How to Track Phone in Australia: 7 Free & Cheap Tools

To track a mobile phone in Australia, you can use different methods depending on the situation. Free trackers by phone brands are useful for tracking a lost or stolen phone, while mobile number trackers can help find someone in a remote location like Cape York Peninsula or Tasmanian Wilderness.

Besides, you can use a family tracker to safeguard your child. It is important because according to the Australian Federal Police, National Coordination Center, 20,000 children are reported missing in Australia every year.

If you’re in a rush and need to locate someone’s phone right away, you’ll be relieved to know that we tested several services and found that these three work 85% of the time: Scannero, Detectico, and GEOfinder. These platforms provide inexpensive trials for as little as 1.47 AUD.

Find a Lost Phone with Mobile Brand Apps

The most prominent smartphone brands in Australia, including Samsung, Apple, Oppo, Google Pixel, and Huawei, have their locator apps, such as SmartThings Find, Google Find My Device, and Find My app.

Their primary advantage is the ability to trace your own lost or stolen phone for free. As a result, we recommend them to all Australian residents, particularly those living in high-crime locations such as Alice Springs, Rockhampton, and Cairns.

How to Use SmartThings Find for Samsung Galaxy

SmartThings Find is a phone tracking service by Samsung for its Galaxy devices to help you locate lost or misplaced gadgets.

To use SmartThings Find to find a lost or stolen Samsung phone:

1. Sign in to your Samsung account on the SmartThings platform. You may need to create an account if you do not already have one.
   
2. Pick the device you want to locate if you have more than one Samsung phone. The software will display the phone’s most recent known position on a map.
3. If your phone is close and connected to the internet, you can use the “Ring” option, which will assist you in locating it.
4. If you can’t find your phone, you can report it missing on the SmartThings platform. This allows other SmartThings users to anonymously assist you in locating your device using Bluetooth signals.
5. If SmartThings Find pings your mobile phone’s location, you will be able to use the service to navigate to its location.

Pros and Cons

Tracking mobile phones with brand locators has its advantages and disadvantages.

Try Locators of the Australian Phone Carriers

The most popular Australian phone carriers are Telstra, Optus, Vodafone Australia, TPG Telecom, and Boost Mobile.

Nevertheless, only Telstra Mobile Network offers its users a mobile phone tracking Australia service to find a lost phone or tablet.

Telstra Device Locator

Price: $10 per month.

Telstra Device Locator is a function of the My Telstra app that allows users to locate lost iPhone, iPad, or Android devices linked to the Telstra Mobile Network.

This service uses GPS and the Telstra Mobile Network to display all registered devices on a map, allowing customers to follow their devices. You can also let your smartphone play a sound for easy identification, display a personalized message on the screen, and access location-based capabilities.

We recommend using such a phone carrier service because it’s accurate, and you can use it even if the phone is at a remote location.

Mobile Phone Tracking Through Messengers

The most popular Australia messengers are WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, WeChat, and Telegram. These messengers have a free Location Sharing feature.

How to use the location-sharing feature on messaging apps:

1. Launch a messaging app such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
2. Choose the chat or conversation in which you wish to share your location.
3. Look for the attachment or additional options icon, often a paperclip or plus sign.
4. Select “Location” or “Location Sharing” from the menu.
5. Choose how long you want to reveal your location.
6. Confirm your choice and click send.
7. The recipient will receive a map or a link to your location.

We recommend using location sharing for safety among friends. It facilitates meet-ups and ensures rapid reaction to emergencies. Location sharing also improves communication, especially in new or busy environments.

Pros and Cons

Tracking friends via messengers has its advantages and disadvantages.

Use Phone Number Trackers in Australia

A mobile number tracker is a service that can trace the physical position of a mobile phone based on its phone number.

Usually, phone tracking services that use a mobile number provide a text message with a tracking link. Once the recipient clicks it, the service receives the phone’s location and shows its position on a map.

You don’t need to install a phone number tracker on Android and iOS devices — these services work online.

Before paying for a phone number tracker, you can use HeyLocate’s “Free Phone Number Tracker Australia”. HeyLocate gives you the phone’s general location and directs you to a service that can offer live location tracking or find out location history.

