How to Make Your Phone Impossible to Track: Top 13 Strategies

Today, human beings are somehow dependent on their smartphones. From searching for something online to locating a place, we completely rely on technology. However, when it comes to using phones for GPS, most of us are not aware that our personal information is getting tracked or may get tracked!

I have been hacked via phone/messages and feel overexposed. Any help is appreciated.
byu/Blissfully inhacking

A lot of websites and applications track your activity and location. You must’ve noticed that most apps ask for permission to access the GPS. That’s it; they track you and use it to their own benefit.

So, now you must be wondering how to make your phone impossible to track. Read this comprehensive guide to gain valuable insight into how can you protect your personal data and why there is a need for it!

First of all, let’s take a look at the signs that indicate that maybe someone is tracking your phone.

Signs that Show Your Phone is Being Tracked

Most people have no idea about phone tracking and may ask, “Can someone track my phone?” However, there are a few signs you can keep an eye on, that show someone is tracking your phone.

• Excessive Heating: If your phone is overly heating even when not in use or doing some normal activity, it could be possible that spyware or malware is running in the background.

• High Data Usage: Most users keep track of their data being used, and you should too. While keeping track, you may find that the monthly data consumption is much higher than normal. It is another sign of spyware or malware on your phone.

• Quick Battery Drain: If you observe that your battery is draining quickly, and it is happening frequently, it may be a sign your phone is hacked.

• Random Restarts: If your phone randomly restarts and lights up without notification, a malicious app is making it do so.

So, these are the signs that indicate someone is trying to hack your phone or has hacked it already. You must run a scan and try every possible method to get rid of any malicious app or spyware causing it.

If you’re noticing any of the signs mentioned above or just want to keep your phone safe from tracking, you must know a few strategies.

13 Ways to Make Your Phone Impossible to Track

With up-and-coming tracking software like “Riot” and hacks to retrieve your data, there’s no perfect solution to escape phone tracking.

Phone tracking can be problematic, as discussed already; so you must try your best not to give or share your personal data. So, how to stop someone from tracking your phone? In that case, you can try these 13 methods to protect yourself from tracking to some extent:

GPS is the key feature in your smartphone that you use to reach a specific location. It seems to be pretty useful but offers the easiest way to track you.

Your phone is always retrieving your location information through satellites, your IP address, and your network ID. So, it is better to keep it off. 

               For iPhone                                          For Android

For Android: Turn off the Bluetooth by opening the Settings > Location Services and turn off the toggle switch. For iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.

Enabling Bluetooth is a necessity if you’re using a wireless device. However, most people prefer to keep the Bluetooth turned off for battery-saving purposes. 

However, if you’ve been constantly searching for “how to block my phone from being tracked,” you must turn off the Bluetooth first to avoid other signals to connect to your device. 

                On iPhone                                     On Android

You’ll find the Bluetooth option under the Settings menu if you’re an iPhone or Android. Just toggle the button off, and you’re good to go.

Hackers and cybercriminals can also track your phone via a SIM card. The good news is you can lock the SIM card using a 4-digit PIN. You need to set your PIN, and you may need to contact your SIM card provider.

                  On iPhone                                           On Android

If you’re using an iPhone, you need to open Settings > Cellular > SIM PIN and enter the PIN. However, make sure that the toggle switch is on.

If you’re an Android phone, you need to open Settings > Password & Security > System security > SIM card lock. Then, turn on the toggle switch and enter the PIN.

If you’ve been thinking about how to make your phone impossible to track, activating the Airplane mode of your phone is one of the best solutions. 

By Activating the Airplane mode, you simply block every single connection to your phone. Best of all, there’s no need to follow several steps for that.

               For iPhone                                      For Android

If you’re an iPhone user or an Android user, just scroll down to see the notification bar and tap the Airplane mode icon.

Most apps that you use on a daily basis need access to the location. Hence, such apps can easily track your phone and may retrieve data. For example, a ride-sharing app like Uber will need to access your location; otherwise, you won’t be able to book a ride.

               For iPhone                                       For Android

If you’re an iPhone user, you need to open Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking Menu and turn off “Allow Apps to Request to Track to stop all apps from tracking you.”

If you’re using an Android device, you need to choose the specific app from the App Management menu. And choose Permissions from the list of options to turn it off.

All applications and software come with a privacy policy. Yes, that long list of statements you ignore carelessly and tap “I agree.” 

Don’t worry, you’re not all alone. According to a survey, about 91% of Americans don’t read them and proceed further.

