Location Tracking Hub

Tag: software

How to monitor TikTok on your child’s phone
TikTok has over 2B downloads across Google Play store and Apple App Store. The app is very popular across the globe, and your teen may have it installed on their phone. TikTok is a “wild” platform, meaning as a parent, you need to monitor your teen’s activities on the app.
Luckily, TikTok has good built-in parental control features. It helps parents set rules on how their teens will use the app. Unfortunately, these features are not available in every country. In addition, the parental control restriction works only on the app. Your child can bypass these restrictions by logging into their account on the browser.
However, we recommend using TikTok parental control because it is free, unlike third-party parental control apps that require a monthly or yearly subscription. Also, your teen can uninstall the app without your knowledge, unlike Family Pairing on TikTok, which lets you know when it is disconnected.
What you need to know about Family Pairing on TikTok
TikTok has a Parental Control feature called Family Pairing for monitoring your teen’s activities by linking their accounts to yours. Once you have linked your child’s account to yours, you can monitor their activities and set some restrictions.
- Screen time management: As the name suggests, you can control how long your child spends on TikTok daily.
- Restricted mode: It means you can filter content that appears on your child’s feed on the app.
- Direct message: You can restrict direct messages or who can send messages to your child. In addition, who sees their liked videos or leaves comments.
Also read: How to monitor Instagram on your child’s phone for free
How to set up Family Pairing on TikTok
You can only monitor your child’s account after setting up family pairing. After setting the feature up, you can set time limits, who can send messages, pause push notifications, filter search by restricting some keywords, limit profile availability, and restrict comments and likes on their content.
Of course, you need to have a TikTok account before you can monitor your teen account. After creating and logging into your account:
- Tap on your Profile at the bottom right corner.
- Click on the three lines at the top right corner.
- Click Settings and privacy
- Tap on Family Pairing and click Continue.
- Select Parent when prompted for a QR code to appear.
- You can use the send link option to send the invite to your teen
- Head to your Teen Account, click on the profile picture, and under settings, tap Family Pairing.
- Tap continue and select teen.
- With your kid’s account, scan the QR code on your device to link both accounts.
While setting up Family Pairing lets you monitor TikTok on your teen’s phone, there are ways they can bypass it. Because the feature only works on the app, they can switch to the web version, and you cannot monitor their activities. In addition, they can open a new account while you monitor the old one. Fortunately, with a parental control app, you will be one step ahead of your kids when they want to bypass your TikTok restrictions.
You can block TikTok both on the web and app with a parental control app. You can set a time limit on the app usage or make the app inaccessible throughout the day. In addition, if your Kids decide to get a new TikTok account, it will not be possible.
How to monitor TikTok using Parental Control apps
There are many apps to monitor TikTok, but only a few have been tested and proved they can do the job. These apps have features not available in Family Pairing, which include time limit increments, blocking TikTok on the web, and much more.
Qustodio
The Qustodio Parental Control apps seem made specially for TikTok. It has some features not available on the Family Pairing. They include the ability to set a time limit for TikTok in 15-minute increments.
In addition, you can block TikTok on your teen’s phone and get an alert when they try to access the app. The restricted time feature helps set specific times you want your kids to use TikTok. And because you can block TikTok on both the app and the web, your kids can not bypass these restrictions.
Interestingly, the Qustodio app has an activity report that shows how much time your teen spends on TikTok. They are grouped into daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly. With those stats, you will know how best to limit your kid’s activities on TikTok.
Bark
Bark is another Parental Control app to efficiently monitor TikTok. The app makes it simple with its content filtering, which has about 15 categories to detect when your child is being bullied or hate speech. With Bark, your children still have their privacy as the app only shows inappropriate messages depending on the content filters.
Like other parental control apps, you can block TikTok both on the web and app, making it impossible for your kids to bypass any restrictions. We recommend Bark when you do not want your kids scrolling through TikTok when they should be in the class.
