Most of us who own a cellphone have lost our phones at one point or another and did not have a clue about its whereabouts. Some of us have sometimes forgotten our mobile phone in public commute and have lost track of where it could possibly be. It is also possible that as a protective parent, you need to know the location of the phone of your defiant teenager.
If you think there is no way of knowing a cellphone’s location, then think again!
Thanks to technology, it is possible to know the location of the cellphone, so you can get it or track your kid’s position to ensure their safety by ‘Pinging a phone.’ This article will teach you how to ping a phone.
What Is ‘Pinging A Phone’?
Basically, pinging a cellphone or a device involves sending a radio wave signal or a message through the radio tower. Upon receiving the message or signal, the activated GPS within the device sends back the exact location information to the sender. If the device is inactive, pinging can be used to identify the device’s last active location recorded by the GPS.
How Does Pinging A Device Work?
For ‘pinging’ technology to work, a device built-in GPS location system, which every cellphone has. The GPS must also be active. You will also require tracking software and other tools to locate a device accurately along with the GPS.
Why Are Phones Pinged?
The ping cell phone technology is helpful in many ways, including locating lost devices. It also helps the police in the tracking of live locations of wanted criminals.
Besides that, pinging allows protective parents to keep a check on their children’s device’s last location for safety. Sometimes pinging can also be useful for finding the location of unknown harassers and callers.
However, it should be noted that tracking someone’s phone without their knowledge or permission could be illegal unless you have vested exclusive rights permitting you to get this information.
Phone Pinging Methods
Now you must be wonder how to ping a phone. Following are some of the common methods:
1. Location Tracking Software
One of the ways you can know the location of a lost device or keep track of one is by using a location tracking software. Although there are thousands of such software available online, both paid and free, Google Maps leads the way, as well as the well-known Life360.
This method, however, needs the inbuilt GPS of the device turned on. In case the phone uses a fake GPS location, then the software won’t be able to trace the information you need.
You can also know the whereabouts of a device through Google’s location history.
2. Default Phone Mechanisms
If the cellphone you are trying to ping does not have GPS activated or a location tracker software installed, you can use the built-in ‘Find My Device’ feature for information about its location.
iPhone has a useful ‘Find My iPhone’ built-in that users can use to track their phones.
3. Tracing the Phone Number Details
Another method of pinging a phone is tracing the SIM card inserted in the device and not the phone itself. You can find out a phone number’s last called number, phone number’s ownership, and its registration location, etc. on apps like Truecaller. This method is helpful for identifying calls from unknown numbers.
This method of pinging a phone to know it’s locations involves triangulation, which identifies the whereabouts of a device by forming triangles and filling the caps of signals of the device.
This is a legal and affordable method of pinging a phone.
Is It Possible To Ping A Powered Off Phone?
No. If a device has been switched off, it cannot be pinged and is basically impossible to track because it stops sending and receiving signals from nearby GPS towers, which means it stops sending location signals. You can only know the location of the device where it was last active.
There have been instances where NASA used secret technology to track the signals of phones that were powered off. However, there is no information about how NASA was able to do so.
Is It Possible To Prevent My Location From Being Tracked?
We have previously share comprehensive information about pinging a device and tracking its location; however, it is also essential to discuss how you can prevent my location from being tracked.
Many people are looking for tried and tested ways to avoid being tracked. If you are amongst those, then you will find the following three methods helpful:
- Turn Your GPS Location Off
Yes! It is as simple as turning your phone’s live location off, and you will no more be trackable by live tracing software. You can turn off “Live Location” or “Location Information” from the notification bar or go to your phone settings, whether you have an iOS or an Android device.
- Switch Airplane Mode On
The second you turn on “Airplane Mode,” your phone becomes untraceable. With the Airplane Mode on, your device cannot send signals to the closest GPS towers; hence your current location cannot be traced.
- Switch Your Device Off
The safest way to make your location untraceable is to switch off your phone and remove its battery. In this way, your device will become safe from nearly all tracking software, and it will become near to impossible to locate your device.
Read Also
- How to Keylogging on iPhone Legally
- Address Lookup To Use In 2021
- How to Hack Someone’s Instagram Without Them Knowing
- Spyier Review
- What Are The Benefits Of GPS Asset Tracking?
- 5 Android Spying Applications To Catch an Unfaithful Life Partner
- How to Recover Deleted Photos from an SD Card
- Address Lookup To Use In 2021
- Hoverwatch Review
- 10 Essential Safety Rules to Teach Your Children
Sarah Durrani 
