Is There A GPS Tracker On My Phone? Six Red Flags To Look Out For

Sophia Taylor

By Sophia Taylor

Updated:

Gone are the days of planting a GPS ‘tracker’ on a target to track their location. These days, all someone needs is access to their victim’s cell phone.

Once they have access to this device, they’ll be able to constantly track wherever you are in the world.

For hackers, jealous partners or snooping bosses, that’s a dream come true. Everyone has a cell phone and we all carry them wherever we go.

In this article, we’re going to look at some of the different methods used by hackers for GPS tracking using a victim’s cell phone.

We’ll talk about how these methods are implemented and what you can do to detect if it’s happening to you.

1. GPS Tracking Apps

This method relies on the use of apps known as ‘tracking apps’. These types of tracking apps are marketed towards parents who want to monitor their family’s whereabouts.

Although this tracking software is targeted at parents, these apps are often abused by hackers who use them to spy on someone without their knowledge.

This method is especially popular with spouses, family members and such, as this is a relatively easy way to track someone’s GPS location – requiring nothing more than installing an app, usually from the official app stores of the respective device.

✅ How to detect

This is pretty simple. You just need to check your phone for apps that you don’t recognize.

These apps can often be hidden deep in app folders, so make sure you check everywhere. If you find one, simply delete it the same as you would any other app.

Alternatively, use Certo AntiSpy (for iOS) or Certo Mobile Security (for Android) to run a deep scan of your devices and ensure that no malicious tracking apps are installed.

Find tracking apps with Certo

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2. Abuse of Legitimate Apps to Track Your GPS Location

Sometimes legitimate apps can be abused to share your location with a third-party.

Apps like Google Maps or Apple’s Find My have features that allow the location of the device to be shared with another person.

This can be set up on the victim’s phone if the hacker is able to get hold of it for a short time.

Again, this is an extremely easy method and doesn’t require installing an app onto the device. You can read more about this type of hack here.

✅ How to detect

You can check if location sharing is turned on in either of these apps as follows:

How to stop sharing your location in Find My:

  1. On your device, open the Find My app.
  2. Tap People.
  3. Tap on anyone who can see your location.
  4. Tap Stop Sharing Location.

Fig 1. Checking for location sharing on iPhone.

How to stop sharing your location in Google Maps:

  1. On your device, open the Google Maps app.
  2. Tap the Account Circle in the top right.
  3. Tap Location sharing.
  4. Remove any accounts you are sharing your location with.

Fig 2. Checking for location sharing on Android.

3. Apps with Access to Your Location

Most apps that use your location data do so for a legitimate reason. However, it’s a good exercise to check all apps on your phone that have permission to use your location, as you never know if the app is being abused by someone to track your GPS location.

If you find any apps using your location that you don’t recognize or you’d prefer not to share your location with then you can easily revoke the permission.

✅ How to detect

Use either Certo AntiSpy (for iOS) or Certo Mobile Security (for Android) to automatically detect which apps are accessing your location and revoke the permission as required.

Or, to check your phone manually, please follow these steps:

To check which apps can access your location on iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap Privacy & Security.
  3. Select Location Services.

Here, you’ll see a list of all the apps on your phone that have requested access to your location. Each app will have one of the following statuses:

  • Never: The app cannot access your location.
  • Ask Next Time Or When I Share: The app will ask for your permission before accessing your location.
  • While Using the App: The app can only access your location while you’re using it.
  • Always: The app can access your location at any time, even when you’re not using it.

You can tap on any app in the list to change its location access settings. You can also see if the app has recently used your location. If so, you’ll see a small indicator next to the app name.

Fig 3. Checking apps with access to location on iPhone.

To check which apps can access your location on Android:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap App Permissions.
  4. Select Location.
  5. Scroll through the list of all the apps on your Android and turn off the location for any desired apps.

Fig 4. Checking apps with access to location on Android.

4. Significant Locations (iOS) and Google Timeline (Android)

These relatively unknown features on both iOS and Android automatically keep track of your most visited locations and put them onto a map. This is a built-in feature of both phone systems but can be turned off.

These features are designed to improve navigation functions such as predictive traffic routing.

However, they could be abused by someone wanting to see a history of your GPS location, if they are able to get hold of your phone or gain access to your Google account.

✅ How to detect

For iPhone:

Significant Locations is a feature built into the iOS system. To turn this off do the following:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap on Privacy & Security.
  3. Tap on Location Services.
  4. Scroll down and tap on System Services.
  5. Tap on Significant Locations. You may need to enter your passcode or use Face ID/Touch ID to proceed.
  6. Toggle the Significant Locations switch to off (it should turn gray).

Additionally, you can clear your history. Simply tap on “Clear History” to delete the previously saved significant locations.

ℹ️ Keep in mind that turning off Significant Locations will affect personalized services in some Apple apps, like Maps, Calendar, and Photos.

