How to Make Your Phone Harder to Track

• Your phone can be tracked using GPS locations, cell signals, internet activity, apps and cookies, and other means.
• Making your phone untraceable is a multifaceted problem that requires many solutions.
• The most effective way to stop your phone from being tracked is to turn it off.

Disable GPS Tracking and Bluetooth

Turn off location services. Location services are the GPS functionality that your smartphone uses to track your location. While this can be useful when using maps and navigating to a specific location, it also allows apps and services to track your exact location and store that information. Hackers and law enforcement can also use this information to track your location. You can easily prevent this by turning off location services on your phone. Use the following steps to do so: iPhone: Open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap Privacy. Tap Location Services Tap the toggle switch across from "Location Services" at the top. Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen. Tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner to open Settings. Scroll down and tap Location. Tap the toggle switch at the top to turn Location off.

Disable Bluetooth. If you are not using Bluetooth, you may want to disable it. Not only will this make it harder to track your phone's Bluetooth radio signal, but it will also save a little bit of battery life. Use the following steps to disable Bluetooth: iPhone: Open the Settings app. Tap Bluetooth Tap the toggle switch across from "Bluetooth." Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen. Tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner to open Settings (or tap the Bluetooth icon in the Quick Access menu). Tap Connections (Samsung Galaxy) or tap Connected Devices followed by Connection Preferences (stock Android). Tap Bluetooth Tap the toggle switch across from Bluetooth

Use Airplane Mode

Turn on Airplane mode. Airplane mode disables Location Services, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and any cellular data connections. While this feature is designed for airplane travel, engaging this feature when you are not using any of these features is a quick and easy way to prevent your phone from being tracked. Use the following step to engage Airplane mode: iPhone: Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen. Tap the icon that resembles an airplane. Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen (you may need to swipe down twice to view the entire Quick Access menu). Tap the icon that resembles an airplane.

Use a VPN

Subscribe to a VPN service. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is a service you can use to obscure your IP address, prevent your location from being tracked, and prevent your internet service provider from viewing your internet activity. To use a VPN, you will need to sign up for a service. Most good services will require a subscription fee. Once you subscribe to a service, you can download the app. Then you can usually turn the VPN on with the tap of a button. Worth Noting: While a VPN may prevent your location from being tracked via your IP address, it does not prevent your location from being tracked via your location services, or cellular data. You will still need to take other precautions to prevent your phone from being tracked. Additionally, while a VPN may prevent your internet service provider from tracking your internet activity, the VPN service provider may still be able to track your internet activity. No-logs VPN Services: When shopping for a VPN service, it's important that the service does not keep usage logs, which could be used to track your online activity. Most VPN services claim that they do not keep logs, but you should be skeptical of this claim. At the bare minimum, VPNs need to keep connection logs for maintenance and optimization purposes. These logs could be used to track when you connect to the service and for how long. Furthermore, many VPNs claim they do not keep logs, yet were able to provide logs to law enforcement when subpoenaed. The best way to find out if a VPN keeps logs is to research what happens when they are subpoenaed by law enforcement. Were they able to provide logs when subpoenaed, or did law enforcement come up empty-handed? Some VPN services you can check out include; Proton VPN, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark.

Check and Disable App Permissions

Check your app permissions and disable permissions for apps that track your personal data. When you install new apps on your phone, they will usually ask if you want to allow these apps to access certain phone features, such as location services, contacts, cellphone storage space, etc. You should always be careful about which apps you install on your phone. If you are installing an app, check what permissions it wants to access. If you don't want it to access something, tap Don't allow. Uninstall any apps you no longer use. Use the following steps to check app permissions and remove permissions you don't want your apps to have: iPhone: Open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap an app. Tap the toggle switch across from any permissions you want to turn off. Tap Tracking at the top. Tap Never or While Using the App Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen. Tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner to open Settings. Scroll down and tap Apps. Tap an app you want to see the permissions for. Tap Permissions Check the permissions listed under "Allowed." Tap any permissions you don't want the app to have. Tap Deny

Use a Private Web Browser and Search Engine

Download and use the TOR browser. The TOR browser is a private web browser that masks your IP address by encrypting it and running it through a series of volunteer-run relays, which obscure the origin of where your IP address comes from. It also deletes your history and cookies when you are done using TOR. The TOR browser was originally developed by the US Naval Research Lab as a way to communicate with overseas assets online anonymously. You can download the TOR browser for free from the App Store on iPhone, or from the Google Play Store on Android. If you've been using other web browsers, you may also want to delete your cookies and delete your browsing history.

Use anonymous search engines. In addition to using the TOR browser, you will also want to use an anonymous search engine. Popular search engines like Google track your internet searches. To keep from being tracked, use anonymous search engines. These search engines claim they do not track or store any user data. There are a few you can choose from. These include; DuckDuckGo, StartPage, and Gigablast. If you have a Google account, you may want to delete your Google history.

