Can someone track my phone? A guide to detection and prevention

So much of the functionality of modern smartphones depends on location data that tracks where you are. This tracking is essential for apps to give you relevant local information or help you navigate the world. But particularly privacy-conscious smartphone users might be concerned about how that same location tracking functionality could leave them vulnerable if they’re targeted by a cybercriminal.

While targeted phone tracking isn’t likely to be a major threat to anyone who isn’t a politician, journalist, or high-profile public figure, it’s worth knowing the warning signs to watch for and what to do if you suspect your device has been compromised.

How can someone track your phone?

Abuse of location sharing features built into apps or websites is one of the most likely ways that your phone could be tracked. But other potential methods cybercriminals could use include tricking you into downloading spyware or using sophisticated social engineering tactics like SIM-swap attacks.

Location sharing features

Both iPhones and Android devices have built-in location-sharing features, namely Apple’s Find My, and Google’s Find Hub. These apps are designed to help you find a lost phone or protect your data if your phone is stolen. But, if a criminal gets access to your phone (or hacks your iCloud or Google account), they could create a backdoor that allows them to track your location in real time.

There are also third-party location tracking apps like Life360 and FollowMee. These apps are legitimately useful for families or partners who want to keep up with each other’s movements, but they can also be abused by cybercriminals, hackers, or others with access to your phone.

Stalkerware and spyware

Spyware and stalkerware are both types of malware that revolve around tracking. They’re often disguised as harmless or legitimate apps. They run in the background to monitor calls, messages, online activity, and even your location. Most stalkerware requires brief physical access to your phone to install, but advanced spyware like Pegasus can use zero-click exploits to infect a device even if you don’t take any action.

Finding and weaponizing vulnerabilities used to take hackers significant time and expertise but, in May 2026, Google reported that AI was used to discover and exploit a software vulnerability for the first time. The Atlantic Council noted that this development benefits spyware vendors most of all, since they already topped Google’s list of exploiters in 2025.

Network-based tracking

Unsecured public Wi-Fi networks, like those in coffee shops, hotels, or airports, can expose your data to threats because they often lack encryption and allow multiple users to connect without authentication. This open nature makes it easier for attackers to intercept communications or manipulate network traffic.

Hackers can exploit these vulnerabilities in several ways. They may deploy packet sniffers to intercept unencrypted data, browser hijackers that redirect you to malicious sites, or man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks that secretly position themselves between you and a legitimate website to alter communications in real time.

Among other things, these tactics could be used to trick you into downloading phone tracking spyware.

While public Wi-Fi isn’t inherently dangerous, it’s best to avoid accessing sensitive accounts, making financial transactions, or entering personal information, unless you’re using a trusted VPN, such as Norton VPN, to encrypt your connection.

SIM swapping and cloning

SIM cloning involves a cybercriminal copying your physical SIM card so they can intercept your calls and text messages. Fortunately, this technique is becoming less common as physical SIM cards are replaced by eSIMs. SIM swapping, on the other hand, involves scammers targeting your mobile carrier instead of your device.

Using personal information gathered from data breaches, public records, or social media, SIM-swapping scammers impersonate you and convince customer support to transfer your phone number to a SIM card or eSIM they control. Once they have your number, they can receive your calls and text messages, including two-factor authentication codes used to secure your accounts.

There was a 1,055% increase in reported SIM swap cases in the UK in 2024, potentially driven by criminals increasingly using AI-powered voice cloning to make their impersonation attempts more convincing when speaking with carrier representatives.

How to know if someone is tracking your phone

Signs that could reveal your phone is being tracked include rapid battery drain, unexpected status icons, and apps that you don’t remember installing appearing. However, your location being tracked through a built-in app might not leave any of these traces, so it's important to check who has access to your Find My or Google account sharing settings, too.

Here’s how to check for the most common signs.

Status indicators

iOS and Android both have default indicators that appear when location services, the microphone, or the camera are in use. You’ll see them pop up in the status bar at the top of your screen whenever you use an app that requires permissions, like maps, rideshare, or video calling apps.

If you notice the location data indicator appearing when you’re not actively using an app that should trigger it, it could be a red flag that a malicious app running in the background is tracking your location.

These are the status indicators to look out for on iPhone:

• Microphone: An orange dot in the top-right corner of the screen.
• Camera: A green dot in the same location.
• Location: A small arrow icon in the status bar.

To check which apps have recently accessed these services:

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open the Control Center.
2. Look for a privacy banner above the battery and signal indicators at the top.
3. Tap the banner to see a list of apps that recently accessed your camera, microphone, or location.

And, on Android, these are the status indicators to pay attention to:

• Microphone or camera: A green dot or icon in the top-right corner when either is in use.
• Location tracking: A small location arrow in the status bar when an app actively uses your location.

To see which apps recently accessed your location:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Location.
3. Under Recent access, you’ll find a list of apps that have used your location.

Note that tracking icons may vary by Android manufacturer, but they should still appear in the same place in the status bar.

