Mastering the Art of Phone Number Tracking: What You Need to Know

If you’ve watched any modern spy movie, you’ve probably seen them pinpointing someone’s location via their phone number. Admittedly, they make it seem quite complex and requiring plenty of technical know-how to pull off. What if I told you that you could do it too? What’s more, you’ll only need a phone number to accurately track your target. Curious to learn how? Read on as we explore all that goes into tracking a cell phone number. But first, what are the ethical and legal considerations to take into account?  

Is It Legal to Track Someone Else’s Phone Without Them Knowing?

In most jurisdictions, tracking someone without their consent is considered illegal. Regardless of whether they’re your friend, employee, spouse, or just a stranger, you may be breaking the law by surveilling them. Further, the UN General Assembly adopted the right to privacy in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, thereby deeming it a fundamental human right. As such, using technology to infringe on someone’s privacy is generally frowned upon from an ethical standpoint.

Before tracking someone, it is important to take into account local laws and regulations, lest you find yourself subject to legal proceedings. To tackle the ethical dilemma, consider your reasons for tracking them. Do they outweigh your target’s right to privacy?  

In some cases, it may be legal to track people under certain circumstances. Law enforcement agencies, for instance, may be allowed to track fugitives from the law. Parents can also monitor their children to ensure their safety. Employers may also be allowed to track their employees, especially on company-issued devices. 

The Basic Technologies Used in Mobile Tracking

Typically, mobile tracking makes use of 3 major technologies. Let’s explore the inner workings of each of these.

GPS

This is the most commonly used technology to track a cell phone by number. Short for Global Positioning System, GPS utilizes a network of about 30 satellites to determine the position of a receiver on the ground. These satellites orbit the Earth, transmitting signals to the receivers. The GPS receiver may be a handheld device like your phone or vehicle-mounted like a car’s GPS tracker. For it to initiate tracking, the receiver’s GPS must be turned on and ready to receive signals. 

Usually, a GPS receiver needs signals from about 4 satellites to determine its location accurately. It then determines its location by gauging the time it takes for a signal to travel from the satellite to the receiver, as well as the angle it arrives at. Generally, the more satellites that are visible to a receiver, the higher its location accuracy will be. 

When tracking a phone number via GPS, keep in mind that mountainous terrains and buildings may limit the number of satellites visible to the phone’s GPS receiver. Therefore, your tracking accuracy may be negatively impacted in such regions. 

Cell Tower Triangulation

Unlike GPS, which uses satellites, cell tower triangulation utilizes a service provider’s network infrastructure to obtain a cell phone’s location. This method is usually employed by law enforcement or emergency services, as it requires the service provider’s collaboration.

At any one time, your phone is always communicating with nearby cell towers as long as it’s turned on. By gauging the signal strengths and time it takes for a signal to bounce back between a tower and your cell phone, one can determine the distance of the phone from the cell tower with considerable accuracy. If the phone is communicating with a second or third tower in the vicinity, the location accuracy improves significantly. Therefore, the accuracy of this method goes up significantly in urban areas with a high concentration of cell towers.

Wi-Fi Tracking

Wi-fi-based location tracking determines your location based on the Wi-Fi networks available around you. As a result, it displays high accuracy when used in urban areas with a large concentration of Wi-Fi networks. By gauging the signal strengths of the networks your phone picks up, one can estimate your position with impressive accuracy. 

What Is the Best App to Track a Cell Phone by Number?

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of monitoring apps that promise accurate cell phone tracking results. Depending on your tracking needs, you’ll typically want to choose an app that utilizes a combination of tracking technologies for maximum accuracy. Ideally, the app should have a trial version that lets you explore its feature offerings before committing to a subscription. If you want to track a phone number location for free, your best bet would be the GEOfinder.mobi app.

GEOfinder.mobi

GEOfinder is a robust tool with which you can track a phone’s location by number for free (offers a trial). With it, you can pinpoint your target’s location armed with only their phone number. You can also discover their IP address and tell whether they are using a VPN to hide their IP address. For good measure, GEOfinder also provides you with their carrier information.

How It Works

Though this geolocation app is highly sophisticated, tracking someone with GEOfinder is pretty straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the entire process:

1. Visit the GEOfinder website and enter the phone number you wish to track. Proceed to select and purchase a subscription when prompted. Alternatively, you could opt for the $1 48-hour trial. 
2. Draft a text to send to your recipient. Ideally, this text should entice them to click on a tracking link to be sent with your message.
3. Your recipient receives the text with an embedded tracking link. 
4. Once they click on the link, they share their phone’s location.
5. On your user space, you’ll see their location on Google Maps. You can also zoom in and out for more details.   

Pros

• Supports Android, iOS, and older operating systems like Blackberry
• Doesn’t require installation, rooting, or jailbreaking
• Sends the text and link anonymously
• Tracking is not limited by geographical distance

Cons

• Doesn’t offer advanced monitoring features
• Requires the target’s consent to begin tracking

The Long and Short of It

Phone number tracking is touted as a technically complex process in movies. However, once you have a basic understanding of the underlying technologies behind phone tracking, it becomes pretty straightforward. Armed with just a phone number, you can accurately track someone’s phone with the help of a robust app like GEOfinder. Before you begin tracking, it is important to consider the legal and ethical implications of your endeavor in espionage.