Scan and Remove Spyware

Use an antivirus scanner to remove spyware. If you suspect your phone is being tracked, you may want to download an antivirus scanner and scan for viruses, malware, and spyware. If anything is detected, make sure the malware is quarantined and deleted. If you are using an Android phone, make sure you have Play Protect turned on. You can turn it on in the Google Play Store app. Antivirus apps you can sign up for include Malwarebytes, Bitdefender, and AVG. EXPERT TIP Brandon Phipps Brandon Phipps Technology Specialist Brandon Phipps is a Technology Specialist based in Bakersfield, CA. He is the owner of Second Star Technologies and specializes in Managed IT Services for small and mid-sized businesses in Bakersfield, CA. With over 23 years of experience, he offers expert cloud computing, cybersecurity, and network management solutions. Brandon is a committed community member and coach who leads and innovates in tech and sports coaching. His dedication to local businesses and communities is evident in his hands-on, tailored approach to IT solutions. Brandon Phipps Brandon Phipps Technology Specialist Malwarebytes is a top choice for scanning your Samsung and Android phones for spyware. It monitors your system to see what apps and services are running in the background and detects anything malicious.

Lock Your SIM Card

Lock your SIM card in your phone's settings. Your SIM card is a small chip that is installed in your phone by your mobile carrier. Each phone has a unique SIM card, which your carrier uses to control what services your phone has access to. Your SIM card can be used to track your mobile phone. To prevent this, make sure your SIM card is locked. To lock your SIM card, you need to know your SIM card PIN. If you have not set a SIM card PIN, you will need to contact your mobile carrier to find out the default SIM card PIN. Warning: If you enter the incorrect PIN three times, you will be locked out of your phone. Use the following steps to lock your SIM card: iPhone Open the Settings app. Tap Cellular. Tap SIM PIN Enter the default SIM PIN. Make sure the toggle switch next to SIM PIN is turned on. Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen. Tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner to open Settings. Tap Security (stock Android) or Biometrics & Security (Samsung Galaxy). Tap Other Security Settings Tap Set up SIM card lock. Tap the toggle switch across from "Lock SIM Card." Enter the default PIN and tap OK.

Opt Out of Information Sharing with your Carrier

Stop your mobile carrier from tracking your data. Just like Google and Facebook, your mobile carrier can collect personal information about you and sell it. Luckily, most mobile carriers allow you to opt-out of information sharing. Some even allow you to delete the data they've already collected about you. Use one of the following steps to opt out and delete your personal data with your mobile carrier: Verizon: Log in with your Verizon account at https://secure.verizon.com/vzauth/UI/Login Click Account Click Account Settings. Click Privacy Settings. Click Custom Experience and select Do Not Use. Click Manage Settings under "Custom Experience Settings." Click Reset Click Manage Settings under "Custom Experience Plus." Click Reset. AT&T Wireless: Go to https://cmp.att.com/cmpportal/ in a web browser Log in with your AT&T Wireless account. Scroll down to "Control How We Use Your Data." Click the toggle switch to turn off all options. T-Mobile: Go to https://account.t-mobile.com/signin/v2/ in a web browser. Log in with your T-Mobile account. Click My Account. Click Profile. Click Privacy & Notifications. Click Advertising and Analytics. Select your profile name. Disable all the toggle switches. Go to https://www.t-mobile.com/privacy-center/dashboard in a web browser (make sure you are still logged in). Click Get Started below "Learn more about "Do Not Sell" setting." Select a T-Mobile service you have. Click Do not sell my personal information.

Install all the Latest Updates

Make sure your phone is up-to-date. Keeping your mobile phone up-to-date is a good way to ensure that all security risks and exploits within your phone's operating system are patched out and removed: Use the following steps to update your Android phone, or iPhone. iPhone: Open the Settings app. Tap General Tap Software Update. Tap Download and Install. Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen. Tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner to open Settings. Tap System. Tap System Update Tap Download and install.

Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi

Do not connect to unprotected public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi, such as the kind you find in coffee shops and airports, usually isn't very secure. Not only do they often collect personal data, but they are also vulnerable to network intrusions and malware attacks. It's best to avoid using public Wi-Fi whenever possible, especially if there is no password protection. If you must use public Wi-Fi, make sure you are using a VPN.

Turn Your Phone Off

Power your phone off when you are not using it. The truth is, there is no way to make your phone 100% untraceable. You can only make it harder for your phone to be traced. The most effective way to prevent your phone from being traced is to turn it off when not in use. To turn it off, press and hold the power button, then tap Power off or slide the slider bar at the top of the screen. Even with your phone turned off, it can still be traced to its last known location using cellular data, GPS tracking, or the IMEI number.

How to Tell If Your Phone is Being Tracked

There are a few ways you can tell if your phone is being tracked. The following are a few signs your phone may be being tracked: Your phone is overheating. It's normal for your phone to get a little hot when you are doing activities that use a lot of your phone's resources (such as gaming or video editing). However, if you find your phone is getting excessively hot while doing mundane activities or while not in use, that could be a sign that there is spyware or malware running in the background. Your battery is running out quickly. Again, it's not unusual for your battery to drain quickly when you are doing resource-heavy activities, or if your phone battery is getting old. However, if your phone is fairly new, or you find the battery is draining quickly all of the sudden, that could be a sign that you have spyware or malware on your phone. Your data usage is higher than normal. Spyware collects data and sends it to a hacker or another third-party. If you receive a bill for excessive data usage, or you check your mobile account and notice your phone is using much more data than it use to, that could be a sign that your data is being tracked. Your phone lights up or restarts unexpectedly. Spyware and malware may cause your phone to glitch, light up, or restart unexpectedly. If your phone restarts automatically or lights up when you don't get a notification, that could be a sign that there is spyware running in the background. Your phone is running slow. If your phone is lagging and running slower than usual—even during normal usage—that could be a sign that your phone has spyware or malware running in the background.