Yes, your Apple ID can track your location through features like Find My, Location Services, Apple Maps, and third-party apps, but you control this via settings, with data encrypted and privacy-focused, while the core cellular network always knows your device's general area. Apple only stores location data intermittently for services, not constantly, and it's secured.
The Find My app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch helps you keep track of your devices and lets you and other people share your locations with each other.
Google Maps or Apple Find My
Your spouse gets hold of your device and turns on the location sharing option within either of these apps. Once activated, they can then track your location remotely, using their own device. To check if you're affected, simply open the app and check if location sharing is turned on.
No, the Find My app doesn't notify someone when you look at their location, only when they use the "Find Nearby" function, it uses Precision Finding and will alert them if you're trying to locate them. When you check on friends within the app, the other person won't receive any notification.
Scan for malware
Spyware or tracking apps can run in the background without your knowledge, collecting data like your location, messages, and browsing activity.
Three-finger gestures on iPhone primarily activate accessibility features like VoiceOver (for screen reading and navigation) and Zoom (magnification), allowing scrolling, zooming, and text manipulation (copy/paste/undo) with specific taps and drags, though some text actions work without VoiceOver enabled for quick editing. Common gestures include three-finger double-tap to toggle VoiceOver speech, triple-tap for the screen curtain, and pinching/spreading with three fingers for copy/paste actions, notes this YouTube video.
You can see if someone is actively checking your location on an iPhone by checking the "People" tab in the Find My app (if you're sharing) and looking for purple arrows next to System Services in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, which indicate recent access, but there's no single log for who checked your exact spot in Find My unless they are using Precision Finding, which notifies you, or you're getting alerts for misplaced AirTags. The primary way to know who has access is to review who you're sharing with in Find My, while system service arrows show if your location was used recently by iOS features.
Turn location on or off for your device
If your phone is only in airplane mode, anyone who has access to your GPS can see your location. One way to ensure your location is hidden from others and third parties is to disable the GPS feature on your iPhone or Android.
Yes, it is possible for someone to track your phone. This can be done through various methods, including malicious spyware, apps to which you have granted location permissions, your mobile carrier's network data, or by connecting to compromised Wi-Fi networks.
Can people track your phone number? Generally, people can't use your phone number alone to track you. Your network provider can triangulate your location based on the signals sent between your phone and cell towers, which can be useful in an emergency.
Control app tracking permissions on iPhone
Locate a family member's device
After you share your location with members of your Family Sharing group, they can help locate a missing device added to the Find My app. See Locate a device in Find My.
What Does ##002# Really Do? 🔐📞 ##002# instantly cancels all call forwarding on your phone — busy, unreachable, or no-answer. It's a simple way to reset settings and protect your privacy.
If you think your phone is being tracked, look for the following warning signs: Unfamiliar apps on your homescreen. Malware can install apps that track your location without your knowledge. If you spot apps that you don't remember installing, it could be a sign that your phone has been hacked.
On an iPhone, dialing *#21# is a USSD code used to check the status of your unconditional call forwarding, revealing if your calls, SMS, or data are being redirected and to which number, without actually changing settings; it's a simple privacy check to see if someone has secretly set your phone to forward everything, though it doesn't detect advanced spyware. Dialing this code brings up a message from your carrier about your call forwarding status, often showing "Disabled" or a specific number if it's active.
How to know if your phone is being tracked. If your phone is being monitored remotely, you might notice your battery draining quickly, spot unfamiliar apps, or your camera, microphone, or location turning on when you're not using them.
*3001#12345#* on an iPhone activates the hidden Field Test Mode, a diagnostic tool for network engineers and power users to see detailed cellular data like signal strength (dBm), cell tower info, and network quality, accessible by dialing the code in the Phone app and pressing call, often after turning off Wi-Fi for accurate cellular readings.
You can double-tap or triple-tap the back of iPhone to perform actions such as taking a screenshot, turning on an accessibility feature, running a shortcut, and more. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, then choose an action.
Messages automatically uses the following screen effects for specific text strings: