Don’t Let People Track Your Phone with These Steps

Protecting your personal information today requires a lot more effort than it used to! It seems like there are always new ways for scammers to access your information, including your passwords, log-in credentials, banking information, credit or debit card numbers, and even your Social Security number. Keeping stopping phone tracking is one of the many steps you should take to protect your sensitive information.

There are plenty of reasons scammers might want to track your phone – let’s look at the security risks associated with phone tracking. After that, let’s look at how you can protect your phone and the data it stores! 

6 Reasons to Protect Your Phone

Why would someone want to track your phone? Monitoring your device is a great way for scammers to access your information, including your location, personal data, and more. 

Here are 6 of the reasons why you should protect your phone. 

Privacy Concerns

Personal privacy is a fundamental right, and the ability to move about without being constantly tracked is essential for maintaining a sense of autonomy. Intrusive tracking can reveal details about your daily routines, locations you frequent, and even your relationships. Stopping phone tracking is an important aspect of preserving your individual privacy.

Security Threats

Malicious actors can gather information for nefarious purposes that affect your cybersecurity For instance, cybercriminals might use location data to plan physical attacks or engage in identity theft. Protecting your phone from tracking will help you to mitigate security threats and reduce the risk of becoming a target for cybercrimes.

Stalking and Harassment

If you are the victim of stalking or harassment, you know how important it is to protect yourself from unsafe individuals. Anyone who faces personal threats, stalking, or harassment may be at additional risk if their phone is easily trackable. Abusive partners, estranged family members, or disgruntled individuals may use tracking as a means to control, intimidate, or harm someone. Preventing phone tracking is crucial in these situations to protect yourself. 

Corporate Surveillance

Advertisers may be interested in tracking your phone to gather data for marketing purposes. This data can be used to create targeted ads, track consumer behavior, and influence purchasing decisions. Some individuals prefer to limit the amount of personal information corporations can collect about them to maintain control over their online presence. 

Even though this surveillance is usually done in compliance with the Terms of Service (ToS) for the apps that you install, there are still reasons to be cautious! 

Government Surveillance

There are increasing concerns about mass surveillance by governments in recent years. While surveillance is often conducted for national security reasons, it also raises questions about individual freedoms and civil liberties. People who wish to avoid being subject to unwarranted government scrutiny may take measures to prevent their phones from being easily tracked.

Location-Based Services Abuse

Many apps and services request access to location data for legitimate purposes, such as navigation or weather updates. However, the misuse of this information by third parties can compromise privacy. Stopping phone tracking helps control the dissemination of location data and protects against potential abuse by apps or services.

Types of Cyber Attacks That Use Phone Tracking 

Some cyberattacks are dependent upon phone tracking. 

These include: 

• Location spoofing 
• Man-in-the-middle attacks
• Stalkerware

If someone is tracking your phone, you may notice issues like these:

• Rapidly decreasing battery life
• Unknown apps appearing on your phone
• Frequent overheating
• Deteriorating performance
• Weird permissions requests

How to Stop Phone Tracking

If you suspect that your phone is being tracked, there are some important steps to take right away. 

1. Stay calm. It is unsettling to realize that your phone is being tracked, but panic may lead to hasty decisions. Take a deep breath and approach the situation methodically. 
2. Check your permissions and settings. Review your app permissions and disable any unnecessary location-tracking permissions. 
3. Run security software. Use a reputable security software platform to scan your phone for malware, spyware, and other malicious applications. 
4. Remove any suspicious apps. If you find any suspicious apps, delete them. However, not all tracking apps are obvious. Check for apps with generic names or that you don’t remember installing. 
5. Update your operating system. Developers regularly release updates to patch security vulnerabilities. Keeping your device updated can protect against those potential exploitations. 
6. Change your passwords and turn on 2-Factor Authentication. We recommend changing the passwords for your major accounts, including email, social media, and other sensitive accounts that you use on your phone. 
7. Consider a factory reset. If you can’t identify and remove the tracking software, it’s time to consider a factory reset. This will erase all of the data and the installed apps on your phone, including the tracker. 
8. In some circumstances, you may need to contact law enforcement. If you’re being tracked in a situation that involves harassment, stalking, or any form of criminal activity, contact law enforcement immediately. 
9. Seek professional help. If you can’t resolve the issue on your own, consider seeking assistance from cybersecurity professionals or tech support. They may be able to help you identify and remove tricky tracking software. 
10. Be vigilant. Once you can remove the tracking software from your phone, maintain vigilance and take precautions to avoid similar attacks in the future.

How Can You Stop Someone from Tracking Your Phone? 

Taking precautionary steps will help you protect yourself from cybersecurity threats like tracking. There are several ways that you can prevent someone from being able to track your device. 

Shut down your phone if you are worried about being tracked

If you are worried that someone may be trying to install tracking software, shut your phone down. This is the easiest way to put an immediate stop to a tracking attack! 

Use airplane mode

Airplane mode is another quick fix. If you need to prevent someone from installing tracking software but still need access to your phone, operating in Airplane mode shuts off Wi-Fi signals and can help you avoid connecting to any suspicious networks.

Install a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) disguises your device’s location by re-assigning the IP address to a different physical location. Using a VPN has other benefits, like increasing your security and giving you access to geo-blocked content. 

Turn off your phone’s location settings and delete your location history

If you keep your location settings, you are turning off GPS tracking. You will still be able to use your phone for all of its other intended uses: calls, texts, internet browsing, taking photos and videos, etc. 

When your location settings are off, you will not be able to use GPS mapping software or find nearby locations. 

Block apps from being able to track your phone

Both iPhones and Android devices allow you to change your phone’s settings to block apps from tracking your phone. 

On an iPhone, you will go to Settings>Privacy>Tracking, and then deselect “Allow Apps to Request to Track.” 

On an Android, go to Settings>Locations>App Location Permissions. Then select each app and change its permission to your preferred settings. Choose from: 

• Allow all the time
• Allow only when using the app
• Ask every time
• Don’t allow

Don’t use public Wi-Fi networks

Think of public Wi-Fi as a playground for cybercriminals. Even though people use public Wi-Fi networks every day without issues, there are also people every day who fall victim to cyberattacks that got their start on public Wi-Fi. If you really want to avoid someone tracking your device, only use safe and secure networks. 

Don’t skip updates

Updates will protect your phone from being tracked because developers focus on fixing bugs and security issues. You may not even realize that you are susceptible to a tracking attack, but your phone’s system developers will know it and fix it for you. 

Don’t download unverified apps and files 

Be careful about what you install on your phone! Free apps can look fun and harmless, but they can easily contain malware and tracking programs that you don’t even realize you are installing. 

Be Careful and Avoid Getting Tracked! 

Ultimately, being proactive about phone security is the best way to maintain control over your personal data and online presence. Though new cyber threats constantly emerge, the principles of vigilant software updates, limiting app permissions, using VPNs, and being cautious of public Wi-Fi remain critical safeguards. 

Beyond technical measures, recognizing the inherent privacy risks in carrying a networked supercomputer everywhere you go is key to making informed choices about your digital footprint. 

While no solution is perfect, approaching phone tracking risks with care and responsibility allows us to balance security, convenience, and liberty in the modern age. By taking reasonable precautions, we can still benefit from innovative technologies without sacrificing autonomy over our lives!