The process of tracking a mobile phone’s location is known as mobile phone tracking. Generally speaking, a cell phone is made up of several technologies and modules, and as a result, there are numerous ways to target a device, track it, and keep track of its location. You can utilize a variety of cell phone trackers, available as applications and software, to make phone tracking simpler since going the manual approach isn’t as simple.
What exactly are phone tracking apps?
Apps for tracking a phone’s GPS position, calls, messages, and other activities are essentially pieces of software that are placed on the device. Parents frequently use these applications to monitor their children’s location and track their behavior. The breadth of usage for a phone tracker app extends far beyond these use-cases, and this is only one of them. You may also use it to find your lost or stolen device or to track your family and friends.
For instance, a phone monitoring software helps those with separation anxiety and allows parents to monitor where their children are at all times. You may always be aware of your child’s whereabouts by utilizing GPS and WiFi tracking on their mobile device. People who worry about their loved ones being out alone at night might also benefit from these apps. In the event that your phone is lost or stolen, GPS tracking apps are excellent for finding it.
You can obtain a variety of various functionalities, such as real-time cell phone location tracking, history tracking, position tracking using GPS and Google Maps, and phone number tracking, to mention a few, depending on the cell phone tracking program you select.
How do mobile tracking apps function?
The GPS (Global Positioning System) is typically used by cell phone tracking services (apps and software) to locate the position of the target device. They accomplish this by utilizing the numerous satellites that orbit the Earth, and they do it by using the GPS receiver on mobile devices to make contact with a few of these satellites. Once a connection has been made, these apps can determine the separation between each satellite and use trilateration to determine the approximate location of the phone.
When you lose your smartphone or want to keep an eye on your child or a family member, these phone tracking services are helpful and practical, but they also present some privacy concerns. Additionally, depending on where in the world you are, using them on individuals without their will is a serious crime.
We’ve put up a list of some of the top phone tracker applications to aid you with all of your cell phone monitoring needs if you’ve been seeking for mobile phone trackers and have tried searching for them on the app stores but were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of available options.
Optimal Phone Tracking Apps
Glympse
With the help of the free and straightforward real-time location monitoring app Glympse, you can view your friends’, family’s, and coworkers’ current locations on your smartphone. This tracker app, which is available for Android and iOS smartphones, operates using GPS and a data connection.
With the help of the app, you may safely share your location with your contacts. When you share your locations, anyone with a web-enabled device can access your current location with a dynamic map without having to join up. You can ask someone for their location on the app (glympse) in addition to revealing your own to keep tabs on their whereabouts. Particularly when you need to monitor your youngster or want to find out where family members are, this functionality might be useful.
Glympse attributes
Check in without downloading anything
Browse a select set of people, such as close friends or family.
Instantaneous location sharing using interactive maps
When the sharing session ends, the shared glympses will expire automatically.
Current User Complaints:
There is no way to turn off SDL alerts.
Freezing occurs intermittently with Android apps
Problems with Wi-Fi connections occasionally occur.
Free
Google Play | iTunes
The Life360 Family Finder
Another well-known phone tracking tool, Family Locator from Life360, can help you keep tabs on the people who matter most to you. The software is ad-supported and can be downloaded for nothing. However, they can be removed permanently by an in-app purchase, allowing for a more seamless experience. But that’s not all; the update now enables additional functions like unlimited location alerts, round-the-clock roadside support, an emergency SOS button, and more. The Family Finder app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
This monitoring tool can help you and your loved ones keep in touch and sync so that you can plan events and outings together. Family Locator also lets you form closed chat groups (called “circles”) with people like your relatives, friends, and coworkers. This way, you can track your friends’ whereabouts in real time and get notified the instant they enter or depart a certain area.
Family Finder includes:
SOS button to notify loved ones of your current location in an emergency
Obtainable 30-day location history
Free location updates forever
Theft of mobile phone service
Current User Complaints:
Incomplete updates
Imprecise tracking of whereabouts
Free and paid (through in-app purchases)
Google Play | iTunes
Third, the Familonet Family GPS Locator
Familonet also offers a product with a similarly titled name, Family (GPS) Locator. This phone tracker app, which is compatible with both Android and iOS, claims to provide solutions to all your problems with mobile device monitoring. You can get started with a free download and pay for more features if you find you need them.