If you’ve been searching for a solution to the problem, “how to stop someone from tracking your phone?” You’re already giving away to hackers and cybercriminals by agreeing to everything that the policy asks for.

Hence, you must ensure that you’re reading every policy carefully. This is highly essential if you’re installing any cheap or free application. In addition, never ignore the section about data sharing and how the application will use your data.

Private browsing doesn’t mean browsing the internet in incognito mode. For better privacy and to keep yourself anonymous while browsing, you need a private browser. If you’ve been wondering can police track your phone, they can also access your history (even if you were incognito).

Hence, browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox won’t work, as they need access to your location. You can try browsers like DuckDuckGo (available for Android and iOS). Such browsers don’t collect any personal data and let you surf the internet without any security concerns.

Spyware helps hackers to access and collect your personal data, which they can use as they want. The malware can be of any form – an app, a downloaded file, or any other data you collected from the internet. So, it is better to detect and remove spyware from your phone occasionally.

You can download one of the best spyware apps on your phone and scan it occasionally. If you find any malicious app or download it on your phone, you must delete or quarantine it with immediate effect.

You’ll often find open Wi-Fi connections in malls, airports, and cafés. These public Wi-Fi connections are not safe at all, as they are not password protected. If you’ve been thinking, can people track your phone number? Yes, they can do that if you’re frequently using open Wi-Fi and sharing personal information.

Cybercriminals can easily access your phone through open Wi-Fi and install any spyware into it. However, it’s not like you need to completely avoid public Wi-Fi connections. You can connect your phone, but ensure that you’re using a VPN.

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and it is effective in obscuring your IP address so that hackers can’t track you. You can download and install a reliable VPN from the internet if you want to know how to make your phone impossible to track.

A good VPN reroutes your online traffic, so when hackers try to access your device, they can only access different online servers instead of your actual server.

Note: A VPN will not help if you’re offline, so you need to look for other methods.

If you’re using a smartphone, you must have your Google account linked to it. Your Google account stores your passwords and places you visit, and even keeps track of your browsing history. However, there’s a high possibility that you share your location with an unreliable source.

Google can also keep track of the places you visit even if you’re not using any of its apps. It is beneficial to remind you where you were or recall a place you visited recently. But, it can create problems if your Google account is hacked.

Hence, you must keep it well-protected by updating your Google account password and privacy settings regularly.

Note: Now, you may think that can someone track your location from your phone number. It is not possible, but apps used to track your lost phone can help someone access your device just by using your Google account’s ID and password.

Every single social media app is tracking you to show you advertisements as per your requirements. The things you post, the location you mention, and the keywords you search for, everything can be used to track you.  

So now comes the question, how to make your phone impossible to track? It’s obvious that you can’t avoid social media apps completely. So, don’t overshare, and don’t enter your phone number if you don’t find the purpose.

Pro Tip: You can use a different browser for your socials and keep another browser for daily surfing.

You can also keep your phone up-to-date and keep it safe from any unwanted access. Most smartphone manufacturers give security updates to install, and you just need to update them promptly. Updating your phone removes all types of exploits from unwanted sources and keeps it free of risk.

The methods given above can save you from being tracked to some extent. 

Why You Must Protect Your Phone From Tracking?

According to Forbes, more than 45% of people in America are sure about somebody daily tracking them online. Can police track your phone? Yes, but they need permission or if you may seem suspicious to them.

Avoiding phone tracking for personal data security is just the basic part, there are other reasons that make it a matter of concern. That said, let’s take a look at the reasons why you need to prevent phone tracking:

To Protect Your Data From Cybercriminals

Cybercrime is a common threat today, and cybercriminals don’t spare any effort to steal your personal information. They steal and use your information to:

• Gain access to your bank details.
• Infect your device with malware.
• Create fake passports using your personal information.
• Impersonate you.

Apart from that, cybercriminals need to track you just to keep an eye on your activities. Hence, you must figure out how to make your phone impossible to track.

To Keep Away Advertisers

Wondering why you see the ad for the same product you’ve been looking for? It happens because businesses need your personal information to show you the products you may need. They can have a perfect record of your hobbies, designation, spending habits, and more kept in remote servers.

To Prevent the Government From Collecting Your Personal Data

You sure might be in support of your government, but do you know that they can track you? Most government agencies give assurance that they need to track their citizens for national security. But, they never tell how they’re retrieving personal information.

So, before your phone gets hacked and you start looking for the best solution, it is better to be well-prepared. However, with the tips mentioned above, you can surely save your phone from tracking to some extent, and browse peacefully!

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