It is not entirely possible to make a smartphone impossible to track due to the fundamental ways they connect to networks and use built-in location services. However, you can take several overlapping steps to significantly minimize tracking and enhance your privacy.
To stop location tracking on an Android phone, disable Location Services in Settings under Privacy or Location. Review app permissions and revoke location access for unnecessary apps. Use Airplane Mode or turn off GPS when not needed. Regularly update your device to patch security vulnerabilities.
12 Tips for Making Your Phone Untraceable
To know if someone's tracking your phone, watch for quick battery drain, high data usage, overheating, strange call sounds (clicks/echoes), slow performance, or unfamiliar apps/pop-ups, which suggest spyware running in the background, but remember these can also be normal; unusual activity, especially a combination of these signs, points towards monitoring, as explained by Norton and AirDroid and AirDroid.
Use an anti-tracking extension in your preferred browser
An anti-tracking browser extension like the Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker can be installed on your preferred browser to block ads and trackers. Our browser extension is free to use and is rated as one of the best anti-tracking extensions on the market today.
Hackers (or any creep with physical access to your phone) can install spyware or tracking apps that run in the background, monitoring your calls, messages, location, and online activity. These apps are often disguised as harmless programs, making them difficult to detect.
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.
What do I dial to see if my phone is being monitored? While no USSD code will confirm outright if your phone is being monitored, dialing *#21# allows you to check if unconditional call forwarding is enabled, meaning your phone calls are being redirected to another number.
How do I make my iPhone untrackable? It's nearly impossible to make your iPhone completely untraceable. However, if you disable location services, use a VPN, limit app permissions as much as possible, and avoid public Wi-Fi networks, you can reduce how easy it is for someone to track your activity.
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.
Turn "Do Not Track" on or off
Turn off location services on Android
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.
Whether you have an iOS or Android phone, there are ways it can be tracked even if the location services are turned off. You may have used some of these yourself to find a lost or stolen phone. For example, the Find My iPhone app uses Bluetooth to help you find a smartphone even if it's offline.
To turn off Call Forwarding from your mobile phone, call *73. You should hear a confirmation tone or message that may sound like a busy signal to let you know Call Forwarding has been turned off. Get step-by-step instructions on our Turn Call Forwarding off from device page.
Yes, it is possible for a phone to be tapped remotely. Hackers or surveillance programs can gain access through spyware or vulnerabilities in outdated software. Malicious apps disguised as legitimate software can also install tracking tools without physical contact.
Dialing *#21# on your phone checks the status of your unconditional call forwarding, revealing if your calls, texts, or data are being redirected to another number without you knowing, often without leaving traces on your phone bill; it's a standard network code to see your carrier's call forwarding settings, not a definitive "hacking" tool, but useful for detecting unauthorized forwarding.
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.
Signs your phone is tapped
You can pause any updates to your location on your device as long as the setting is turned off.
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.
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).
Good anti-tracking software, like Avast AntiTrack, helps to disguise your online identity. It stops advertisers and data collectors from tracking you. And it gives you essential privacy protection when you're browsing or working online.