The short answer
It is possible, but it usually requires access to your phone or your accounts, or a hidden tracker on something you carry or drive. Most real cases involve someone who already knew a password or had the phone in their hands. In the UK, covertly tracking someone can be a criminal offence. The fix is usually straightforward: check your location sharing, your apps and your account security.
Not legal advice. This guide explains UK law in general terms, as at the date shown. The ICO’s guidance on monitoring workers was under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 when this was written — check the ICO for the current position, and take advice for your own circumstances.
How covert location tracking actually happens
- Shared accounts. Someone who knows your Google or Apple account password can see your phone’s location through the device-finding features built into those accounts.
- Location sharing left on. Maps and family apps let you share your location — sometimes indefinitely — and it is easy to forget it is on.
- Stalkerware. Apps secretly installed by someone with access to your unlocked phone.
- Hidden hardware. A small tracker or item-finder tag in a bag or car.
Can you track someone’s phone without an app?
Only through the phone’s own account features — for example Google’s or Apple’s find-my-device services — which need that person’s account login. Using someone else’s account without permission to locate them is unauthorised access, which can be an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, and doing it to monitor someone can amount to stalking. There is no legitimate “track any number” service; sites claiming to locate a phone from its number alone should be treated as scams.
How to check whether your phone is sharing your location
- Review location sharing in your maps and messaging apps and stop anything you don’t recognise.
- On Android: Settings → Location → App location permissions — check which apps can see your location and whether it is “all the time”.
- Look for unfamiliar apps and device-admin or device-management profiles.
- Change your Google/Apple password and turn on two-step verification, then sign out other devices.
- For physical trackers, see how to detect a GPS tracker.
If you think you are being tracked
If you are worried for your safety, contact the police (999 in an emergency). Removing stalkerware or a tracker can alert the person who placed it, so if you are in a risky situation, speak to a specialist support service first. The CPS treats covert surveillance as a stalking behaviour.
The legitimate side: transparent tracking
Location tracking has plenty of legitimate uses — families who agree to share, and businesses coordinating their teams. The difference is knowledge and control. TrackLink is built on that principle: tracking only runs when the person holding the phone switches it on, and a notification shows while it does.
Common questions
Can someone track my phone with just my number?
Not through any legitimate service. Location lookups by number alone are a common scam. Real phone location needs access to the phone or its accounts.
Will I know if someone is tracking my phone?
Not always, which is why it is worth checking location sharing, app permissions and account security regularly.