Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Number

Samuel T. Cogley · December 9 2008, 12:53 AM

My co-worker has an iPhone. This morning, he told me that his 8 year-old son was playing around with the phone and showed his dad how to track my location using only my cell phone number.

I asked my co-worker to duplicate this process for me. He was not able to do so (his kid is more savvy with the phone than he is), but he showed me a map that clearly indicated a location that I had been at a few days before.

Has anyone else heard of this?

I can't imagine that this service would be available to the public without getting permission from the 'trackee' in advance. The potential for abuse is off the chart. Stalkers will go wild.

Again, I can hardly believe it myself, but there I was on the map on his phone.

My Blackberry is GPS enabled, if that has any relevance.

An Officer · December 9 2008, 01:06 AM

Quite disturbing stuff.

I have heard of a phone that is being produced, which can still transmit whatever is being said, even if the number dialed is only ringing and hasn't been picked up...

Imagine, you could be saying: "I don't wanna pick up THAT fucker's call"... and they can hear on the other end...

DonIago · December 9 2008, 01:07 AM

I'm deeply speculating here, but if your phone is set to send location data during phonecalls, then it's entirely possible that if you were talking with someone that they'd be able to figure out where you were when they were talking with you.

J. Allen · December 9 2008, 01:09 AM

Most phones are GPS enabled by default, and most people don't know how to disable it. Even my own phone, a Samsung Slide, is GPS enabled. It's a bit disturbing, really, but it's good for 911 if you call from your cell phone. They can pinpoint you in seconds.

J.

Samuel T. Cogley · December 9 2008, 01:18 AM

More information:

I wasn't speaking to him at the time. Nor did he call me. Nor did my phone ring.

Looking back, I could swear that I remember my phone making a weird beeping noise at the time, as if I was receiving a message, but there was no incoming message.

And I could have been using my GPS at the time to find an address.

billcosby · December 9 2008, 02:49 AM

Incredibly disturbing, yes.

But there's also the application of finding those who have gotten lost, or even kidnapped.

Gertch · December 9 2008, 02:50 AM

There is a real estate application that will use the location of your cell phone to show you houses on the market near your present location. Of course you are connected to their service or web page requesting the information.

I believe Verizon is one of the few if only carriers that will not let 3rd party apps use their gps application at the moment.

Small White Car · December 9 2008, 03:26 AM

Guys, GPS has nothing to do with it.

It's possible to track any cell phone based on which TOWER it's currently communicating with. This is possible with ANY cell phone.

What the O.P. wants to know is if this ability is available to the public (and not just the police, FBI, etc.) I honestly have no idea about that, but the question of "can you be located?" is a definite YES! It's the "who" that's up in the air.

Nobody · December 9 2008, 06:04 AM

Does your friend have the Loopt application? This is the only app I know that lets you track friends. Though I'm not 100% sure how it works with people on other carriers.

-nobody

Hermiod · December 9 2008, 07:59 AM

Small White Car wrote:

Guys, GPS has nothing to do with it.

It's possible to track any cell phone based on which TOWER it's currently communicating with. This is possible with ANY cell phone.

What the O.P. wants to know is if this ability is available to the public (and not just the police, FBI, etc.) I honestly have no idea about that, but the question of "can you be located?" is a definite YES! It's the "who" that's up in the air.

Indeed, I was shown a demo about 9 years ago showing a map and the route a Vodafone engineer had taken between cell towers as he went about his business maintaining their towers.

Samuel T. Cogley · December 9 2008, 07:57 PM

Nobody wrote:

Does your friend have the Loopt application? This is the only app I know that lets you track friends. Though I'm not 100% sure how it works with people on other carriers.

-nobody

In any event, he has nothing more than my phone number. In other words, I haven't authorized him to track me or given him a special pin number or anything.

