Generally, police can't actively track a phone that's completely off because it stops communicating with towers, but they can often find its last known location, access historical data from carriers, and some modern phones have "find my device" features that work even when seemingly off, relying on low-power signals or networks, requiring a warrant for detailed data. For a truly "off" state, removing the battery (if possible) or placing it in a Faraday cage is needed to stop all signals.
Generally, a phone that is powered off can't be actively tracked as it stops communicating with cell towers and Wi-Fi networks. However, its last known location is often recorded by your carrier or services such as Google Maps.
Turning off your phone can prevent your location from being tracked because the device no longer sends signals to WiFi or cell towers. However, your service provider or internet provider will be able to see your last location before the phone was turned off and your device's current location once it's turned back on.
During routine checks or arrests, the situation differs. Generally, police cannot access your phone in Australia without your consent or a warrant. The exception is if they believe the phone contains evidence of a crime and there is a risk that this evidence could be destroyed or lost.
When you're using iCloud.com/find, you can't find your device's location if it's powered off, the battery has run out, or more than 24 hours has passed since its last location was sent to Apple.
13 Ways to Make Make Your Smartphone Impossible to Track
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.
Turning off the location service on your phone can help conceal your location. This is important if you don't 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.
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.
Police may ask you to unlock your phone, but: You are not legally obligated to provide your PIN or password unless they have a specific digital evidence access order from a court. Refusing to comply with such a court order can result in criminal charges, including obstruction.
It still tracks your exact GPS location and continues to give you perfect directions. How is that possible, when airplane mode is supposed to turn off all internet connectivity?! Apparently Android users aren't the only ones getting tracked even when airplane mode is on..
Cops using forensic software can often look into a device's primary storage (as well as cloud storage) and pull up information that the user may have believed was permanently deleted long ago. That capability extends beyond images and documents. It can include items stored in databases like text messages and emails.
Turning it off should mean that your phone's location isn't being tracked anymore, but even if you turn it off, you're still being tracked.
Turn off location services on Android
Dial *#21# to check if your phone is tapped.
Dial *#21# on your iPhone to check if a third party is intercepting your calls, messages, or data. This is another useful code to know if someone is monitoring your calls. This code reveals if voice, data, SMS, and other services are forwarded to another number.
5 signs your phone is possibly being tracked
Turn "Do Not Track" on or off
How To Stop Sharing Location Without Them Knowing Today
When a mobile device is turned off, it does not actively transmit location data to cell towers. However, just before it powers off, your phone will communicate its last known location.
*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:
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.