Cell phone tracking helps us to determine the exact location of a mobile phone, irrespective of whether it is stationary or moving. Mobile positioning consists of location-based services which determine how to track a cell phone by providing the actual coordinates of the mobile phone owner. It is a technology often used by communication companies to determine the position of a mobile phone, and its user.
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Tracking a Cell Phone
If you have lost your cell phone or if you need to find out what someone is up to or if you simply want to be prepared in case your phone is lost or stolen you need to know exactly how to track a cell phone.
Irrespective of what kind of phone one is using, it’s easy to find out the location of the phone, when it has GPS (Global Positioning Service) functionality. Fortunately most phones nowadays have this built into the software, be it Android or iPhone or a Windows Phone.
Even if the phone doesn’t have GPS or the GPS functionality turned off, a cell phone can be located using Cell Tower Triangulation.
Tracking Location of Android phone
If you are using Android phone and have used a google account to sign-in to the device earlier, then chances are that you will be able to track the phone by using Google’s Find My Phone feature. Just log into the same google account that you used to sign-into the phone and you will be able to locate your lost phone. You can even remotely lock, erase data or play sound on your phone.
Tracking Location of iPhone or iPad
In order to track a lost iPhone or iPad, you need to login to iCloud using your Apple ID and then click on “Find My iPhone” option. If you have multiple devices, then select the device that you want to track and then the tracking of your Apple device will start and a location will be shown on map. you can even activate a “Lost Mode” on your device which will lock your phone and display a number chosen by you to help anyone who finds your phone to return it.
Technology behind tracking a Cell Phone with Cell Tower
This technology of how to track a cell phone is based on the measurement of power levels and antenna patterns. It basically uses the concept that a mobile phone will always communicate wireless with the closest base stations/cell towers. Thus it is understood that the cell phone bearer is nearby.
Advanced technological systems locate the sector in which the mobile phone is present and approximately calculate the distance to the base station. This can also be done by interpolating signals between antenna towers.
Tracking a Cell Phone using number
Locating the owner of a cell phone number can be tricky, as the numbers are usually not listed in public databases. But there are quite a few ways which show how to track a cell phone number.
You can try checking the public databases or Yellow pages directories.
If the above method fails then you can use a search engine. The owner’s number might have been posted on a personal or corporate website. You should also mention the area code of the phone number you’re tracking.
Many users often put up their numbers on social networking sites.
Using a deep web search engine can be helpful when it comes tracking a cell phone number. It is also called “invisible web” search engines. Deep web search engines are usually specialized, so you’ll need to determine which one is useful useful for your search.
The above points must be kept in mind if you want to know how to track a cell phone number.
Tracking a Cell Phone Location
Locating the exact position of a cell phone can be complicated if you do not know how to track a cell phone location. The location of any smartphone or a non-smartphone phone with a GPS chip can be tracked. This was one gets to keep a track of others at all times.
Often cell phone service providers have a family tracking plan which keeps track of one’s family members. Installing a GPS app on a phone can be helpful when it comes to how to track a cell phone location. Apps like AccuTracking can track non-smartphones.
If you want to track someone’s phone without his knowledge, you can simply install an app hider and use it to hide the tracking app on their phone. Google Latitude can also help you to track the location of a mobile phone.
You can simply log into Google Latitude or Google Maps and track the location. The main advantage of Google Latitude is that it does not require GPS and can work on any phone that is capable of using Google Maps.
Finding a lost cell phone
If you already lost your phone and forgot into install any tracking software and you want to know how to track a cell phone then you must remember that there are certain apps like “Plan B” in Android which can be secretly installed onto your phone from a computer.
Most smart phone manufacturers can automatically track your cell phone. You can just call customer service or search online for specific instructions for your phone model. You will be able to track your phone’s location and make it generate a loud sound at regular intervals, provided the phone is not switched off.
Network-based techniques employ the service provider’s network infrastructure to determine the location of the handset. These techniques were developed much before GPS became so widely available in phones.
Handset based techniques install client software on the handset to track its location. This technique of locating the handset involves putting its position by signal strengths and cell identification of the nearby and home cells, and then continuously sending that to the carrier.
If the handset is provided with GPS, then a more accurate location information is transmitted from the handset to the carrier. Hybrid positioning systems are a combination of network-based and handset-based techniques for position determination.
For example there are some modes of Assisted GPS, which use both GPS and information from network to identify the location. A combination of both types of data helps to make the location more precise.
In the past the equipment that allowed tracking of cell phones was only available to officials like the police. New advancements in technology have made it possible for anyone to trace a mobile phone.
Numerous technological breakthroughs have happened in the last decade especially the inclusion of a GPS in most cell phones and the ability to easily detect a phone’s exact position based on signals from nearby transmission towers.
There are a number of services available on the internet, which allows you to track a cell phone. They may appear different but ultimately use the same data from telecom companies.
How a GPS technology works depends on the different cell phone networks. The location of the phone is tracked by using a method called triangulation. It is calculated, by taking 2 or more readings, where the signal is coming from by determining the triangle that matches the signal strengths.
The third point is the location of the phone. The accuracy of the method will be more in densely populated areas with more radio transmission masts and less in areas with few radio transmission masts. Hence, it is easier to track phones in areas with comparatively higher population.