Fig 5. Reviewing Significant Locations on iPhone.

For Android:

Google Timeline is a feature managed by the Google Maps app. Here’s how to view the location data Google has collected and turn it off:

  1. Open the Google Maps app.
  2. Tap on your profile picture or initial in the top right corner.
  3. Go to Your Timeline.
  4. Tap on the three dots in the top right corner (More).
  5. Select Location and privacy settings.
  6. Tap Timeline is on.
  7. Tap Turn off.

Fig 6. Reviewing your Timeline on Android.

5. Photo Metadata

Most people don’t know that the photos they take on their phone contain information known as ‘Metadata’.

This not only includes data about the device that took the photo, but also other details such as the time, date, and location of the photo.

If you regularly share photos with other people or post them online then you may be unknowingly sharing the exact location where these photos were taken.

It’s a scary thought that you could potentially be giving away more information than you intended, for example, the location of your home.

✅ How to detect

For iPhone:

Apple devices have a simple option to turn off location sharing when sharing photos via iMessage, SMS or email.

  1. When sharing a photo via the iOS Photos app, click Options at the top of the page.
  2. Here you’ll see various settings including location.
  3. Simply tap the slider next to the location to exclude the location data from the photo being shared.

For Android:

Unfortunately, Android doesn’t make it quite as easy to exclude location metadata from photos that you share.

However, if you are concerned about sharing metadata when you send a photo, use WhatsApp as this will automatically remove the metadata from any image sent.

6. Spyware

Spyware is the most intrusive method of hacking, which involves installing malicious software onto a device in order to track and collect information, including GPS location.

Companies such as mSpy and FlexiSpy have the ability to remotely send GPS location data back to a hacker along with collecting a host of other data such as text messages, browser history, account passwords, online banking details, etc.

Furthermore, these apps cost as little as $30 per month and can be completely hidden from the victim.

✅ How to detect

The most effective way to detect location-tracking spyware on your cell phone is to run a scan with a reputable security app.

Apps such as Certo AntiSpy (for iOS) or Certo Mobile Security (for Android) are perfect for this purpose.

Award-winning mobile security

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How to Prevent Your Phone From Being Tracked

Protecting your phone from tracking requires a proactive approach that addresses both technical and behavioral aspects of device security:

  • Avoid jailbreaking/rooting: While tempting for customization, jailbreaking (iOS) or rooting (Android) compromises built-in security measures, making your device vulnerable to spyware and other threats.
  • Stay updated: Regularly update your phone’s operating system to benefit from the latest security patches and fixes for known vulnerabilities. Enable automatic updates for hassle-free protection.
  • Limit app sources: Only install apps from trusted sources like the App Store or Google Play Store. Avoid “sideloading” apps from unknown sources, as they may contain malware or spyware.
  • Be wary of texts: Exercise caution with unexpected texts from unknown numbers or contacts. Avoid clicking suspicious links or sharing personal information.
  • Review location settings: Regularly review and adjust location-sharing settings for apps. Disable location access for apps that don’t require it, or choose to share only while using the app.
  • Clean up your apps: Delete unused or unknown apps to minimize potential security risks and free up storage space.
  • Monitor battery life: Unusual battery drain may indicate hidden apps or processes running in the background. Regularly check battery usage to identify any anomalies. Also, check data usage and app data usage. Any spikes in data usage is a red flag.
  • Use Anti-spyware software: Consider using a reputable anti-spyware app like Certo AntiSpy for iPhone and Certo Mobile Security for Android for comprehensive protection against various threats.

Final Thoughts

As technology continues to advance, the ability for individuals and organizations to track your location through your cell phone has become increasingly prevalent. It is important to be aware of this potential security threat and take steps to protect yourself.

One way to do this is by regularly checking for any unauthorized GPS tracking on your cell phone.

This can be done by reviewing the list of apps that have access to your location, as well as checking for any suspicious activity on your phone, such as unexpected battery drain or data usage.

Additionally, it is important to keep your phone’s software up to date, as this can help to fix any potential vulnerabilities that may be exploited by tracking apps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is there an app that can detect a GPS tracker?

Yes, there are many apps that can detect if a GPS tracker has been installed on your cell phone.

For Android use Certo Mobile Security or for iPhone use Certo AntiSpy to do a full check of your device.

Can you stop your phone from being tracked?

The quickest way to stop your phone from being tracked is to find out which apps are leaking your location and disable it. Check the permissions settings on your phone to see which apps have access to your location and remove any that seem suspicious.

How do I block GPS tracking?

Blocking GPS tracking on a cell phone can be done in several ways to protect your privacy and security.

One way to prevent tracking is by disabling access to location services for any apps that you do not trust or no longer use.

This can be done by going to your phone’s settings, looking for the privacy or location settings, and reviewing the list of apps that have permission to access your location.

Cover Image by Freepik