Ever wondered where your friends or family are in real-time? Whether for safety or convenience, tracking someone's location on iOS is easier than you think. Apple’s built-in tool Find My app offers a seamless way to share and monitor locations. However, it’s essential to respect privacy and obtain consent before tracking anyone. 

In this guide, you will learn how to get someones location without them knowing using iOS devices.

Key Takeaways

• Apple’s Find My app allows users to track and share locations, but it raises privacy concerns.
• Live location tracking is possible through Find My, but it requires location sharing to be enabled.
• Comparison - iOS offers built-in tracking, while GPS trackers provide dedicated real-time tracking with longer battery life.
• Location tracking is seamless within the Apple ecosystem but drains battery and depends on the internet.
• GPS trackers like Tracki provide global, real-time tracking but may require subscriptions.

How to Secretly Track Someone's Location With iOS

Find My Friends iOS Location Tracking App: A Handy Tool or a Privacy Concern?

In an attempt to connect iPhone users with friends and family, Apple developed Find My Friends. It was released back in 2011 and has since been bundled with the iOS 9 operating system. The application has been proven to be useful in various situations, such as locating your teen when they are out or if you are checking what time a certain guest will arrive. In turn, your peers may keep tabs on you as well. Secretly track someone using iPhone without them knowing is a challenge and requires skills that do not come so easily.

But if you look at the other side of it, Find My Friends can be used to spy on other people. All it takes is a little knowledge of how to share an iPhone location without the other party knowing about it.

Invading someone’s privacy is a serious matter, but seeing how easily this can be done through Find My Friends is quite alarming. The person who is being tracked will not have a sense that their every move is being monitored, neither will they receive an alert or notification for that matter.

Not everyone is aware that Find My Friends in iOS 9 or lower even exists. If they do, they’ll view you as a follower and not as some freaky stalker of any kind.

How to Track Someone Location Live on iPhone

You can set this up in the iPhone of the individual you wish to track. Features include notifications when the time of departure and arrival from a certain area. The app has found itself in news headlines before, as a certain “Thomas Metz” posted the story and a screenshot to the MacRumors forums on how he used Find My Friends to catch his wife cheating on him.

An important thing to note here is that iOS 8 users don’t have the app by default. So if you want to secretly track someone using iPhone, you are going to have to download the Find My Friends app from the App Store. This goes for both your and your friend’s phone. But if you both have updated to iOS 9, then this already comes in the software update bundle.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to get someone location on iPhone:

Step 1: Enable Share My Location in the Subject’s iPhone

Open the Find My Friends app on the iPhone. You might want to check on the “Extras” folder if you don’t see it in the main page. Enter the app and then tap on their contact photo at the bottom to enable Share My Location from the settings.

Note: Make sure that the location is shared from This Device as other iOS devices such as the iPad could be connected to the same iCloud account.

Step 2: Share Their Location to Your iPhone

In your iPhone: swipe up from the bottom of the screen and activate AirDrop from the Control Center. Make sure you can be discovered to “Everyone”

On the subject’s iPhone: Tap on add in the Find My Friends app. Hit your contact icon (assuming you are now connected via AirDrop) and select “Share Indefinitely” to share the phone’s location with yours for no time limit.

Step 3: Keep in Mind That You Wouldn’t Want Your Location Shared Back

Find My Friends will alert your iPhone that your friend’s location is being shared with your device, so you should click accept for it to proceed. A second popup will then appear asking if you want to share your location with your friend. Click on Don’t Share, unless you want them to track down your location as well.

Step 4: Track Their Live Location

Congratulations! You can now track down your subject and secretly track someone using an iPhone.  You will receive notifications if they leave or arrive at a certain location once you set it up through options.

So your next worry is how long would it take for you to get caught. The chances of them discovering this are slim, as many users are not even aware of the Find My Friends app at all. So unless they are tech junkies or happen to come across this article, then you are safe. To make sure, you may always hide the app by making it disappear using the dock feature in iPhones. But do note that after restarting the phone, it will appear on the home screen again.

The application to secretly track someone using an iPhone may be useful if you are trying to track suspicious activity. But at the end of the day, it is still a complete invasion of privacy. So you might want to resort to more ethical methods and use this article as a way to check if someone is monitoring you without consent as well.

