Every way your phone tracks your location - and how to stop it

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Location settings tin exposure backstage data.
• Several telephone signals tin uncover your location.
• A fewer privateness checks tin trim tracking.

You cognize wherever you were this afternoon. Perhaps truthful bash your family, friends, oregon colleagues. However, you mightiness besides person unwittingly shared your whereabouts with companies and different organizations.

Connected devices springiness america the accidental and convenience of on-the-go maps, outer navigation, sharing our determination with those we trust, and adjacent ordering products and services for speedy delivery. But the operation of GPS systems, cellular towers, Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth, and different signals tin harvester to pinpoint your determination -- adjacent erstwhile we don't privation it to.

Also: 7+ telephone privateness settings to cheque and crook disconnected ASAP - to debar exposing your idiosyncratic data

You mightiness deliberation turning disconnected GPS connected your smartphone means that you can't beryllium tracked. However, adjacent if you deliberation your determination is private, carrying your handset astir and connecting to circumstantial services tin inactive uncover wherever you are.

If you privation to recognize however determination tracking connected your smartphone works and immoderate of the tactics you tin employment to trim the hazard of others knowing wherever you are, work on.

What is GPS determination tracking?

Global Positioning System (GPS) exertion is 1 of the main ways your smartphone tin beryllium tracked.

GPS uses a operation of satellites, signals, and your instrumentality to cipher your region from circumstantial satellites, revealing your coordinates.

Also: The champion GPS trackers for kids successful 2026: Expert recommended

This exertion is integrated into modern smartphones and tin beryllium close to wrong a fewer meters, arsenic agelong arsenic determination aren't galore biology obstacles, specified arsenic buildings and trees. It is utilized for outer navigation, agriculture, and mapping, and successful our regular lives, it is perfect for readying question routes, tagging contented with our location, and accepting online deliveries.

Wi-Fi signals and positions

If you link your smartphone to a Wi-Fi hotspot, this whitethorn uncover your determination and let you to beryllium tracked. Wi-Fi hotspots typically cover betwixt 50 feet and 150 feet, though the existent scope volition beryllium connected hardware, objects, obstacles, and walls that tin hamper Wi-Fi signals.

Once you've connected, your instrumentality -- and its associated MAC code -- volition apt beryllium logged. Homes, hotels, java shops, parks, and amusement venues whitethorn clasp this data, and implicit time, it could uncover your movements and habits, specified arsenic visiting a circumstantial store astatine the aforesaid clip each week.

Also: The champion Bluetooth trackers of 2026: Our apical picks to support tabs connected your stuff

Logging successful and retired of your net work via your smartphone tin besides supply net work providers (ISPs) with accusation connected erstwhile you are astatine location and for however long.

It's not conscionable nonstop connections to a Wi-Fi hotspot that tin uncover your location. If Wi-Fi is turned on, your smartphone volition continually scan for imaginable networks to articulation -- and this could broadcast your device's identifying features.

Cellular information

While its accuracy is constricted to the cellular operation you are connected to and its awesome range, if idiosyncratic is trying to way down a circumstantial instrumentality and its user, cellular links tin supply a clue.

When you alteration cellular information and execute an enactment specified arsenic making a telephone oregon sending a substance message, you are automatically connected to the nearest cellphone tower, and your petition is routed done that cellular network. To supply the champion sum for consumers, cellular towers are strategically placed with overlap to trim unsighted spots wherever possible.

Also: This 1 iPhone mounting instantly stops each apps from tracking you - crook it disconnected today

This means that cellular triangulation tin beryllium utilized to way someone's carnal determination if the person's smartphone is progressive and turned connected by calculating the clip signals instrumentality to scope overlapping cellphone towers.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is different short-range exertion that tin let your smartphone to beryllium tracked. With a scope of astir 33 feet, Bluetooth connects to adjacent devices specified arsenic different mobile devices, speakers, and astute location gadgets -- but this transportation tin besides uncover the approximate determination of your device.

App accusation sharing and leaks

The apps you usage tin beryllium among the worst culprits for leaking your determination and enabling tracking. A scope of apps volition petition entree to your GPS and location-sharing features, including wellness and fittingness software, parental power apps, upwind services, societal media platforms, and maps.

If you are utilizing a smartphone provided by your company, the instrumentality whitethorn person determination tracking enabled, either via GPS oregon done dedicated productivity apps.

Also: You're being tracked online - 9 casual ways to halt the surveillance

There's nary warrant that the information these apps cod volition stay connected your device, and successful galore cases, agreements allowing this accusation to beryllium shared with 3rd parties are buried successful work terms. Apps whitethorn besides link with APIs and analytics services that tin entree your approximate location, interests, activities, and much for selling and targeted advertising.

Furthermore, if an app has information issues, idiosyncratic information could extremity up exposed oregon leaked online.

"App store reappraisal processes absorption connected overt fraud; they bash not meaningfully measure whether an application's concern exemplary depends connected continuously harvesting determination intelligence," Ted Miracco, CEO of cybersecurity institution Approov, told ZDNET. "The effect is simply a spot spread wherever users presume an approved exertion is simply a privacy-vetted application. It is not. Seemingly innocuous permissions tin conception persistent determination histories, infer societal relationships, place patterns of life, and provender information brokerage ecosystems that run acold beyond the visibility of either regulators oregon extremity users."

Mobile browsers

Mobile browsers, too, tin cod your determination information and stock it with 3rd parties. In a caller study by Surfshark, 8 of the 15 astir fashionable mobile browsers -- including Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari -- cod your determination data, ranging from approximate locations to precise ones. 

"Your browser maps your regular daily and play plans earlier you've shared them with anyone," commented Justas Pukys, elder merchandise manager astatine cybersecurity institution Surfshark. "This determination tracking is simply a profit-driven exploitation of idiosyncratic habits, alternatively than a method necessity for the browser to function."

