There are several ways to track a phone in the UK: from brand locators to comprehensive tracking apps. Your success depends on the information you have and the cell phone data you want to obtain. This article examines each available option and will reveal the best for each case.
In a hurry? Why not use a method that is suitable in 85% of cases? You can track a phone using its number with methods that proved to be the best in our tests. Scannero, Geofinder, and Detectico are great options for finding a phone by a phone number. Use their trial version to track any phone number in the UK for less than £1.
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Free Brand Locator Apps and Family Sharing
“Find My”-apps created by mobile brands are the best way to track a phone for free in the UK. We recommend free brand apps to all Great Britain residents, especially with the 8% crime rate increase in the UK. For those in high-crime UK cities like Birmingham, Sheffield, and Bristol, ensure you have these apps turned on on your and your loved ones’ devices to be ready to find them if they get lost or, worse, stolen.
Best For:
Tracking friends, relatives, coworkers, and finding a lost or stolen phone.
Price:
Free.
Find My Device
Google’s Find My Device is built into Android and turned on by default. All you need to do is log in with your credentials on https://www.google.com/android/find/ to see the location of all Android devices connected to your account. The only time Find My Device doesn’t work is if your phone’s battery has died, or it’s been turned off.
Google Find My Device is free and lets you use various remote features like playing a sound on the lost device, securing your phone, or erasing all data from the target device remotely.
Note: Find My Device doesn’t allow tracking or sharing location with other people. The best way to use it – to track and find own devices.
Find My iPhone
The Find My app is Apple’s iPhone tracking service. It helps to track lost or stolen iPhones and other iOS devices on your account and to share location with other people.
To achieve it, log in with your iCloud credentials on the Find My app. You can see there the device’s real-time location, play a sound if it’s nearby, or erase it remotely if you can’t recover it. Choose the “People” tab to share location or to request someone’s location.
SmartThings Find
SmartThings Find comes preinstalled on your Samsung phone. It finds Galaxy devices through an app, even if they’re offline. SmartThings Find will search for your Samsung device and show you its location on a map. It includes the addresses and timestamps.
If you report your phone as lost on SmartThings Find, and it goes off for 30 minutes, it will start transmitting a Bluetooth LE signal to nearby devices, allowing it to be tracked offline.
Like other free brand apps, SmartThings Find can ring the lost device remotely. It can also help you navigate to the lost Samsung using AR step-by-step instructions.
Google Family Link
Family Link is a 100% free parental control app for children under 13 years. It’s available for Android and iOS devices and lets you manage several features on a child’s phone. These include the phone’s location, privacy, and screen time.
Free Brand Locator Apps Pros and Cons
The advantages and disadvantages of brand locator apps are listed below.
Pros:
- these are services from top brands;
- some allow location sharing with family members;
- easy to locate your lost or stolen device;
- may prevent personal information from falling into the wrong hands;
- can communicate with the person who finds the lost device;
- remotely lock or erase a lost device.
Cons:
- tracks only a close circle of people;
- lacks additional useful features;
- no online support;
- tracking of others is not anonymous.
Location Services of the UK Phone Carriers
The most popular UK phone carriers are Vodafone, EE, O2 and Three, known collectively as the ‘big four’. Some of them offer location tracking and sharing services in the UK.
Best For:
Tracking own device.
Price:
- vodafone Secure Net – £1.10 per month;
- three UK starts from £20 per month.
Vodafone UK
Vodafone has the Vodafone Secure Net Service, which offers parental controls, safe browsing, and anti-malware protection. Vodafone UK also operates a complimentary service called Vodafone Net Find & Ring, which helps you locate a lost device for family safety.
Three UK
Three UK internet service provider does not offer a location tracking service. However, it provides services like Three in Touch and Three Rescue, which allow you to stay connected and protect your devices. Still, you will not be getting any real-time location tracking features.
To track EE and O2 phones in the UK, use dedicated apps according to the iOS of your device (Find My, Find my device or Smartthings Find).
Pros and Cons of the UK Phone Carriers Locators
The advantages and disadvantages are listed below.
Pros:
- you can locate other family members’ devices;
- accurate location tracking by a phone’s network;
- can help you keep tabs on children’s location;
- may provide better business management for taxi and delivery companies.
Cons:
- additional features attract a fee;
- company may send targeted ads.
Messengers Location Sharing
Location sharing is a feature of most messengers that allows you to share a map-linked location right in the chat. Popular in the UK messengers like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Telegram have this feature.
We recommend using messenger apps for location sharing for those who need to track someone’s exact location for a short time, since such tracking will constantly waste your mobile data and battery life. It’s perfect when you are gathering with friends, for example, at Glastonbury Festival or New Year’s Day Parade.
Best For:
Short-time location sharing with friends and family.
Price:
Free.
