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Quick answer: Most phone tracking isn’t hacking. It’s usually location sharing you turned on and forgot, someone signed in to your Apple or Google account, a stalkerware app installed while they had your unlocked phone, or a Bluetooth tracker like an AirTag hidden in your things. On an iPhone, start with Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check. On Android, check Google Maps location sharing, your Google account’s device list and Settings > Safety & emergency > Unknown tracker alerts > Scan now. If you’re afraid of someone, read the safety section before you change anything.
Table of Contents
5 Ways Someone Can Track Your Phone
| How they track you | How it works | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Location sharing | You (or someone with your phone) turned on sharing in Find My, Google Maps or a family app | Safety Check (iPhone), Google Maps sharing list |
| Your account | They know your Apple or Google password and are signed in on another device | Your account’s device list |
| Stalkerware | A monitoring app installed while they had your unlocked phone | Unknown apps, antivirus scan, iCloud Backup you didn’t turn on |
| A Bluetooth tracker | An AirTag or similar tag hidden in your bag, coat or car | Tracker alerts and manual scans |
| Your carrier or police | Carriers see which cell towers your phone uses; police need legal process | You usually can’t detect this yourself |
The first four are the ones a partner, ex, relative or stalker can realistically use, and all four leave traces you can check.
Signs Someone Is Tracking Your Phone (and Why Most Aren’t Proof)
You’ll see lists of “signs” like battery drain, a warm phone, clicking noises on calls or high data use. The FTC lists a fast-draining battery, a jump in data use and a phone that overheats or turns off and on by itself as possible signs of stalkerware. But each one can have an ordinary cause, and stalkerware is built to hide, so none of them is proof on its own.
The FTC also points to the other person’s behavior: they know where you’ve been, who you’ve talked to or what you’ve searched, without a good explanation, or they’ve had time alone with your phone. Trust your instincts, and keep a simple log of what happens and when. It helps you spot patterns and is useful if you later report it.
How to Check if Someone Is Tracking Your iPhone
- Run Safety Check. On iOS 16 or later, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check. According to Apple’s Personal Safety guide, it lets you review who has access to your information, including your location, stop sharing, review the devices connected to your Apple Account, reset app privacy permissions and change your passcode or password. Emergency Reset stops all sharing at once.
- Check Find My. Open the Find My app and look at the People tab. Anyone listed there can see your location if you share it with them.
- Check your signed-in devices. Go to Settings, tap your name and scroll down. Any device you don’t recognize may belong to someone with your Apple Account password.
- Check iCloud Backup. The Coalition Against Stalkerware notes that some iPhone stalkerware reads your iCloud backups. Tap your name, then your device. If iCloud Backup is on and you didn’t turn it on, someone may have.
- Check for profiles. Apple’s guide also tells you to review and delete configuration profiles you don’t recognize, found under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.
- Review app location access. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and look for apps you didn’t install or don’t expect.
How to Check if Someone Is Tracking Your Android Phone
- Check Google location sharing. Google’s Maps help page shows how: go to myaccount.google.com, then People & sharing, then Location Sharing, and stop sharing with anyone you don’t want.
- Check your Google account devices. In your Google account’s Security section, look at the list of your devices and sign out any you don’t recognize. Then change your password and turn on 2-Step Verification.
- Look for hidden or unknown apps. Stalkerware on Android is usually installed from outside the Play Store. Go through your full app list, and check which apps have device admin or accessibility access. Menu names vary by phone maker.
- Run a scan. Use Google Play Protect in the Play Store, and the Coalition Against Stalkerware says good antivirus apps “should be able to largely detect stalkerware.” Any reputable antivirus works. If you also want a VPN and data broker removal, Surfshark One+ bundles antivirus with both.
- Scan for trackers. On Android 6 and up, go to Settings > Safety & emergency > Unknown tracker alerts > Scan now. Google says the scan takes about 10 seconds and finds trackers near you that are separated from their owner.
“AirTag Found Moving With You” and Unknown Tracker Alerts
If your iPhone says an AirTag or other Find My item is moving with you, or your Android phone shows an unknown tracker alert, someone else’s tracker has been traveling with you. It could be a friend’s keys or a borrowed bag. It could also be someone tracking you.
- Play a sound. Tap the alert and choose Play Sound. On Android, Google says playing the sound won’t notify the owner.
- Use Precision Finding. If it’s an AirTag and your iPhone supports Ultra Wideband, Apple says you can tap Find Nearby to see the distance and direction to it.
- Can’t hear it? The tracker may be out of range, or its ID may have changed overnight. Search places you don’t check often: coat pockets, the outer pockets of bags and your car.
- If you find it, hold the top of your phone near the AirTag’s white side. Apple says this shows its serial number and the last four digits of the owner’s phone number. Take a screenshot before you disable it.