What astir wearables?

Wearables not lone look stylish but tin besides beryllium genuinely beneficial to your day-to-day beingness erstwhile they are connected to mobile devices.

Smartwatches, astute rings, and fittingness trackers of each shapes and sizes tin show our sleeping habits, exercise, accent levels, bosom rate, ECG readings, temperature, and different aesculapian and carnal information points to springiness america the accusation we request to perchance amended our routines and health. One of our ain authors astatine ZDNET said helium owes his beingness to an Apple Watch that warned him of an abnormal bosom bushed that helium was wholly unaware of.

Also: What you springiness up erstwhile you enactment connected a smartwatch oregon ring

On apical of that, wearables whitethorn usage Bluetooth and GPS information -- specified arsenic erstwhile we are connected a tally -- to way our location, the region we've traveled, and our mean velocity oregon pace.

There's little national regulation astir the extortion of device-based wellness data, and truthful it is up to america to dainty wearables the aforesaid mode arsenic our smartphones erstwhile it comes to information protection.

Consider speechmaking the privateness policies linked to your wearable, deleting immoderate information from immoderate wearable you nary longer use, and keeping an oculus connected which devices oregon services your merchandise connects to; otherwise, you mightiness accidentally leak your information.

Combining signals

GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular data, Bluetooth, wearables, and apps tin each individually exposure your determination via your smartphone, but information points stitched unneurotic from each could make a acold much close representation of your location, regular movements, and habits -- specified arsenic wherever you live, wherever you work, and wherever you spell to socialize.

Who and what could way you?

Who, oregon what, would fuss to effort to way your determination done mobile technology? Mobile tracking is acold much ingrained successful our regular lives than you whitethorn think, and it tin beryllium acold easier to bash than transgression shows and dramas connected TV portray.

• Advertisers: Your information is simply a goldmine for advertisers and selling companies. Location check-ins, favourite section businesses, tagged photos, section reviews, app usage, and online buying -- each of these records tin beryllium utilized for targeted advertising.
• Data brokers: Data brokers are a security nightmare. These companies acquisition records to merchantability to different companies oregon individuals, and your accusation -- including determination check-ins -- could extremity up being aggregated for user profiling. If so, information gathered from your mobile interactions could extremity up successful the hands of organizations without your consent.
• Friends and family: With oregon without your consent, friends and household tin way your determination utilizing your smartphone. This is usually done dedicated apps specified arsenic Life360 and is mostly for information reasons -- though determination is capableness for abuse.
• Employers: If you usage a company-issued device, it whitethorn person determination tracking enabled, either straight oregon done a work-related mobile app.
• App developers: App developers whitethorn cod information from your smartphone for idiosyncratic analytics, and if the app has GPS and determination permissions, this could see your location.
• Technology providers: If you alteration smartphone operating functions specified arsenic Find My Phone, companies specified arsenic Google and Apple could person entree to your determination data.
• Cybercriminals and stalkers: If your smartphone has been compromised done a bundle vulnerability, carnal tampering, oregon the covert installation of a tracking app, your determination could beryllium exposed.

Also: How to stock your determination connected Android: 5 speedy and casual ways - including by text

How to halt determination tracking connected your telephone

Follow the steps beneath to bounds the hazard of your determination being tracked oregon exposed done your smartphone.

• Turn disconnected GPS: This is 1 of the quickest ways you tin bounds determination tracking connected your phone. Turn it off, and lone alteration this mounting erstwhile it is perfectly necessary, specified arsenic erstwhile you request to usage a map.
• Turn disconnected connectivity settings you bash not need: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS tin each uncover your location. When you don't request them, support them turned off. You tin besides disable scans for adjacent networks successful Wi-Fi > More transportation settings oregon usage Flight Mode to disable wireless signals and transmissions.
• Use a VPN: A virtual backstage network (VPN) work is 1 of the champion ways to fell your IP code and, with that, your integer location. While it can't bash overmuch astir cellular connections oregon GPS, you tin usage a VPN to look to beryllium from a antithetic determination erstwhile accessing online services.
• Delete old, unused apps: Old, forgotten apps you nary longer usage tin compromise your privateness and security. If determination are apps connected your smartphone you nary longer usage -- particularly those with determination permissions -- delete them. If you alteration your mind, you tin ever reinstall them later.
• Review app permissions: You should instrumentality the clip to audit your apps and review their permissions. Does a currency converter truly request entree to determination sharing? If determination are immoderate that look excessively extensive, disable these permissions oregon delete the app entirely.
• Use a privacy-first mobile browser: DuckDuckGo, the Tor Browser, and Brave are among our recommendations for browsers that volition not cod oregon stock location-based data.
• Be mindful of wearables: Be mindful of what accusation your wearable instrumentality is collecting astir you and wherever this information whitethorn extremity up -- particularly if it is connecting to different adjacent devices oregon equipment.
• Keep your telephone and apps updated: Your determination information could beryllium exposed oregon compromised if you don't support your smartphone and apps up to day with caller information fixes and improvements.
• Review your privateness settings: Review your smartphone's privateness settings, and wage peculiar attraction to determination services. Enable oregon disable immoderate features you don't want, specified arsenic Bluetooth and Wi-Fi scanning, Google determination sharing, and determination accuracy.
• Review the presumption of service: Many of america are blameworthy of scrolling past them, but knowing what your smartphone, wearable, oregon app collects astir you -- including geolocation information -- helps you marque a much informed prime astir the services you use.
• Consider what you stock online: While not strictly mobile-based, 1 of the champion ways to fell your determination is to beryllium cautious astir what you stock and with whom.