Can you still be tracked if your location services are off

Nowadays, mobile tracking has become a child’s play. But tracking a switched off phone is a little difficult because when a phone is turned off it will stop communicating with nearby mobile towers. It can only be traced through its last location when it was switched on by calling the service provider or through Google services.

Read More: Will I know if someone monitors my phone?

Moreover, there are various solutions such as the Find My Device app, IMEI tracking app, and more to track your phone that is switched off. However, all these solutions work only when your phone is switched on.

1. Can I track a phone without a data connection?
   Yes, both iOS and Android phones can be tracked without a data connection. There are various mapping apps that have the ability to track the location of your phone even without the Internet connection. The GPS system in your smartphone works in two different ways. When your phone has a data connection or is connected to WiFi, it uses Assisted GPS or A-GPS. This uses the location of nearby cell phone towers and known Wi-Fi networks to roughly figure out where your device is.
   
2. Can I track my iPhone if it is switched off?
   You can find your iPhone even if its battery is dead or if it is not connected to the Internet. The ‘Bluetooth location’ feature by Apple enables you to locate an offline iPhone, as long as it is switched on. Moreover, you can find a switched off iPhone by tracking its last known location using the ‘Find my’ app and iCloud.
   
3. How can I track a cell phone using Google Maps?
   You can trace your lost phone using the ‘Find My Device’ app and Google Maps. However, you must have installed the app before it is lost. While the phone is lost, you need to log in to your Google account that is linked to your lost phone using a computer or some other device. Pull up the Google Maps and click on the menu and further tap on the ‘Your Timeline’ option. Now, put in the date to check the location history of your lost device of that particular day.
   
4. How do the police find stolen phones?
   Police can track a stolen phone using its IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number or through GPS tracking.
5. Can someone see your location if your phone is on Airplane mode?
   Putting your phone to Airplane mode will restrict anyone from tracking your location.

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My brother lost his one plus phone today. Please help me to track the location

If you’re running iOS 15 or earlier, use this checklist to limit who can see your location or to stop sharing your location entirely. If you’re running iOS 16 or later, see How Safety Check on iPhone works to keep you safe.

1. If you aren’t running the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, or macOS and are concerned someone may have had physical access to your device, you can restore the device to factory settings. A factory restore erases all the information and settings on your device. This includes removing any apps that were installed without your knowledge and resetting your privacy settings so you aren’t sharing location with any people or apps. It also installs the latest version of the operating system. To restore it to factory settings, see How to erase all content and settings.

2. To stop sharing your location with all apps and services, for even a short period of time, go to Settings

   
   > Privacy > Location Services and turn off location sharing. This stops all apps on your device, such as Maps, from using your location. No one is notified if you turn off Location Services, but some features may not work as expected without access to your location.

   Note: You can also temporarily turn off Find My iPhone in the same tab if you’re concerned someone may have access to your iCloud account. In the list of apps using Location Services, tap Find My, then select Never.

3. You can share your location with just certain apps. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, then choose the apps you want to have use Location Services, from the list near the bottom of the screen.

4. Stop sharing your location with a particular person. In the Find My app

   
   , tap People, select a person, then tap Stop Sharing My Location at the bottom of the screen.

   If you started—and later stopped—sharing your location in Find My, the person isn’t notified and can’t see you in their list of friends. If you reenable sharing, they get a notification that you’ve started sharing your location with them.

5. Stop sharing your estimated time of arrival (ETA) in Maps. In Maps, select Favorites to open a window containing all of the locations you’ve designated as a Favorite. Tap the Info button

   
   , then scroll down to the Share ETA section and remove the person you’re sharing with.

6. See whether any third-party apps are sharing your location with others. With Location Services turned on, review the list of apps you’ve installed on your device to see if any of them are sharing your location. Then select one and follow the relevant instructions to stop sharing.

7. You can track the location of your accessories to make sure that only the devices you configured for personal use are paired with your device.

   • Track using AirTags: Use AirTags to connect accessories to the Find My network and track their location. See the Apple Support article Use the Find My app to locate a missing device or item.

   • Find out if an unpaired device is moving with you: In Find My, tap Devices at the bottom of the screen. If you use an Android device, download the Tracker Detect app from the Google Play Store to help identify hidden AirTags or other accessories on the Find My network.

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