GPS technology has continuously been improving over the years, and mobile phones have been the most commercially used device for tracking someone. However, there are several disadvantages to tracking a location via a smartphone, including an increase in battery consumption and the probability of it being left behind.

Comparison Between Tracking Location Using iOS and GPS Tracker

When it comes to tracking a location, iOS devices and dedicated GPS trackers offer distinct approaches. While iOS relies on built-in apps like Find My, GPS trackers provide standalone solutions with real-time accuracy. Let’s compare their pros and cons to help you choose the best option to track someone.

Tracking Location with iOS

Pros:

• Integration with Apple Ecosystem: Location tracking on iOS devices is seamlessly integrated with other Apple services, such as Find My iPhone, making it easy to locate devices within the Apple ecosystem.
• Privacy Controls: iOS offers robust privacy controls that allow users to manage which apps have access to their location, ensuring greater control over personal data.
• Advanced Features: iOS supports advanced location features like geofencing, which can notify users when they or another device enters or leaves a designated area.

Cons:

• Battery Drain: Continuous use of GPS on an iOS device can significantly drain the battery, limiting its effectiveness for long-term tracking without frequent recharging.
• Dependence on Internet: Location accuracy and the functionality of location-based services on iOS are often dependent on having an Internet connection.
• Cost: Owning an iOS device, particularly the latest models, can be expensive, which might not be justifiable if the primary use is for location tracking.

Tracking Location with GPS Tracker

Pros:

• Dedicated Device: Tracki is a dedicated GPS tracking device, designed specifically for tracking; it's compact and portable, making it ideal for a variety of tracking purposes like tracking spouse, teens, cars, pets etc.
• Long Battery Life: Tracki devices often feature a long battery life, suitable for extended tracking without frequent recharges.
• Real-Time Tracking: Offers real-time tracking capabilities that can be monitored through a web or mobile app interface, providing instant location updates.
• Global Coverage: Tracki devices typically work in numerous countries around the world, providing reliable tracking even when travelling internationally.
• Versatility: These trackers can be used for a wide range of personal and commercial tracking applications, from monitoring vehicles and assets to keeping tabs on pets and elderly family members.

Cons:

• Subscription Fee: Tracki devices typically require a monthly subscription fee to access all tracking features, which can add up over time.
• Additional Device to Carry: Requires carrying an additional device besides a smartphone, which might be inconvenient for some users.
• Dependent on External Hardware: Since tracking capabilities are tied to a physical device, if the Tracki tracker is damaged or lost, tracking capabilities are immediately lost until a replacement is secured.

Conclusion

Tracking someone's location secretly using iOS may seem simple with features like Find My, but it comes with serious ethical and legal implications. While location sharing can be useful for safety and convenience, unauthorized tracking is an invasion of privacy and could lead to legal consequences. Instead of attempting to track someone secretly, it’s best to use ethical methods and ensure consent before accessing anyone’s location.

GPS tracking devices such as Tracki enable users to track down their loved ones. They can monitor the device’s movements through a Web or mobile application. Overall, the GPS tracking system functions like Find My Friends but with more reliable features and an extended battery life.

FAQs

1. Is it legal to track someone’s location without their consent?

Tracking someone without their knowledge or consent is illegal in many regions and can lead to serious legal consequences. Always get permission before tracking someone.

2. Can someone detect if I am tracking their iPhone?

Yes, iPhone users can check their location-sharing settings in Find My and see who has access to their location.

3. Does Find My Friends notify the other person when I track them?

If someone willingly shares their location, they won’t receive continuous alerts, but they can always check who is tracking them in the app.

4. What is the best alternative to iPhone’s Find My for tracking?
GPS trackers like Tracki offer more advanced tracking capabilities, including real-time monitoring, extended battery life, and global coverage.

5. How can I protect my location privacy on an iPhone?

You can manage location-sharing settings in Find My, disable location services for specific apps, and regularly check which devices and users have access to your location.

6. How to Share Location Without Notification?

You can share your location using Google Maps by sending a link manually instead of adding someone directly to Find My.

7. How to Track Someone’s Location Live on iPhone?

Use Find My on iPhone to see real-time movement if the person has shared their location with you.

8. How to Find Someone's Location on iPhone?

Open Find My, go to the “People” tab, and select the contact who has shared their location with you.

9. How to Get Someone’s Location Without Them Knowing?

Without consent, it is unethical and possibly illegal, but authorized tracking apps require user permission.