Table of Contents
Settings, it may not be Make Your Phone Impossible to Track. Most of the time, a third party can see your smartphone’s social data even if they don’t know where it is. All of this gives a clear picture of where you might be at any given time based on the “digital footprints” left by certain social media apps, such as Facebook posts, Instagram stories, and your most recent WhatsApp status, among others.
How To Make your Phone Impossible to Track
Turn Off Your GPS
GPS tracking is often the first thing that comes to mind when people think about tracking mobile phones. Depending on the type of phone you have and how it works, the GPS setting can be different.
Some mobile devices have a GPS setting that doesn’t have anything to do with their privacy or location settings. Also, some phones turn off the GPS when the “airplane mode” is turned on. So, the best thing to do would be to look at your phone’s user manual to find out how to turn off its GPS.
Limit ad tracking on your phone
Ad tracking is a catch-all term for the process of gathering information about users to measure how well online advertising campaigns are doing. You’ve seen it in action when you search for a product on Amazon and then see it advertised on Facebook shortly after.
For Android Phones
- Go to Settings
- Select Google
- Choose Ads
- Go to Set up SIM card lock
- Toggle Opt out of Ads Personalization
For iPhones
- Go to Settings
- Scroll down to tap Privacy
- Select Location Services
- Scroll down to tap System Services
- Disable Location-Based Ads
Use a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is an excellent way to make your phone safer. Labunski says, “Connecting to a VPN changes your IP address, which is a string of characters that identifies each device that browses the internet. This prevents your location [and your browsing traffic] from being accurately figured out and linked back to you.”
It’s important to note, though, that VPNs and other security apps don’t stop your phone from being tracked when it’s offline. If you’re really worried about passive location tracking, you’ll still need to use one of the methods above.
Disable Bluetooth
For iPhones
- Go to Settings
- Tap Bluetooth
- Toggle to disable Bluetooth
For Android Phones
- Go to Settings
- Select Connected Devices
- Choose Connection Preferences
- Go to Bluetooth
Use a Faraday bag
A Faraday bag looks like any other bag you might use to carry things, except that it is made of materials that block signals from the outside. It is named after the scientist Michael Faraday, who made the first enclosure that blocked electromagnetic fields.
It’s pretty easy to understand how it works: if radio frequency or electromagnetic pulse waves can’t get through the material, devices inside the Faraday bag can’t connect to a signal from outside.
They keep electronics from being tracked, hacked, or messed up by blocking all electromagnetic signals between 200 MHz and 40 GHz coming in and going out. This includes GPS, 5G cell, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more.
Protect Your Google Account
If you have a Google account, you should check your location settings to make sure that your location isn’t being shared with people you don’t want to. If you have ever told someone your location, they may still be able to find it through Google.
Google also has a feature that lets you see where you’ve been in the past even when you’re not using a Google app. This can be helpful if you want to see where you’ve been or remember how to get somewhere, but it also makes you vulnerable if someone hacks your Google account.
Lock Your SIM Card
For Android Phones
- Go to Settings
- Select Lock screen and security
- Choose Other security settings
- Go to Set up SIM card lock
- Enable the slider for Lock SIM card
For iPhones
- Go to Settings
- Select Cellular
- Select SIM PIN
- Enter your PIN to confirm
Can Someone Track My Phone If My Location Is Off?
Yes, it is possible to track a cell phone without using location services. If you turn off your phone’s GPS or other geolocation settings, it may not be possible to track you, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
Most of the time, a third party can see your smartphone’s social data even if they don’t know where it is. All of this gives a clear picture of where you might be at any given time based on the “digital footprints” left by certain social media apps, such as Facebook posts, Instagram stories, and your most recent WhatsApp status, among others.