Finding a phone or the location of someone with a phone has become much easier in recent times, thanks to the emergence of hundreds of tracking apps that are widely available. These tracking apps have made a mountain of a difference to those who need to keep track of their loved ones while they are away, especially young kids and elderly.
Let’s take a look at the top phone tracking apps you can download today.
A list of the top phone tracking apps for 2020
Each of the following phone tracking apps was created for varied purposes of tracking people and objects or both. Some of these apps may require an active data or WiFi connection for users to enjoy all the features, while some may just work without it. Before downloading any phone tracking apps, ensure that you have understood all the terms and conditions regarding the change to privacy settings.
Phone tracking applications have come a long way from just offering GPS tracking services, enabling users to do a lot more on their devices, all remotely. Here are some of the other things you can do with such apps:
- Share the location of the stolen or misplaced devices with your close contacts.
- Get information and the locational history of the devices.
- Erase or back up data from lost or misplaced phones remotely.
- Get real-time alerts when the device is taken in and out of specific areas using geo-fencing.
Here are some of the best apps to consider for this year:
Find My Device
This phone tracking application lets a user track the phone remotely and is a part of the Google Play Protect. The app can be enabled in all Android phones with versions of Android 4.0 or higher. The phone can be called through the web portal using the Find My Device app. If the phone has been stolen or cannot be retrieved, users also have the option of erasing all the data on their phones through this. It is important to remember that one needs to note down the phone’s IMEI and serial numbers safely to de-register the phone from the carrier in case it has been stolen. All you need to do is install the app and stay logged in at all times while keeping location services enabled on the phone. Whenever the phone needs to be tracked, the user can log into the Find My Device website to track, erase data, or call on the device. This is a free app.
Find My Phone Whistle
This easy-to-use app is available only on Android phones and tablets. The app enables the phone to respond to the sound of a whistle, even when it is in silent mode. However, the only con to this is that the phone responds to whistles even from other people and even other similar high-pitched sounds close by. But, the good news is that users can upload any sound or melody of their choice as the response instead of a common sound, to tackle this issue. Setting up the app is easy, and the basic feature of finding the phone or tablet is available with the free version. One thing you should note about this app is that it may not work so well if there is a lot of background noise.
xfi Locator
xfi Locator is a tracking app that can be used for various devices simultaneously. Users can register multiple accounts and look for more than one device through a single app. If a registered phone app is lost, users can set off an alarm on the phone by logging in to the web portal of the application. xfi Locator offers multiple map views in high resolutions, making it easier to find devices in all kinds of geographical locations. Do note that it cannot be used for erasing your private data.
Find Lost Phone
This phone tracker app uses GPS tracking to find a lost or stolen phone. In such an event, the user can get a precise location of the phone by sending a specific command using another phone. It also lets the user set up an SMS alert in case someone tries removing or replacing the SIM card in the phone. However, it is important to note that all the app does is give a precise location map; to actually retrieve your phone, you may need to seek help from the police. The app is available free of cost and is supported on Android phones. An interesting feature of this phone tracking app is that it lets the user designate certain frequently visited locations as ‘favorite places.’ The user can also set up reminders in case a person is late to get to these places.
Cerberus
This phone tracking app is packed with some of the best features and can be downloaded only from its website. Apart from the standard features of tracking, locking, and resetting the phone remotely, Cerberus also sounds alarms on the device and activates the front camera to take a picture of the person holding it at that moment. Another attractive feature of the app is that it can be hidden from the other array of apps, leaving it viewable only by the user. The app can be used with WearOS for recording audio from the mic as well. The app is available for a free trial, after which you need to pay for availing all the features.
Prey Anti-Theft
Prey is quite similar to Cereberus in terms of the features and is one of the best phone tracking apps available. It lets users track and lock the device remotely and even set off an alarm if needed. This handy phone tracking app can be used as a backup if you already have other heavy-weight apps for tracking your device. Prey also lets users take pictures from the device and get network location alerts.
