How To Put a Tracker on a Phone (The Complete Guide 2023)

GPS is short for Global Positioning System, the tool that allows users to track the location of any device with a built-in GPS. There’s no doubt that this technology is a lifesaver when it comes to recovering stolen or missing devices, and that’s why many modern devices have GPS.

To track GPS, you need apps to record the device’s location regularly and send the location data back to you. In this guide, we’ll walk you through different types of trackers for both Android and iOS devices, either built-in apps or third-party options.  You’ll also learn how to put a tracker on a phone and how to track someone by their phone number. Finally, we’ve listed and answered some FAQs to help you get your confusion bubbles popped.

So, how do you put a tracker on a phone? Let’s see.

The Different Types of Trackers and How They Work

Our findings show that there are two main types of cell phone trackers- in-built applications and third-party apps. Location trackers use the signals a cell phone emits to communicate with cell towers to determine the phone’s location. Generally, the stronger the phone’s signal to a cell tower is, the closer the phone is to the tower. Advanced, phone tracking systems use a process known as trilateration which employs the position of three or more satellites from the Global Navigation Satellite System network and the distance from them to determine the location (time, latitude, longitude, elevation).

A popularly recommended in-built option for Android is “Find My Device”, but for iOS, we recommend “Find My iPhone”. Both of these programs are easy to use and give you a breakdown of the locations of your integrated devices on the map.

You don’t need to learn how to put tracker on phone when you can install a third-party option-spy app that also offers GPS tracking. A spy app is great if you’d like to spy on someone’s smartphone and monitor everything they type, chat with, etc.

As mentioned, some spy apps offer GPS tracking, meaning they help to track location of the target device. The most recommended choice for such a cell tracker app would be mSpy, as it offers great value for money.

How to Put a GPS tracker On a Phone (Android Solution)

Find My Device is a Google service for Android users. It is designed to help you prevent data loss or track your device in case it’s lost or stolen. Putting a tracker on a phone is unnecessary with an in-built option like Find My Device on Android phones.

Follow the steps below to enable Google Find My Device on an Android device:

1. Tap “Settings” on your phone to open the Settings window.
2. Scroll down in settings and look out for Google.
3. Now, scroll down again and tap “Find My Device”.
4. Toggle the switch to “On” if it isn’t already.
5. Now, you can either select “Find My Device App” or “Find My Device web”
6. For “Find My Device web”, you will be redirected to the web and pinpoint your location.
7. For “Find My Device App”, you will be redirected to Google Play, where you must download the app and log in to your Google account.

Alternatively, if your phone has been stolen, you can open this link on your computer, and it’ll automatically sync and show you the exact location of your device. Using Find My Device, you can also track your child’s phone for free. Remember, if you know this, you don’t need to learn how to put a tracker on an android phone.

How To Put a Tracker On An iPhone 

Find My is the iPhone equivalent of Android’s Find My Device. As an iPhone user, this in-built option defeats the need to learn how to put a tracking device on a phone. You can also use this service to find your lost iPod or iWatch. When you locate the phone on the map, you can play a sound, remotely erase the data on it, and tag it as lost, among other things.

Follow these instructions to enable Find My on any iOS device (iPhone, iPad, or iPod).

1. Open the Settings app on the device.
2. Tap the user’s name and then open “Find My.”
3. Now, turn on “Share My Location” if you want your contacts to know your device’s location.
4. Tap “Find My” and toggle Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod) to “On”.
5. Now, turn on “Find My Network” to track the device, even offline.
6. Turn on “Share My Location”
7. Go back to Settings or Click the back until you reach Privacy
8. Click “While Using the App”
9. Then, open the “Find My” app again.
10. Click “Devices” and choose your iPhone or add it to the list.

Also, consider turning the “Location Services” on if you’d like the lost device found on the map. Head to Location Services by following this directory: Settings > Privacy > Location Services.

