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Family Sharing

Are you interested in tracking cell phones without permission or knowledge of the owner? Do you want to track a device without the use of any app? Well, this could certainly be done, read on to find out how.

Why Track a Phone?

We will of course go into more detail on various ways to track a phone without using any app. But first, why exactly would anyone want to track a phone? Tracking a phone, particularly using a cell phone tracking app without permission, is generally frowned upon. The thing is, it is not only perfectly legal in the right circumstances, but it could also be greatly beneficial.

Here are some reasons or circumstances wherein cell phone tracking and monitoring can really come in handy.

Lost or Stolen Device

With the help of a phone tracking software or service, whether third-party or built-in feature, there is a better chance that a lost or stolen device can be recovered. IN case you can’t recover the device, at the very least, you’ll have a backup of all the important files on the device. Also, some services or apps allow users to remotely lock the device to prevent access or remotely delete everything on the device to avoid data compromise.

Child Monitoring

Tracking and monitoring a phone is a great parenting tool. It allows parents to know about their kid’s whereabouts. It also allows parents to have a clear picture of their kid’s phone or digital life. Consequently, this enables parents to take the right parenting steps such as phone or online use interventions.

Employee Monitoring

Tracking a device is also beneficial to employers or business owners. In particular, it helps employers keep tabs on their employees' company device activities during work hours. It is also an effective way to monitor data traffic and avoid any breaches. Moreover, it can help increase employee productivity.

How to Track a Phone Without Installing an App?

In the same way that there could be various reasons for someone to track a phone, there are also various ways to do so. While we’re focusing on how to track a phone without an app in this article, it merits mentioning that the most effective way to efficiently and conveniently track a device is with the help of reliable apps and software. That said, here are some ways to track a phone without using any app or software.

Family Sharing

Apple's Family Sharing allows you and five other family members to basically share Apple purchases and subscriptions without sharing accounts. This includes book purchases, iTunes, iCloud storage plan, and yes, locations too. 

To add a family member to your Family Sharing group, simply do the following:

Open Settings and tap on your name

Tap on the Family Sharing tab

Tap on Add Member

Choose Invite People or Create a Child Account

Make sure that the location-sharing is turned on on the device you wish to track. There is also a similar feature available for Google called Family Link.

Google Find My Device

Another way to track an Android phone is via Find My Device. This is particularly helpful in tracking a lost or stolen device. Take note that in order to locate, lock, or erase an Android phone, the said phone must be turned on and signed in to Google. It must also be connected to mobile data or WiFi with Location and Find My Device turned on.

When locating the phone, you will see an approximate location of the phone on the map. In case it can’t be found, you’ll see the available last known location instead. You can choose to play sound on the device, secure or lock the device, and/or erase the device.

Apple Find My 

Apple’s Find My works on the same principle as Google’s Find My Device. Find My is made available on iOS 13 and later; it is essentially a combination of the Find My iPhone and Find My Friends apps/services. Find My allows users to locate a missing device even when it’s offline, share location with friends and family members, and more. 

To set up Find My, simply:

Open the Settings app.

Tap your name, then tap Find My.

If you want friends and family to know where you are, turn on Share My Location.

Tap Find My [device], then turn on Find My [device].

To see your device even when it's offline, turn on Find My Network.

To have the location of your device sent to Apple when the battery is low, turn on Send Last Location.

Phone’s IMEI

Another way to track a phone is with the help of the  IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) which is a unique 15-digit serial number of a mobile device. There are several ways to get a device’s IMEI including dialing *#06#, checking the phone’s Settings, and looking at the retail box or bill.

There are three main ways to locate or track a device using IMEI. One, file an official complaint to your local law enforcement and provide them with the IMEI number of the missing device. Two, contact your network provider or manufacturer, and three, use an IMEI tracking app.

Effective Alternative: Monitoring Software

There are indeed various ways to track a device without using any app. If you simply wish to track or locate the device’s location, any of the aforementioned methods will do. Although, some of them are a hit and miss. In case you need to perform a more extensive tracking and monitoring of the target device, it’s best to get a reliable monitoring app. This is especially useful if you wish to do mobile phone tracking without permission or knowledge of the target device owner (of course, you have to stay well within the limits of the law).

One such monitoring software is PhoneSpector. This simple and easy-to-navigate monitoring software is powered by cutting-edge technology. This makes it one of the top monitoring apps in the market. It comes fully packed with helpful monitoring features at an affordable price. Also, it is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. All extracted data are presented in streamlined monitoring reports which can be accessed through your personal control panel.

In addition to the target device’s location, you can also keep track of the following:

Text messages and iMessages

Phone Contacts

Call Logs

Installed and Running Apps

Multimedia Files

Emails

Social Media and Messaging App activities and engagements

Web browsing history