Life360
Life360 is a phone tracking app for finding lost devices. What makes it stand out among other phone tracking apps is that it comes with an array of safety features as well. These safety features enable the users to get in touch with first responders and send alerts to designated emergency contacts if an accident is detected. Life360 has a group creation feature, through which the members of the group can share locational details privately with each other. The app also shows the location history of each of the group members. However, this is not the right app if you are looking for something to lock or reset the phone remotely, as it lacks these features.
iSharing
iSharing is another phone tracking app that lets you track both devices and people. The application allows its users to create groups and track their locations through the iSharing app on their phone. It sends an alert every time a member enters or exits a specific area and also records the location history of the members’ phones. Members in the group can also communicate with each other using the chat functionality. This is a paid feature that comes with a trial period of seven days. An interesting safety feature offered by iSharing is Panic Alert. This feature sends a notification to other members of the group when one of them shakes his/her phone. This can come in very handy during emergency situations or when you need urgent help late at night.
Safe365
Safe365 does a little more than the apps with location and people-tracking features mentioned above. With the free Safe365 app, users can track a lost device remotely. It is meant for group use on multiple phones, wherein members can track each other’s location and daily activities. This is an ideal app for those who want to keep a close eye on the elderly or young kids moving about on their own; you can set up safe zones and parameters for the movement of the members. Additionally, it also gives information on the battery life of the member’s devices.
TrackView
TrackView is a phone tracking-cum-surveillance app that lets you monitor a device and locate it remotely. The app offers live video monitoring through the camera to see what is happening in the device’s surroundings. This is ideal in cases when phones are misplaced or stolen and even for parents who want to ensure the safety of the child when he or she is using it. Additionally, it has a two-way audio feature and can send real-time alerts if the device is lost. However, TrackView misses the remote wiping of phone data feature that other phone tracking applications offer.
Phone tracking limitations
One of the problems with third-party phone tracking applications is that they do not work on phones with strong privacy restrictions.
Apart from these third-party apps, you can also rely on phone tracking features that are in-built in several devices and come from the phone manufacturer itself. If you have one of these features on your phone, make sure to enable it by signing up for an account and enabling the permissions required for it to work. These features are usually free and can be used as a backup if you already have a phone tracking app installed. This may be the only option in some cases; for example, getting a tracking app installed on an iPhone is quite difficult owing to its stringent privacy measures. But in this case, the phone comes with an in-built tracking feature.
Additionally, several carriers in the country also help their customers locate their phones when it is lost or stolen. Availing these services may involve getting in touch with the customer service team; the services may also be chargeable. The rates for these services will vary for each carrier. Some of the carriers that offer this assistance include Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T, among others.
A note on safe and responsible use
Installing these phone tracking apps is an excellent preventive measure to ensure that you don’t lose your beloved devices in public or in an unknown location with no way to look for it. If you install any such app, always remember to enable location services on your phone. However, it is important to remember that the apps should be used for tracking one’s own devices and should not be used as spyware as it can violate the privacy of the person on whose phone it has been installed. Depending on the laws where a person lives, the act of installing a phone tracking app on someone else’s devices may invite legal issues. The only exception to this is the installing of phone tracking applications by parents on their children’s devices for security and monitoring purposes.
At the same time, ensure that the apps are downloaded after much research and with due diligence, especially if the devices are going to be used by kids in the absence of adult supervision; this protects them from any cyberattacks. As some of these apps can be installed and hidden in a remote storage area in your phones, it is better not to trust your phones and devices with others unsupervised. If you feel like someone may be using a phone tracking app on your device or your loved one’s device without permission, try updating your phone’s operating system and getting in touch with the phone company for more information to remove it.
In case you don’t have any of the aforementioned mechanisms in place for locating your phone, you can always try ringing the phone to get in touch with the person who has it. This is a good practice irrespective of whether the phone is stolen or is left in a public place. In the unfortunate event that your phone is robbed and you don’t have any way to get it back, ensure to report it to the police as soon as possible.
