There are not many, if any phone carriers left that produce mobile phones that don’t have a GPS tracking feature in it. With technologies always advancing, these smartphones can even be purchased at lower rates than what they once were. What you can do with the GPS tracking capabilities on your phone varies depending on the type of software that you are using. Android, iPhone, Samsung, and Windows all offer something a bit different from one another, but essentially the services available are the same. Explore some of what can be done with GPS tracking software on your phone so that you can use what you have to its fullest potential.
GPS Phone Tracking Location-Based Services
Depending on where you are with your phone, the GPS track that is done can be beneficial when it comes to location-based service. More and more companies are taking advantage of this feature and as a result, you get to reap the benefits. Just some of the information that you can expect to have access to with the click of an icon on your phone include:
- GPS track where kids, friends, and family are based on their phone GPS
- Navigate to your next location whether you are walking, biking, or driving
- See where you are on a map on your phone
- Find stores, restaurants, and other places that you are interested in nearby
- Store your workout and weight loss data for easy tracking
Tracking a Phone Location by GPS
There are three different types of phone tracking that can be carried out. These include voluntary GPS tracking, secret tracking, and location-sharing. Find out a bit more on each one of these and learn about the features included.
Voluntary Phone Tracking
When you are doing a voluntary GPS phone tracking, that means that you are willingly sharing your location on a map for others to see. There are several applications that can be used that are offered for a monthly fee by phone carriers.
- FamilyMap – AT&T
- Family Locator – Sprint
- Family Locator – Verizon
Most commonly, parents that want to see where their kids are activate this service. One of the features that are offered here is setting a notification to go off when a phone is GPS tracked outside of a certain area. A reason that parents might want to use this is so that they know times a child left school, arrived at a friend’s house, or got to practice.
Location-Sharing GPS Phone Tracking Service
With the variety of social media apps, and the amount that people use them, location-sharing through GPS phone tracking has become increasingly popular. This type of phone tracking works by the person who is sharing their location hitting click when asked, “Do you want to share your location?” There are also specific applications that are only for sharing where you are to either a select group of authorized friends or publicly.
No matter if you share your location on your phone or on another device, people can track you from their web browser on their phone or through the net on a computer or tablet.
These are the phone applications and social media sites that are most popular for location-sharing:
- Find My Friends
- Google Hangouts
- Glympse
Secret GPS Phone Tracking
When you think that you want to secretly GPS track a cell phone, keep in mind that this is illegal in just about every country around the world. Before you decide to do this, make sure you check the rules and regulations in your area so that you are not charged with violating someone’s rights.
If you do want to carry out a secret track of a phone, you aren’t going to be able to do it through a phone carrier because of the legalities that are attached to it. You can, however, install phone tracking software on somebody else’s cell phone to track them without them knowing. You have to install the program without them seeing the icon too, otherwise, the secret is going to be exposed.
After you have done the tracking app download, you have to set up an account that allows you access to that phone’s GPS locator. Then, you can track the phone from your computer or other remote devices without the person knowing. You will not only be able to track where the phone is, many iOS and Google system tracking programs also allow you to:
- Lock the phone
- Change the pin number
- Display an emergency message
- Erase email
- Make the phone ring if it is lost
If you are a concerned parent trying to keep an eye on your kids, that is often when secret GPS tracking is done. Spouses have been known to track cheating partners and employers will also check the location of their employees when they are supposed to be at work.
Advance GPS Phone Tracking Options
For those that really want to do some in-depth GPS spying on a cell phone, there is much more that can be done other than just a track on the web for a GPS location. Some applications will allow you a way to:
- Track the keylogging online, so you know every button that has been hit
- Check text messages, emails, and call logs
- Look at and use the camera
- See where the user has been online
- Block a call and restrict outgoing calls
- Go through contact information
Most phone tracking software that allows for these advanced features is going to come with a bit of a fee. Some are one-time payments while others are monthly costs.
Find The Right Phone Tracking App
You are going to have to find which version of phone tracking software you want based on how much you are willing to pay and what services you want to have access to. Whatever you decide, make sure you spend a few minutes to get to know all the information available on it so that you can take full advantage of all the top benefits offered by that program.