Keep in touch with loved ones and view their current whereabouts on a map with the help of Family Locator. When family members arrive or depart from their daily (predefined) destinations, you can receive an immediate push notice from this GPS monitoring software. Additionally, Family Locator provides a discreet chat feature for when you absolutely must get in touch with them. If you want to monitor the whereabouts of numerous family members at once, you can do so by dividing them up into separate groups. That way, you can keep tabs on a larger group of people while still keeping in touch with each of them individually.
In-Car (GPS) Family Finder Functions:
Notifications can be set up to occur automatically when family members leave or arrive at specific locations.
Use separate groups to keep track of your loved ones and acquaintances.
Help-calling button to press in an emergency
Real-time geolocation access
Current User Complaints:
Some users experience issues when rejoining the group.
Download for Android and iOS for free or with in-app purchases.
Locate Me
The new Find My app on search Apple devices (search iPhones, search iPads, search AirPods, etc.) allows you to track down your misplaced iDevices. So, if you lose any of these gadgets, you can track them down with the app. Find My is a free service, but it can only be used to look for iPhones.
This mobile tracking tool requires nothing more than access to your search Apple (iCloud). After logging in, you’ll have the option to remotely lock your device, play a sound to help you find it if you suspect it’s close, display a message, and more. In addition, if necessary, you can delete everything from the device remotely. Find My’s cell phone location history is a useful tool because it records where your missing phone has been while it was in lost mode. This can be useful for retracing its steps and finding it again.
Explore My Options:
Use a map to pinpoint the location of your Apple product (search iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Mac)
If a gadget is nearby, you can use sound to find it.
Remotely lock the missing device with a passcode
Find out how to get to the gadget in your car.
Wipe the device’s memory and settings from afar.
Purchase-No-Risk: iOS
Can’t Find My Droid!
Another phone-tracking program is Where’s My Droid. Where’s My Droid is an app that lets you discover your misplaced Android device, much like Apple’s discover My app for iPhones, which enables you to track and locate your misplaced iPhone, iPad, iPod, and other iDevices. This cell phone tracker app is simple to operate and provides a comprehensive look at the GPS coordinates of a location, making it much simpler to find and retrieve your lost or stolen cell phone.
Where’s My Droid allows you to remotely activate your phone’s ringer in the event you can’t find it. Consequently, your chances of locating it will improve. Similarly, the program lets you lock your phone remotely and make it unusable if you lose it, preventing the thief from accessing any of your data. In addition, if necessary, you can remotely remove all data and information from your Android device.
This inexpensive phone tracker allows you to monitor the whereabouts of your Android handset for less than $1 per month. Access the free trial version of the GPS tracking app on Google Play.
The Where’s My Droid app includes:
Find the phone by making it ring.
Secure a gadget from afar
Data can be erased from afar.
Motion detector
Using GPS to locate the lost phone
Geofencing
Stop the app from being deleted
Android App, Free & Paid (in-app purchases)
mSpy
Among the many mobile monitoring programs available, mSpy is among the most well-known. Although it has capabilities that allow parents to monitor their child’s phone activity without their knowledge, the software touts itself as a parental control app rather than a spy app. This mobile tracker app is compatible with both mobile devices running Android and iOS and desktop computers running macOS and Windows. For example, the program may access your Facebook, Line, Telegram, WeChat, and WhatsApp accounts, as well as your contacts and messages via your browser.
You can use mSpy to do more than just spy on your child’s phone by restricting their access to certain websites and apps and even limiting their ability to make and receive phone calls. In addition, the app allows you to see email, app, and keyboard activity logs. While the software advertises itself as a child tracking software and includes (tracking and monitoring) tools to assist parents in keeping tabs on their children’s whereabouts, it’s crucial to be mindful of how and on whom you use this software. You should never use such programs on someone without permission, nor should you monitor or track someone’s location without agreement, because doing so on someone you don’t know without their permission can soon become an unlawful conduct.
With mSpy, you can:
Instantaneous telephony GPS locator
Historically Speaking
Geofencing
In-app purchases available for the “panic button.”
Access mSpy.
Various Other Useful Apps
Cocospy FamilySafe iSpy FlexiSPY
Those are some of the most versatile and effective phone tracking apps. Even though it’s simple to install a phone tracking app and begin tracking a target’s whereabouts or activities, it’s important to remember that you need the target’s permission before doing so. This implies you can use these applications without fear of repercussions so long as you aren’t doing so in order to keep tabs on your children or other family members or to find your missing phone. And it’s only when you go beyond these uses and actually intend to monitor and track someone’s location that you’ll need to get their consent first.