December 9 2008, 12:53 AM	#1
Samuel T. Cogley Vice Admiral Location: Hold still, Jim.	Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Number My co-worker has an iPhone. This morning, he told me that his 8 year-old son was playing around with the phone and showed his dad how to track my location using only my cell phone number. I asked my co-worker to duplicate this process for me. He was not able to do so (his kid is more savvy with the phone than he is), but he showed me a map that clearly indicated a location that I had been at a few days before. Has anyone else heard of this? I can't imagine that this service would be available to the public without getting permission from the 'trackee' in advance. The potential for abuse is off the chart. Stalkers will go wild. Again, I can hardly believe it myself, but there I was on the map on his phone. My Blackberry is GPS enabled, if that has any relevance. __________________ "If I didn't keep getting distracted by an avatar showing a sombrero'd dog getting his engineering hull penis substitute cut off I'd probably say that the above post was a point well made." - ITL

December 9 2008, 01:06 AM	#2
An Officer Vice Admiral Location: Reality & Other Falsehoods	Re: Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Num Quite disturbing stuff. I have heard of a phone that is being produced, which can still transmit whatever is being said, even if the number dialed is only ringing and hasn't been picked up... Imagine, you could be saying: "I don't wanna pick up THAT fucker's call"... and they can hear on the other end... __________________ "Out there.... thataway."

December 9 2008, 01:07 AM	#3
DonIago Rear Admiral Location: Burlington, VT, USA	Re: Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Num I'm deeply speculating here, but if your phone is set to send location data during phonecalls, then it's entirely possible that if you were talking with someone that they'd be able to figure out where you were when they were talking with you. __________________ --DonIago It was the best of Trek, it was the worst of Trek... "If I lean over, I leave myself open to wedgies, wet willies, or even the dreaded Rear Admiral!"

December 9 2008, 01:09 AM	#4
J. Allen Probably Satan™ Location: A Quantum State	Re: Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Num Most phones are GPS enabled by default, and most people don't know how to disable it. Even my own phone, a Samsung Slide, is GPS enabled. It's a bit disturbing, really, but it's good for 911 if you call from your cell phone. They can pinpoint you in seconds. J. __________________ -------------------- Starscape's .tk domain is down, please go here: http://s4.zetaboards.com/StarscapeBBS

December 9 2008, 01:18 AM	#5
Samuel T. Cogley Vice Admiral Location: Hold still, Jim.	Re: Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Num More information: I wasn't speaking to him at the time. Nor did he call me. Nor did my phone ring. Looking back, I could swear that I remember my phone making a weird beeping noise at the time, as if I was receiving a message, but there was no incoming message. And I could have been using my GPS at the time to find an address. __________________ "If I didn't keep getting distracted by an avatar showing a sombrero'd dog getting his engineering hull penis substitute cut off I'd probably say that the above post was a point well made." - ITL

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December 9 2008, 02:49 AM	#6
billcosby Commodore Location: billcosby	Re: Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Num Incredibly disturbing, yes. But there's also the application of finding those who have gotten lost, or even kidnapped. __________________ My 1st Edition TrekCCG virtual expansion: http://billcosbytrekccg.blogspot.com/

December 9 2008, 02:50 AM	#7
Gertch Admiral	Re: Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Num There is a real estate application that will use the location of your cell phone to show you houses on the market near your present location. Of course you are connected to their service or web page requesting the information. I believe Verizon is one of the few if only carriers that will not let 3rd party apps use their gps application at the moment.

December 9 2008, 03:26 AM	#8
Small White Car Rear Admiral Location: Washington D.C.	Re: Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Num Guys, GPS has nothing to do with it. It's possible to track any cell phone based on which TOWER it's currently communicating with. This is possible with ANY cell phone. What the O.P. wants to know is if this ability is available to the public (and not just the police, FBI, etc.) I honestly have no idea about that, but the question of "can you be located?" is a definite YES! It's the "who" that's up in the air.

December 9 2008, 06:04 AM	#9
Nobody Blame me, I voted Obama	Re: Tracking Someone Else's Cell Phone Location Using Only a Phone Num Does your friend have the Loopt application? This is the only app I know that lets you track friends. Though I'm not 100% sure how it works with people on other carriers. -nobody __________________ I'm Nobody. Who are you? http://www.geekspeakradio.us