google account<\/span> and use <\/span>Google Maps<\/span> to check your <\/span>phone\u2019s location history<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Here are four ways that your phone could be tracked:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cell towers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The United States has <\/span>more than 307,000 <\/span><\/a>cell towers<\/span><\/a>. When you use your phone, signals travel back and forth to the nearest <\/span>cell tower<\/span>. Cell carriers can calculate the general area of your phone by measuring the time it takes for a signal to travel back and forth.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carriers use <\/span>cell tower<\/span> triangulation for a more accurate reading, which combines <\/span>location data<\/span> from three <\/span>cell towers<\/span>. This technology was developed to help 911 operators locate callers. It pinpoints the phone\u2019s location within a <\/span>300-meter area<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Public <\/span><\/b>Wi-Fi<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

A smartphone that has <\/span>Wi-Fi<\/span> enabled communicates with nearby <\/span>Wi-Fi networks<\/span> even if it\u2019s not connected to one. Your device automatically scans <\/span>Wi-Fi<\/span> access points nearby and notes the signal strength.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When using public <\/span>Wi-Fi<\/span>, the provider commonly asks you to agree to <\/span>location tracking<\/span>. That <\/span>Wi-Fi<\/span> provider will then record your location whenever you\u2019re in range of one of its hot spots.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To use public <\/span>Wi-Fi<\/span> while protecting your privacy, it\u2019s a good idea to connect with a VPN like McAfee\u2019s <\/a><\/span>Safe Connect VPN<\/span>. This software protects your data using bank-grade encryption to keep your online activity private. The VPN also keeps your IP address and physical location private.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cell site simulators<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Cell site simulators \u2014 otherwise known as stingrays\u2014 mimic <\/span>cellphone<\/span> towers. They trick your phone into pinging it, transmitting its location, and identifying information. Stingrays cause <\/span>cellphones<\/span> to connect to them rather than to legitimate <\/span>cell towers <\/span>by transmitting a stronger signal than that from the cell towers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Law enforcement<\/span> officers often use stingrays to locate and track the movement of potential suspects. While attempting to connect to a specific individual, stingrays connect data from all phones in the vicinity of the device.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Malware or <\/span><\/b>spyware<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

A device that is infected with <\/span>malware<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>spyware<\/span> can track your location even if your <\/span>location settings<\/span> are turned off. Malware can also record your online activities, allow cybercriminals to steal personal information, or slow down your <\/span>operating system<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To help protect your <\/span>mobile device<\/span>, consider getting a comprehensive security tool like McAfee Security for Mobile<\/a>. It works for both <\/span>Android<\/span> and <\/span>iOS<\/span> devices and comes with an antivirus app that scans for threats and malware and blocks them in <\/span>real-time<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you tell if your phone is being tracked?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

While many reasons for tracking a <\/span>phone\u2019s location information<\/span> are benign \u2014 such as seeing where a loved one might be \u2014 scammers and hackers may track phones in an attempt to steal personal data.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, some telltale signs can help you spot whether your <\/span>phone is being tracked<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Battery drain<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

When your phone has <\/span>spyware<\/span>, the program continuously runs in the background and drains your battery. A battery that is losing power faster than normal is either due to an old battery or <\/span>spyware<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Check your battery health to see if it is still strong. If you use an <\/span>iPhone<\/span>, <\/span>follow these steps<\/span><\/a> to check battery health. You\u2019ll see a maximum capacity score that shows your battery power compared to when it was new. An older phone with a battery capacity of 75% could explain why your battery loses power throughout the day. If your battery capacity is 95% or 100% and it drains quickly, however, a virus could be to blame.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a slightly different process to <\/span>check the battery health<\/span><\/a> on an <\/span>Android device<\/span>. Depending on the phone brand, you may need to download an app.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Overheating<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Using apps with high processing demands can cause your <\/span>mobile device<\/span> to heat up. A <\/span>spyware<\/span> app that tracks your <\/span>device\u2019s location<\/span> will use GPS, which causes the phone to work harder and overheat. If you\u2019re using your smartphone normally and it overheats, it could be a sign of malware.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Extra apps<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

If there are <\/span>unfamiliar apps<\/span><\/a> on your phone, someone may have tampered with it. The mystery app could be <\/span>spyware<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unprompted activity<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

If your phone launches activities that you didn\u2019t initiate, an app might be running in the background. In some cases, malware needs to reboot your phone to install updates or change the phone\u2019s settings.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A phone that automatically restarts lights up for no reason or makes noises during calls or texts could be infected with malware.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phone tracking FAQs<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Here are answers to some common questions about phone tracking.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can a phone be tracked if it\u2019s turned off?<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

A phone that is turned off is difficult to track because it stops sending signals to <\/span>cell towers<\/span>. However, the <\/span>service provider<\/span> or internet provider can show the last location once it\u2019s switched back on.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can a phone be tracked with no cell service\/connection?<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Even without cell service, <\/span>Android<\/span> devices and <\/span>iPhones<\/span> can be tracked. Your phone\u2019s mapping apps can track your <\/span>phone\u2019s location<\/span> without an internet connection.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The GPS works in two ways: It uses Assisted GPS or A-GPS when you have a data connection. This uses the locations of <\/span>cellphone<\/span> towers and known <\/span>Wi-Fi networks<\/span> to figure out where you are. It also uses data from GPS satellites for more precise information. The A-GPS needs data service to work, but the GPS radio can receive satellite information without data service.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can a phone be tracked when it\u2019s in <\/span><\/b>airplane mode<\/span><\/b>?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Yes, your phone can be tracked when it\u2019s in <\/span>airplane mode<\/span>. While it does turn off <\/span>Wi-Fi<\/span> and cellular services, <\/span>airplane mode<\/span> doesn\u2019t turn off GPS (a different technology that sends and receives signals from GPS satellites). You\u2019ll have to disable GPS on your device and turn on <\/span>airplane mode <\/span>to prevent your phone from being tracked.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Protect your mobile security with McAfee<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Understanding how your phone can be tracked can help you protect your privacy. For greater peace of mind, though, it can help to have a mobile security tool like <\/span>McAfee Security for Mobile<\/span><\/a> to keep your <\/span>Android<\/span> or <\/span>Apple<\/span> device free from <\/span>spyware<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our all-inclusive mobile security tool safeguards your digital life by offering safe browsing, a secure VPN<\/a>, and antivirus software. It actively protects you from malicious apps, like <\/span>spyware<\/span>, and unwanted visitors.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With a dedicated mobile security app, you can use your phone the way you want without worrying about cybercriminals tracking your information.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your smartphone comes with built-in location services, which are useful if you lose it or if you use an app…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":674,"featured_media":155826,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10670],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3973],"class_list":["post-151234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-tricks"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCan My Phone Be Tracked If Location Services Are Off? | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Your smartphone comes with built-in location services, which are useful if you lose it or if you use an app that needs to know your location. 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