Apart from this, Scannero, GEOfinder, and Detectico can track phone number for less than 1.47 AUD. These tools work on all mobile devices using text messages. All you need is the accurate mobile number of the target phone.

Price: Approx. 1.47 AUD, Approx. 73 AUD per month.

We recommend phone number trackers because of their private tracking and the convenience of tracking a phone using an online platform.

Pros and Cons:

Mobile number trackers have their advantages and disadvantages.

Try Scannero.io

Use Family Mobile Phone Trackers

A mobile phone tracker is a comprehensive phone monitoring app that enables parents to track a child’s phone activities. A mobile phone tracker like mSpy or uMobix can show a child’s whereabouts as well as monitor text messages, phone conversations, and social media activities.

A phone tracking app uses the Global Positioning System to see the phone’s exact location. However, you need physical access to track an Android device, but you may only need a child’s iCloud credentials for Apple devices.

Try uMobix

Price: Approx. 73 AUD per month.

A phone tracker app is important for parents because of the various online dangers facing kids in Australia.

The most common online harms experienced by Australian children are being called offensive names or ridiculed (35.78%), having lies or rumors spread about them (24.74%), and encountering unwanted or inappropriate violent content (23.49%).

Therefore, using one of the best phone tracking apps can help you keep your child safe, and you’ll always know where they are.

Pros and Cons

Mobile phone trackers have their advantages and disadvantages.

Mobile Number Lookup in Australia

You can use phone directories and mobile number lookup tools to track a mobile number and know its owner. A phone directory is a printed or digital list of phone numbers and names to help you track down someone or a business. Australia has the Yellow Pages for locating businesses.

If you want to find out who owns a phone number, it’s best to use a reverse phone lookup service. You can find out the owner of a telephone number and their address.

All you need is to type in phone number and find location for free online on most services like Reverseau.

We recommend phone directories and reverse phone lookup services for tracing the phone number owner’s identity. If you need just to be sure that the caller is not a scammer, try Truecaller.

Pros and Cons

Phone directories and reverse lookup have their advantages and disadvantages.

Trace a Mobile Number in Australia for Free Online and Anonymously

If you wish to track a mobile phone number for free and anonymously, use IP address locators.

1. Visit a link-shortening service that provides click analytics, such as https://iplogger.org/.
2. Select a link from an interesting media, such as a video, that the recipient should click.
   
3. Use a link shortener to attach a tracking code to the URL.
   
4. Send the URL to the target whose activity you want to monitor. This can be a social media message or a text message.
5. You will then view their location information and details about the device from which they clicked.
   

IMEI Tracking in Australia

An IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number is a unique identifier assigned to mobile phones. This number can be used to track stolen phones, but the average person cannot do it. Nonetheless, you can get help from the Australian police to track a phone using its IMEI.

You will need you have your phone’s IMEI beforehand. Dial *#06# or check the box your phone came in to identify its IMEI. If your phone gets lost, you can visit your local police station or complete an online report.

Note: any online service that promises to track your phone with IMEI is a scam. Only the police can do this.

Turn to Australian Phone Carriers

If your phone is stolen, you’ll want to block it by contacting your mobile service provider to prevent unauthorized use. You can report a lost Optus phone to have its SIM blocked on the Optus help page or call 1300 650 410 for a Vodafone line.

For those with a TPG Telecom line, you need to call TPG on 13 14 23 to block their service from the line.

Finally, if you have a Boost Mobile phone, you can have a new SIM sent to you by calling 125 8881.

Comparison of the Tools for Mobile Phone Tracking

To choose the best mobile phone tracking method in Australia, compare the most effective ones in the table below.

Is it Legal to Track a Mobile Phone in Australia?

The Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles govern the acquisition and use of personal information in Australia. Phone tracker users must ensure compliance, particularly regarding consent and the lawful use of tracking technologies.

Conclusion

Knowing how to track a phone in Australia is useful in a variety of situations. These include emergencies, parental control, recovering a lost phone, and verifying the identity of a caller.

If you want to find a lost or stolen device, a free brand locator will suffice, while a messaging app can help you find a friend on a busy street.

Moreover, family trackers safeguard kids, while mobile number trackers do not need installation on a target device. With these types of phone trackers, you’ll know what service to use depending on the situation.