WhatsApp allows you to share your live location with an individual or a group. You can choose how long you want to share the live location and stop sharing it anytime. In addition, you can share the location of a specific place.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger allows you to send your current live location or pin a location to share a location that you are not currently at. To send your location, go to Chats > 4-dot icon in the bottom left > location icon > start sharing live location. You can only share a live location for a set duration.
Telegram
The Telegram location feature allows you to share your location with other Telegram users. When you opt for the Telegram share location feature, you can send the user a map with your current or specific location. Moreover, the viewer can get directions to your location.
Viber
When you want to share your location on Viber, all you need to do is to enable location sharing, and Viber will pin your location to the messages you send. Alternatively, you can use the “Send Location” function to send a particular location.
Snapchat
Snap Map is a Snapchat feature that uses your phone’s GPS to place your avatar on a map that other Snapchat users can see. You can also see snaps posted at a particular show or event. Your friends can see your location on the map, and you can also use it to see your friends’ locations.
WeChat allows you to send your location to your contacts in chats. All you need to do is use the send location function. If you want to share your location with a group, tap the “+” button on the app, tap location > real-time location, and everyone’s location will appear on a map.
LINE
You can use LINE to share your current location on a map. Go to the message room that you want to share location and tap the “+” button > tap Share location then consent to the terms of service if it’s the first time you are using the feature and click Attach Map to share your location.
LINE also has the “Line Here” service, which offers real-time location sharing for iPhone and Android users.
Pros and Cons of Location Sharing in Messengers
Pros:
- can be a safety tool for parents;
- friends can easily track your location;
- may help first responders reach you in an emergency;
- handy when venturing out solo.
Cons:
- it’s not anonymous;
- may hurt your privacy.
How to Track a Mobile Number in the UK
Mobile number tracking allows you to track someone’s location using their phone number in the UK and worldwide. It means you can track any mobile phone number, not only from UK phone carrier.
Best For:
Tracking someone’s location anonymously.
Price:
- approx. £1 on trial versions;
- approx. £40 monthly fee on most services.
When you track someone by phone number, you don’t need to install an app on their device. These services can prove helpful if a loved one is travelling on holidays to some other countries, or you need to find out where is the phone number from. Although most of such services are paid, there are some free phone number trackers in the UK. Just type in phone number and find location free of charge.
The mentioned Scannero, Detectico and GEOfinder require a subscription, but give a less than £1 trial (for a day, not for a number). You input the mobile number, edit an anonymous message with a tracking link, and send it to the target person. Once they click the link, you get their location.
Mobile Number Tracker’s Pros and Cons
The advantages and disadvantages of this method are listed below.
Pros:
- works everywhere and always;
- many great services available;
- completely anonymous;
- do not require installing an app on the target device.
Cons:
- tracking is only viable via SMS;
- the tracked person must click on the tracking link.
Phone Trackers and Parental Controls
Phone trackers and parental control apps are great for employers and parents. They use GPS trackers to monitor a child’s location and can show you the live location of employees and the status of assets and vehicles.
Best For:
Monitoring the Location of Minors.
Price:
Approx. £40 per month.
We recommend phone trackers and parental control apps like mSpy or uMobix since they provide location tracking and other monitoring features of a phone’s digital activities. You can use them to find a lost phone or discover a child’s digital activities.
The National Crime Agency, UK Missing Person’s Bureau, estimates that 112,853 children go missing every year. Hence, it’s crucial to always know your child’s whereabouts.
Unlike trackers that use mobile phone numbers, phone trackers and parental control apps need to be installed on the target device. While some are available on the Google Play Store, most need a licence from the app provider’s website.
Pros:
- help you know a kid’s location in real-time;
- you can set virtual boundaries for a kid;
- can share location in an emergency;
- may increase productivity on employees’ phones;
- tracks a phone’s online activities for added protection.
Cons:
- most apps require subscriptions;
- many apps lack a free trial.
Reverse Phone Lookup
Reverse phone lookup services let you track a phone number’s owner and can provide you with information about a person’s identity. It is an excellent method of knowing an unknown caller.
Nevertheless, reverse phone lookup services show only associated addresses connected to the phone number, but not the live location.
Best For:
Revealing the Identity of the Unknown Caller.
Price:
- trials may cost as low as £1;
- single report – approx. £3.
If you want to trace UK mobile number for free, you can start by performing a Google search. Then, use dedicated reverse phone lookup services that can trace multiple mobile numbers for a cheap fee. However, we tried some popular reverse search sites in the UK and found that 192.com or similar only allow you to search by name and address, not phone number. There was a telephone directory 118800.co.uk, but it is no longer available.
Reverse Phone Lookup Pros and Cons
The advantages and disadvantages of this service are listed below.