Poor device performance

If your phone has been behaving sluggishly, overheating, or its battery has been draining unusually fast, it could be more than just normal wear and tear. Spyware and tracking apps often run silently in the background, consuming processing power and battery life while transmitting data without your knowledge.

Here’s a more detailed look at each of the main performance-related warning signs of phone tracking:

• Unusual battery drain: If your phone’s battery drains much faster than usual, it could be due to tracking software constantly running in the background.
• Overheating: Phones naturally warm up when charging or running demanding apps, but if your phone feels hot even when idle, it may be due to spyware overworking the device.
• Spikes in data usage: Tracking software often transmits collected data to external servers, leading to sudden increases in mobile data usage. If your data consumption seems unusually high, it’s worth investigating.

You can check for suspicious battery drain, including a look at which apps are using most battery life, in the power or battery settings on both iOS and Android.

And, to check your data usage on an iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Cellular (or Mobile Data in some regions).
3. Scroll down to see a list of apps and their data consumption. Apps using excessive data without your knowledge could indicate spyware.

To do the same on Android, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Connections > Data usage.
3. Select App data usage to see which apps have used the most data recently.

Unfamiliar apps

Finding apps on your phone that you don’t remember downloading could be a warning sign of tracking software. Spyware is often disguised as harmless tools like weather apps, calculators, or system utilities to avoid detection. These malicious tracking apps can secretly monitor your location, record your calls, and collect personal data.

But not all spyware will stand out as being suspicious straight away. Sometimes, malicious code is built into apps that really work, so a new app you’ve downloaded appears legitimate while hiding a hidden payload that runs silently in the background.

To help detect potential spyware, check which apps have permissions they don’t necessarily need — a calculator app requesting microphone or location access, for example, is a red flag. You can also review data usage for apps that have no reason to be sending information anywhere.

On an iPhone, you can browse through your installed apps to search for potential tracking software by following these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down to see a list of installed apps.
3. If you find an app you don’t recognize, search for it online. If it’s suspicious, press and hold the app icon, tap Remove App, and select Delete App to uninstall it.

And, on Android, you just have to navigate to the Apps section in the Settings app:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps or Apps & notifications.
3. Scroll through the list and look for any unknown apps.
4. If you find a suspicious app, tap it, then select Uninstall.

If you find an app that seems suspicious, search for its name online. If it's unverified or has mostly negative reviews in the App Store or Google Play, uninstall it.

Strange texts or calls

Unexpected texts or calls can indicate that someone is tracking your phone. Spyware and malware sometimes use SMS messages to send and receive data, which means you might notice strange outgoing messages that you didn’t send or incoming texts with random characters or symbols.

If anything looks off, check your messaging and call logs for activity you don’t recognize. These coded messages can be commands sent to a spyware app running on your device.

Similarly, unusual calls can also indicate tracking. Hearing frequent background noises, such as clicking, beeping, or echoes, during phone calls could mean your phone is being monitored. While occasional sound distortion can result from network issues, persistent strange noises may suggest that spyware is secretly listening in.

What to do if your phone is being tracked

If you suspect someone is tracking your phone, acting quickly can help minimize the amount of time that your privacy is compromised. Work calmly but quickly to cut off location data, protect potentially vulnerable accounts, and find the cause of the problem.

Turn off location services

Apps and websites can use GPS data to monitor your movements in real time, and hackers with access to your phone or accounts could use this functionality to track you. Disabling location services limits their ability to do so.

However, it’s important to note that turning off location services may affect apps like Google Maps or ride-sharing services, so you may want to customize settings to allow access only when necessary.

To block location tracking on iOS:

1. Open your iPhone’s Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.
3. Tap Location Services.
4. Toggle the Location Services option off. Alternatively, you can customize the setting for individual apps by selecting the app and choosing Never, While Using the App, or Ask Next Time.

And to do the same on an Android device:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select Location.
3. Toggle the Location setting off.
4. You can also customize location access for specific apps by scrolling down and selecting the app you want to modify.

Reboot in safe mode

Some tracking apps disguise themselves as legitimate software and operate in the background. Restarting your phone in safe mode temporarily disables third-party apps, helping you identify and remove any suspicious ones.

To reboot into safe mode on Android, follow these steps:

1. Hold the Power button.
2. Tap and hold Power off until you see the Safe mode option.
3. Tap the green Safe mode icon to reboot in Safe mode.

iOS doesn’t have a “safe mode,” but you can restart your phone, avoid opening any apps, and monitor if your issue persists.

Uninstall suspicious apps

If you find any apps you don’t recognize or don’t remember installing, they could be tracking your activity without your knowledge. Some apps disguise themselves as harmless tools, such as weather apps or games, but are actually spyware.

