Is It Possible to Track a Phone Number Without Getting Caught?

When sifting through the web in search of a way to track phone number location free, you will eventually reach several inescapable conclusions: 

• There are 'free' methods that tout instant results and trick people into buying a product that does nothing, like IMEI trackers;
• There are undoubtedly free methods that fail miserably at the task as they were never designed for that like Apple's Find My;
• There are freemium methods that sort of do the job but jeopardize the secrecy of your investigation, like most of the phone tracker apps.

Do not despair if your search yielded no options to go for – chances are, this article will shed light on some other means programmed specifically for the task of covert tracking by number. 

As you shall see, such methods still come with their own challenges, but they are at least worth trying, unlike everything listed above. If you need a primer on why using Google Maps will get you nowhere, see the next section first.

Methods You Should Totally Avoid

We strongly discourage you from any attempts to track a phone location by number for free using any of the following methods, each for its own reasons.

Find My for iOS

Apple's native app for finding a lost phone comes with a Friends tab that allows you to share your location instantly with people you choose from your contacts. If you imagine it's possible to snatch your target's phone and just set it to send you the GPS data, thus solving the problem of how to think about this also:

• You run the risk of getting caught in the process of meddling with the phone – that is, if you ever get to handle it and pass the fingerprint/FaceID;
• You may leave traces of your intrusion inside the phone, like leaving Find My running in the background – something they will remember not doing;
• The app will find a way to let the owner know about the sharing with a notification sooner or later.

Google Maps

Google Maps, like Find My (and Find My Device on Android, for that matter), is designed to help users find lost devices or share their location with trusted contacts. Attempting to secretly track a phone number location for free using the approach described above is fatally flawed in a quite similar fashion:

• Even if you can gain access to the phone and bypass any locks, Google Maps will notify the owner about location sharing with alerts or emails;
• Again, your intrusion will leave digital footprints – the app's history will show that the location sharing was enabled without the owner's knowledge;
• Surely enough, your attempt to modify its location sharing settings will be interpreted as unauthorized access, potentially leading to legal repercussions.

Methods That Guarantee Total Anonymity

If you estimated your chances of secretly manipulating the target device to install a tracker app on it as zero, you might be pleased to know there are web-based solutions allowing you to track a cell phone by number that require no such meddling.

GEOfinder.mobi

GEOfinder is a powerful tool for obtaining someone's GPS coordinates if approached properly. The algorithm for using this service looks like this:

• Create a user account and purchase a monthly subscription (can be canceled later);
• Provide the number you'd like to track in the corresponding field;
• Compose a persuasive SMS that will be sent from an anonymous number (a GPS sharing request will be included as a link);
• Wait until the app works its GPS magic;
• See the user's real-time location on the website's dashboard.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Total confidentiality and no way to trace you back;
• Additional features like reverse phone lookup, VPN Checker, WiFi Tracker, etc.;
• Unlimited number of searches while the license period lasts;
• 14-day money-back guarantee;
• Compatibility with any device;
• Worldwide tracking;
• $1 trial offer for 48 hours;
• Live chat customer support upon subscribing;
• Only a phone number is required.

Cons:

• Success depends on how compelling your SMS text is for the recipient.

LocationTracker.mobi

This app can track a phone number in a similar manner, but employs a different approach. This is how you're supposed to use it:

• Sing up and get yourself a monthly license (this one can be refunded as well);
• Pick a photo that you think will work well as a bait for the target;
• Upload the picture to LocationTracker so that it can create a link to it with a sharing request;
• Copy the link and send it from a newly created account they will not get suspicious about. It can be sent in any messenger;
• Use the app's integrated tools to follow their movement on the map.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Doesn't depend on the target's current location or mobile carrier;
• The request can be customized to look any way you want;
• Extra tools like IP lookup and WiFi locations history;
• 14-day money-back guarantee.

Cons:

• No GIF/video support, only static images;
• The target must be tempted to click or else the trick won't work.

Bottom Line

No matter how you look at phone trackers and native apps on Android and iOS, attempting to use either is too perilous for your desired incognito status. Whether it's digital footprint you leave or plain physical negligence, the risks far outweigh the potential short-lived benefits.

Though not without their own peculiarities, online GPS tracking services like GEOfinder and LocationTracker will let you track a cell phone number in a far more efficient and secure manner than most free and paid alternatives out there.