- Turning off Bluetooth won’t help. Google warns that turning off Bluetooth or location, or using Airplane Mode, won’t stop the owner from finding the tracker’s location.
For every alert type, false alarms and what to do when you can’t find it, see our full guide to AirTag Found Moving With You. If you think the tracker is on your car, follow our step-by-step guide on how to find a tracker on your car.
Stay Safe Before You Change Anything
If the person tracking you is a partner, ex or family member, removing the tracking can tip them off. The Coalition Against Stalkerware warns that removing monitoring may be noticed and “could increase the abuse and harassment,” and that deleting stalkerware also deletes evidence.
- Make a safety plan first, ideally from a device the other person can’t access. In the US, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can help: call 800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
- Save evidence before you delete anything: screenshots of alerts, app names, tracker serial numbers and your log.
- Use Quick Exit. In iPhone Safety Check, Apple’s Quick Exit button closes Settings instantly, and changes you made are saved.
- If you feel unsafe right now, both Apple and Google say to go to a safe public place and contact law enforcement.
How to Stop Someone Tracking Your Phone
- Stop sharing your location in Find My, Google Maps and any family or friend-finder apps.
- Lock down your accounts. Change your Apple or Google password, turn on two-factor authentication and sign out every device you don’t recognize.
- Remove stalkerware. Delete unknown apps or let an antivirus remove them. The Coalition Against Stalkerware says a new phone is the most effective fix and a factory reset is almost as effective. Back up photos and contacts first and reinstall only the apps you use.
- Lock your phone fast. Stalkerware usually needs someone to have your unlocked phone, so set a passcode only you know and an auto-lock of about 30 seconds.
- Go fully dark when you need to. A Faraday bag blocks all signals while your phone is inside it. See our research on whether Faraday bags work.
- Remove your address from people-search sites. Someone who can’t track your phone may still find your home address online. Our data broker removal guide shows how to get it taken down.
Does a VPN Stop Phone Tracking?
Not the kinds of tracking in this guide. A VPN hides your IP address, which gives websites and apps a rough idea of where you are, and protects your traffic on public Wi-Fi. It doesn’t turn off location sharing, remove stalkerware, stop GPS or block an AirTag. It’s a useful extra layer once you’ve done the checks above, not a fix on its own. For more ways people watch you, our Hidden Surveillance Bible shows how to find hidden cameras, trackers and bugs.
How We Researched This Guide
We didn’t test stalkerware or tracking apps ourselves. We used Apple’s Personal Safety User Guide and support pages, Google’s Android and Maps help pages, and the Coalition Against Stalkerware’s guidance for survivors, all checked on October 14, 2026. Menu names change with software updates, so if a step looks different on your phone, tell us and we’ll update this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone track my phone without me knowing?
Yes. Someone can see your location if you once turned on location sharing with them and forgot, if they’re signed in to your Apple or Google account on another device, or if they installed a stalkerware app while they had your unlocked phone. Most of these can be found with the checks in this guide.
How do I know if someone is tracking my iPhone?
On iOS 16 or later, go to Settings, Privacy & Security, Safety Check. It shows who you share your location and other information with and which apps have access, and lets you stop sharing. Also check the devices signed in to your Apple Account under Settings, then your name.
Can someone track my phone if location is off?
Turning off Location Services stops apps, including most stalkerware, from getting your GPS location. But your carrier can still see which cell towers your phone uses, and turning off location doesn’t stop a hidden tracker tag in your bag or car from reporting its own location.
Does airplane mode stop tracking?
It stops your phone from sending its location while it’s on. It does nothing about a separate tracker. Google says turning off Bluetooth or location, or turning on Airplane Mode, won’t stop the owner of a tracker from finding it.
Will a factory reset stop someone tracking my phone?
A factory reset removes apps, including stalkerware, according to the Coalition Against Stalkerware. It won’t remove someone’s access to your Apple or Google account, so change your password and sign out unknown devices too. It also deletes evidence, so think about safety and reporting first.
Can a VPN stop someone tracking my phone?
No, not on its own. A VPN hides your IP address from websites and apps. It doesn’t turn off location sharing, remove stalkerware or stop GPS. Use the checks in this guide first.
Sources
- Apple Personal Safety User Guide: Safety Check for an iPhone with iOS 16 or later
- Apple Support: What to do if you get an alert that an AirTag, AirPods or Find My accessory is with you
- Android Help: Find unknown trackers
- Google Maps Help: Share your real-time location with others
- FTC: Stalkerware, What To Know (checked October 19, 2026)
- Coalition Against Stalkerware
- National Domestic Violence Hotline, all checked October 14, 2026