To remove them on iOS:

1. Press and hold the app icon until it shakes.
2. Tap Delete App.

And to do the same on Android:

1. Go to Settings > Apps.
2. Select the suspicious app, and tap Uninstall.

Scan for malware

Spyware or tracking apps can run in the background without your knowledge, collecting data like your location, messages, and browsing activity. Running a malware scan helps detect and remove such threats before they cause serious privacy issues. If the scan finds any threats, follow the app’s instructions to remove them.

Change passwords

If someone is tracking your phone, they may have access to one of your online accounts, whether it’s your iCloud or Google account or another service that syncs data across devices. Changing your passwords for potentially compromised accounts revokes unauthorized access, preventing further tracking and data breaches.

To create a secure new password for all your accounts, aim for something that’s at least 15 characters long and isn’t simply a word that appears in the dictionary. You can then use a password manager to store secure login credentials and ensure you’re not reusing weak passwords across multiple sites.

Contact the authorities

If you’ve confirmed someone is tracking your phone without your consent, reporting it to the authorities can help stop the activity and hold the responsible party accountable.

Law enforcement may guide you on legal actions, such as filing a report and obtaining an investigation. Keeping a record of suspicious activities, such as unknown logins, strange texts, or new apps, can help in their investigation.

Factory reset your phone

If all else fails and you still believe your phone is being tracked, a factory reset is the most effective way to ensure that any malicious software is completely removed.

A factory reset will erase all data on your phone, including apps, settings, and personal files. However, make sure to back up any data you want to keep before factory resetting, because otherwise it could be lost for good.

To factory reset an iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > General.
2. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
3. Tap Erase All Content and Settings > Continue.
4. Choose whether to keep or delete your eSIM.
5. Enter your device passcode and Apple ID password to confirm.

And here’s how to factory reset an Android phone:

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap General management or System.
3. Select Reset > Factory data reset.

How to prevent someone from tracking your phone

Taking a few proactive steps can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized tracking, helping you keep your data secure. Follow these measures to help  protect your devices from malware and safeguard your privacy.

• Install routine updates: Regularly updating your phone’s operating system and apps is one of the best ways to patch security vulnerabilities and prevent tracking. Keeping your software updated ensures you have the latest security protections in place.
• Use a VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet connection, making it challenging for someone to track your online activity. This is especially useful when browsing on public Wi-Fi, where unsecured networks can expose your data.
• Turn off location services: Many apps continuously track your location, even when they don’t need to. Disable location sharing for apps that don’t require it, or turn off location services entirely when privacy is a concern.
• Try a private browser: Regular browsers save cookies and history that criminals can use to track you. Switching to a secure browser with built-in privacy features can help keep your activity more private.
• Use secure messaging apps: Some communication apps may collect and share your data without your knowledge. Stick to reputable, encrypted messaging apps to protect your conversations and personal information.
• Download apps from trusted sources: Only install apps from official stores, like the App Store or Google Play. Be cautious of third-party sources, as they may contain spyware or malware designed to track your activity.
• Turn off Bluetooth: Cybercriminals can exploit Bluetooth connections to track your device or even inject malware. To prevent unauthorized access, keep Bluetooth disabled when not in use.
• Use airplane mode: If you suspect tracking, enabling airplane mode will instantly cut off all wireless connections, including cellular data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, making it much harder for your phone to be tracked.
• Manage app permissions: Many apps request unnecessary access to your location, microphone, and camera. Update app permissions regularly to limit the data they can collect.
• Install security software: A good mobile security app can detect spyware, block unauthorized tracking, and protect your personal data. Adding this extra layer of defense can help keep your information safer.

Protect yourself from phone tracking today

Phone tracking threats range from someone enabling location sharing on your unlocked device to sophisticated spyware that runs silently in the background. Staying on top of app permissions, account access, and network security helps, but some threats are hard to catch on your own.

That’s where Norton 360 for Mobile comes in. You can install it on up to five devices, including iOS and Android phones, to help detect spyware and malicious apps, flag suspicious network connections, and get alerts of potential threats.

FAQs

Why would someone want to track my phone?

People may track phones for personal or malicious reasons. A jealous partner or family member might monitor your location, while cybercriminals might aim to steal data for fraud. Employers or governments may track devices for surveillance.

Can someone watch you through your phone camera?

Yes, hackers could be able to access your phone’s camera if your device is infected with spyware or malware, capturing photos or videos without your knowledge. To protect against this threat, check app permissions, cover your camera when not in use, and use security software.

Can someone track my phone if my location is off?

Even with location services off, tracking is theoretically possible via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cell towers. Use a VPN, disable Bluetooth when not needed, and review app permissions to help protect against the risk.

Can people track your phone number?

Yes, using methods like carrier tracking, SIM cloning, tracking apps, or phishing scams. Protect yourself by keeping your number private, enabling two-factor authentication, and avoiding suspicious messages.

Is there a code to stop someone from tracking your phone?

You can dial ##002# to disable call forwarding and *#21# to check if calls and texts are forwarded. However, these don’t detect spyware or show who is tracking your phone. To fully secure your device, regularly update your phone, install security software, and be cautious when downloading apps or clicking suspicious links.