Pros:
- reveals information about an unknown person;
- less chances of a sketchy person contacting you;
- cheaper than hiring a private detective;
- may help you avoid scams.
Cons:
- most services require payment;
- no live location;
- information may be outdated.
How to Track a Mobile Phone in the UK for Free and Anonymously
It is possible to track mobile phone for free with IP logger. The idea is to create a URL with a tracking link. Once the target clicks on it, you will get information about their location using their phone’s IP address.
- Find the URL or link that you want to infect with a tracking link. It can be an article or an image.
- Go to a link shortener site that gives click analytics, such as https://iplogger.org/ or https://grabify.link/.
- Shorten the link using the link shortener.
- Send the link to the user you want to track. This can be a social media message, Messenger, or text message.
- See detailed data about the location of the user’s phone or device from which they clicked.
Is it Possible to Track IMEI Number?
Many services on the internet promise to find a phone by IMEI number. For example, imei-tracker.com. However, all of them are fake and created only to make money on advertising.
It is only possible to track a phone by the IMEI number with the help of the UK police. You must first identify the IMEI code before you lose the phone by dialling *#06# on your Android or iPhone device.
If your phone is stolen, you will provide this number to the UK police, and they will check the number against suspected stolen mobile phones. In the UK, IMEI numbers are recorded on the Government’s Mobile Phone safety website and checked against suspected stolen mobile phones.
Comparison of the Tools for Mobile Phone Tracking
To know which mobile phone tracking method to use, compare them in the table below.
Service | Best For | Pros | Cons |
---|---|---|---|
Brand Locators | Tracking own device | Completely free Fast to track lost or stolen device | It’s not anonymous May not work when phone is off |
Phone Carrier Services | Tracking employees and family members | Easier for tracking loved ones Accurate location tracking | Few features compared to other tracking services |
Messenger Apps | Sharing live location | Helps friends and family track you Can be useful in emergencies | May lead to stalking |
Mobile Number Tracking Services | Tracking someone’s location anonymously | Does not require installing an app Works anywhere in the world | Relies on target clicking on the link |
Phone Trackers and Parental Control Apps | Monitoring kids’ and employees’ location | Offer live location tracking Includes internet activity tracking | Requires monthly subscriptions |
Reverse Phone Lookup Services | Revealing the identity of unknown caller | Anonymous Shows personal information of the caller | Comprehensive reports can be expensive No live location |
Why is Phone Tracking so Important?
Phone tracking is an essential skill that can prove helpful for the following reasons.
- Monitor the location of your kids, older parents, and other family members
Older parents tend to wander, while kids can easily get lost in crowded places. Using a service with a GPS tracker can help you locate your loved ones quickly and easily. - Finding missing people
According to Get Surrey, someone is reported missing in the UK every 90 seconds. Still, you may be able to find the person by tracking their phone location using a phone tracker app before they find themselves in a dangerous situation. - International tracking in case of emergency in other countries
If your family member is in an emergency situation in another country, mobile phone trackers can pinpoint their location when you’re looking to evacuate them. GPS tracking can make it easy to arrange transport out of a location. - Track lost or stolen phone
Every six minutes, a phone is stolen in London. If you find yourself in such a situation, your own device tracker, such as Google Find My Device for Android or Find My for iPhone, can help you locate it before it’s turned off. - Tracking the Location of Employees
Employee GPS tracking can help improve productivity and simplify planning and coordination for employees on the move. - Trace the unknown call and/or find out what country the caller lives in
Mobile number tracking can reveal the person’s identity if you’re receiving suspicious calls. Moreover, you can find out the call’s origin, since most spam calls tend to come from abroad.
Is it Legal to Track Mobile Number in the UK?
Mobile number tracking falls under tracking technology, still in a grey area in UK legislation. Nonetheless, the Human Rights Act, Article 8 stipulates the privacy of individuals, and it makes it illegal to abuse any personal data obtained through a tracking device.
The Data Protection Act 1998, classifies personal data as any information that can be linked to an individual and that which can be used to influence or inform actions that affect that person. This includes information you get from tracking a mobile number. Therefore, you must obtain the data lawfully, fairly, and for lawful purposes.
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Conclusion
As you see, you have many options for tracking a phone in the UK. Brand location tracking, messenger apps, and location services by UK phone providers are free but are not anonymous. If you want to track someone’s location privately, a mobile number tracker or dedicated phone trackers will suffice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
It’s not illegal to track a mobile number in the UK. Always do it lawfully, as the Human Rights and Data Protection Acts stipulates.
The mSpy app is one of the UK’s best phone tracker apps without permission. After you download the app, it will operate in the background and not alert the tracked person on their device.
You will need to use an anonymous text message with a tracking link with the help of a link shortener site like https://iplogger.org/.
Someone can track your location with a phone number in the UK using services like Scannero, GeoFinder, or Detectico.
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