Yes, someone can track your location through apps with permission, spyware, your phone carrier (cell towers), IP addresses, Wi-Fi, or shared settings like Find My or Google Maps, but you can limit this by managing app permissions, using a VPN, disabling services, and checking for unauthorized software, says Aura, McAfee, Norton, Kaspersky, AVG.com, Avast, NordVPN, Cybernews, Chayn, Certo Software, Panda Security, Reddit, YouTube, Findmykids.org, AirDroid, and McAfee.
One of the easiest ways someone can track your phone is through location services. Apps, websites, and even hackers can use GPS data to monitor your movements in real time. Disabling location services limits their ability to do so, reducing the risk of unauthorized tracking.
Turn off location services and update your permissions to prevent apps from sharing your whereabouts. And use a VPN for an extra layer of protection. Combined, these measures make it much harder for anyone to monitor your phone without your knowledge.
Even with airplane mode on, your phone can still be tracked. While airplane mode disables cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, it doesn't disable GPS, allowing your location to be determined.
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.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. The list shows the apps that requested permission to track you. You can turn permission on or off for any app on the list. To stop all apps from asking permission to track you, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track (at the top of the screen).
Key signs that your phone is under tracking or monitoring
How to stop your phone from being tracked
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.
This Vertical Service Code, *82, enables calling line identification regardless of subscriber preference, dialed to unblock withheld numbers (private callers) in the U.S. on a per-call basis.
Press *#*#4636#*#* or *#*#197328640#*#* to see if anyone is watching your movements. These are Utility Net Monitor Codes. Dialing these codes can tell you if you're being tracked or monitored through your mobile phone.
A device that is infected with malware or spyware can track your location even if your location settings are turned off. Malware can also record your online activities, allow cybercriminals to steal personal information, and slow down your operating system.
Dialing *#21# on your phone uses a USSD code to check the status of your unconditional call forwarding, revealing if all your calls, data, or texts are being redirected to another number without your knowledge, which can happen if someone accesses your settings. It's not a definitive hack detector, but it quickly shows if a carrier-level setting is diverting your communications, potentially to intercept sensitive information like 2FA codes, and can be disabled with ##21#.
No, your iPhone doesn't send a notification when someone simply views your location in the standard Find My app, but you can see which apps are accessing your location in Settings, and a special "Find Nearby" feature does notify you if someone is actively trying to find you in person. You can check your Location Services in Settings > Privacy & Security to see apps with recent location access (indicated by an arrow icon) and manage sharing in the Find My app.
Here are four steps you can take to protect your data from unwanted tracking.
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.
You can control what location information your device can use.
Turn your phone off
The most effective way to stop your phone from being traced is probably the simplest: turn it off when you're not using it. Simply hold down the power button for a few seconds and then use the “slide to power off” slider on iPhone or tap the “Power off” button on Android.
What is the 3-digit number to see if your phone is tapped? If your phone is on a CDMA network like Verizon or US Cellular, dialing the code *72 will tell you whether any of your calls or data are being forwarded to another number. Dial *#002# to uncover this kind of phone tapping on GSM networks.
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.
This makes us wonder—"How can someone read your text messages without your phone?" Believe it or not, it's possible. Hackers, stalkers, and even people close to you may find ways to bypass modern security measures. Here are three major signs that someone might be monitoring your messages—and what you can do about it.
Because of this, many assume airplane mode also shuts off location tracking, but that's not the case. Airplane mode only prevents your device from transmitting signals. It does not stop your phone from receiving signals, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS).