That Wi-Fi provider will then record your location whenever you’re in range of one of its hot spots. When using public Wi-Fi, the provider commonly asks you to agree to location tracking. Your device automatically scans Wi-Fi access points nearby and notes the signal strength.

Public Wi-FiĪ smartphone that has Wi-Fi enabled communicates with nearby Wi-Fi networks even if it’s not connected to one. It pinpoints the phone’s location within a 300-meter area. This technology was developed to help 911 operators locate callers. Cell carriers can calculate the general area of your phone by measuring the time it takes for a signal to travel back and forth.Ĭarriers use cell tower triangulation for a more accurate reading, which combines location data from three cell towers.

When you use your phone, signals travel back and forth to the nearest cell tower. The United States has more than 307,000 cell towers. Here are four ways that your phone could be tracked: Cell towers If you have an Android phone and the Find My Device app, you can log in to your Google account and use Google Maps to check your phone’s location history.

For example, the Find My iPhone app uses Bluetooth to help you find an iPhone even if it’s offline. You may have used some of these yourself to find a lost or stolen phone. Whether you have an iOS or Android phone, there are ways it can be tracked even if location services are turned off. This article explains how your phone can be tracked and what you can do to enhance your mobile security. However, a smartphone can still be tracked through other techniques that reveal its general location. This is important if you don’t want third parties knowing where you are or being able to track your movement. Turning off the location service on your phone can help conceal your location. But what if you don’t want your phone to be tracked? Can the phone be located if you turn off location services ? The answer is yes, it’s possible to track mobile phones even if location services are turned off. Your smartphone comes with built-in location services, which are useful if you lose it or if you use an app that needs to know your location.

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