Using Spy Apps As a GPS Phone Tracker

As mentioned before, spy apps that offer a GPS tracker are also an effective way to track a smartphone. While they tend to offer other monitoring or spying features, the good ones are equipped with an accurate GPS tracker, so you don’t need to learn how to put a tracker on a cell phone. We’ve listed two such reliable mobile tracker apps that offer accurate GPS tracking abilities.

SpyBubble: Best GPS Phone Tracker App

SpyBubble is one of the best spy apps in 2023. It offers a wide range of cell tracking features for competitive pricing. This is a perfect app to track someone without them knowing and it is compatible with all iOS and Android devices and easily removes the need to learn how to install a tracker on a phone. 

Based on our own experience, SpyBubble’s GPS tracker is versatile and gives a neat & clean overview of the target device’s location on the map. Moreover, it also lets you track the device’s location history to see where it has been. The geofencing alerts are also a significant addition.

Some other highlights of SpyBubble include call logging, scheduled camera snapshots, and SMS tracking. Moreover, it also offers a comprehensive social media tracker that supports all the popular social apps.

The installation of SpyBubble consists of 5 main steps:

Step 1: Create an account and pick a subscription plan.

Step 2: You will receive a confirmation email with installation instructions.

Step 3: Get access to the target device.

Step 4: Install the app on the target device.

Step 5: Log in to the control panel and start tracking.

Try SpyBubble

mSpy: GPS Tracker for Phone

mSpy is another great alternative to putting a tracker on someone’s phone. The dedicated Android and iOS tracking service has over 1.5 million users and is compatible with Android and iOS devices, just like SpyBubble.

Speaking of location tracking, mSpy offers an easy-to-use GPS tracker that you can use to see the real-time location of the target device. Furthermore, it also lets you set certain location zones as part of the geofencing feature. And yes, we did test the product!

Other main features of mSpy include social media tracking, call logging, SMS monitoring, keylogging, and more. It lets you monitor popular messaging platforms like Snapchat, Skype, Facebook messenger, Viber, WhatsApp, etc. Furthermore, the blocking feature lets you block a certain app at any time.

The installation of mSpy is pretty straightforward:

Step 1: Sign up at mSpy and choose a subscription package.

Step 2: Read through the instructions provided in the confirmation email you’ll get.

Step 3: Get physical access to the target device.

Step 4: Install the app on the target device.

Step 5: Log in to the control panel and start tracking the device.

Note: Whether it’s about mSpy or SpyBubble, their installation procedures differ for iOS and Android devices. iOS devices don’t require physical access to install mSpy or SpyBubble for tracking, whereas Android devices do.

Try mSpy 

FAQ

How Can I Put a Tracker on a Phone?

The best way to put a tracker on a phone is either using Google’s “Find My Device” (for Android) or Apple’s “Find My” (for iOS devices). You can enable either of these (depending on your phone platform) in Settings. For Android, it’s under the Google section in Settings.

Can You Put a Tracker on a Phone Remotely?

Using a cell phone tracker like mSpy is a perfect answer to the question, ‘how do you put a tracker on a cellphone? However, note that mSpy only offers remote installation on iOS. If it’s an Android device you want to track, you’ll need physical access to the device once.

How Do I Put a Tracker on a Phone for Free?

If you’re looking for a way to put a tracker on a phone for free, SpyBubble is your best bet. It’s a cell tracker app that offers a 14-day refund guarantee. But, if you’d rather look for a long-term solution and not pay for a monitoring app, you can enable “Find My Device” or “Find My” on the Android or iOS device, respectively.

Conclusion

Now that you have learned how to put a tracker on a phone, you also need to know that paid apps are always superior to free methods for tracking phones. In-built applications are often free and safe but with limited functionality. You should never attempt free third-party options as they may introduce malicious programs to your device and fail to offer the features they said they do. So, what’s the option that is safe and has extensive functionality? Paid apps like those on this list!