It is hard to imagine our life nowadays without a mobile phone. People use it for work, communication, transportation, and entertainment. There is a whole life in this small piece of plastic with electronics, which is why it would be a disaster if something happened to it.
Moreover, you can take care of your loved ones by tracking cell phone numbers. Of course, GPS tracking is more popular and precise, but there are cases when it is not available or when phone number tracking is simply more convenient. So, let’s discuss how it works and why one would need to track a phone number or device.
The Idea Behind Phone Number Trackers
Unlike trackers, apps to track cell phone by number do not require installation, they are usually web-based. To use them, a user only needs to know the number they want to track; this number is pasted into a specific search area on the website, and the process begins.
The overall procedure is simple and requires a few minutes of your time and some creativity.
The most difficult part is composing a message. If it looks like spam or phishing, the owner or holder of the device would never open the link in it. If they do, you get their location marked on the map; if they don’t, well, you wasted your money.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Number Trackers
Let’s break down the pros and cons of a location tracker by phone number, for example, GEOfinder.mobi.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Does not require installation | If the link in the message is not opened – the location is not tracked |
| Unlimited geolocation requests | If the device is turned off, it won’t be tracked |
| Cheaper than all-around tracking apps | If the SIM card is inserted into another device – you will track its location, not your phone’s |
| Worldwide coverage | |
| Work with any OS or phone model | |
| $1 trial for 48 hours | |
| Only a phone number is required | |
| Complete anononimity | |
| Simple in use |
Reasons to Track a Device by Phone Number
You may have different reasons to track a phone number:
- you lost your phone;
- your phone was stolen;
- you want to know where your loved one is.
Of course, a phone tracker with a myriad of features, such as uMobix, for example, will give you more opportunities and a bigger toolbox, but they are more expensive and require installation, which is an additional fuss for you. Moreover, another person may notice the battery dying faster or the device working slower and check it for trackers. Phone number trackers are safer in this sense.
Lost Phone
Many of you have been in a situation when your heart almost stops because you cannot find your phone in your pocket. Great if it is somewhere at home, under a pile of papers. The worst scenario is if you have lost it. It is possible to use an app to track your phone via the phone number and hope the person who finds it opens the link.
You may say the phone is locked, so they won’t be able to open the SMS. Well, first of all, there are many software-based ways to break the password, and secondly, there may be marks from your fingers on the screen on the numbers you tap the most.
Stolen Phone
Similarly to the previous situation, it is possible to send a message with a tracking link, but in this case, you must interest the robber somehow. Offer financial compensation for returning the device or threaten to track them and go to the police.
Find Your Loved One
You may have many reasons to track your spouse or child, and installing a tracker on their device is not always possible. So, you can simply send them a message with a promotion, lottery invitation, a notification about a new shop opening, or something like that and track their location after they open the link.
In the case of your children, you can make a deal with them that they always open your tracking links, and in return, you buy them a new phone. There are plenty of variants, all depending on your creativity.
Free Ways to Track a Phone
The effectiveness of applications that allow to track phone number location free of charge is not proven, but some software solutions do not depend on the number:
- Find My by Apple;
- Google Maps;
- Find My Phone by Android.
There are some limitations when you use them, though. For instance, all the devices should be linked to one account or family group, and location sharing should be active for Google Maps. If you prepare everything in advance – you should have no problems using them.
Conclusion
As mentioned, the effectiveness of built-in location trackers is not guaranteed, but you can try to track phone location by number for free; maybe it will work for your case, who knows? Meanwhile, familiarize yourself with how the Find My apps work and consider using GEOfinder.mobi or any other web-based number tracker. You may not really use it for months, but one day, it might be extremely useful if something happens.