However, some of these features are only available on Android. Apple iOS makes it hard to install some of these apps, and even when you do, some features are limited. We understand that message filtering is not available on iOS, but Android users can enable it.
Conclusion
Family Pairing on TikTok remains the only free way to monitor TikTok on your kid’s phone. Unfortunately, it has limited features, which third-party parental control apps offer. Hence, if you want total control over your teen’s use of the social media platform, we recommend paying for any of the third-party apps listed above.
May 22, 2024
How to enable WhatsApp parental control monitoring
WhatsApp currently has over 5B downloads, meaning most people use the social media app. Your child may have the app installed on their phone, and as a parent, you would want to make sure they are using it right. Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not have a parental control feature, which makes it hard for parents to monitor WhatsApp on their child’s phone.
In addition, the Meta-owned company has a weak age restriction feature, as irrespective of age, you can create an account and use WhatsApp. We have seen what bullying does to children, and as a parent, you must monitor your child’s online activities. Unfortunately, it is difficult to monitor WhatsApp, unlike other social media apps like Instagram.
WhatsApp has end-to-end encryption, making it hard to use Parental control apps to spy on the app. However, the “Linked devices” lets you link WhatsApp to a second phone. You might consider that if you can not afford a Monitoring app.
What you need to know about Linked devices on WhatsApp
- As a parent, linked devices will allow you to see all the messages and images sent and received by your kids. However, you cannot retrieve deleted photos or messages, and you should consider a parental control app with that feature.
- You cannot set a screen limit, meaning you cannot block WhatsApp during school.
- The ”link device” feature does not filter chat to see if your child is being bullied. Some parental control apps can do this and notify you immediately once the AI detects something inappropriate.
- Basically, a linked device only lets you see what is being sent and received in real time. It does not go beyond that, and you can be logged out at any time.
- You will need a device without a WhatsApp account before you can successfully link a device.
How to link a WhatsApp account
- On your child’s phone, open WhatsApp and tap on the three dots at the top right corner.
- Click Linked Devices.
- Tap on Link a device, it might ask for biometric authentication.
- On the device you want to link as a companion device, launch WhatsApp. Tap Agree and continue.
- Instead of putting a phone number, tap the three dots at the top right corner.
- Click the Link as a companion device.
- Use the target phone to scan the code on your screen to link the WhatsApp account.
- You will see everything that happens on WhatsApp, including status and sent and received messages.
With WhatsApp companion mode, you can only see messages in real-time, as deleted messages are not kept on the companion device. However, a parental control app will make sure you never miss anything. Aside from monitoring WhatsApp, these apps can track real-time location, set virtual boundaries, record calls, and filter messages. Below are some monitoring apps that will allow you to monitor WhatsApp on your child’s phone efficiently.
Parental Control Apps to Monitor WhatsApp on your Child’s phone
Bark
Bark seems tailored to WhatsApp monitoring. It is a great tool for parents to monitor their kids’ activities on WhatsApp by leveraging all the features available on the app. There are over 15 categories focusing on a wide range of issues, which include cyberbullying, violence, and sex. When enabled, upload an overview of the message to your app when a message triggers the filter.
In addition, you can set a limit on your child’s WhatsApp account using the app. It means blocking your kids from using WhatsApp during school hours and allowing access to the app in the evening. Also, you can restrict your teen from using the app on their phone. There’s an option to block the WhatsApp URL on the browser to avoid them by passing it.
We recommend Bark for parents who are interested in monitoring just WhatsApp on their kid’s phone. They have a free seven-day trial period, so you can always test the app before purchasing a one-month subscription for $14.
mSpy
mSpy is another parental control app that we recommend for parents. Aside from Monitoring WhatsApp messages, images, and contacts, the app can track real-time location and create virtual boundaries. It has a keylogger feature that lets you see what your teens are typing but requires rooting the device.
However, you can still see messages, sent and received images, and contacts. In addition, the app takes screenshots when it notices changes within the app, likely when your teen gets a new message or image. Also, the app supports blocking WhatsApp web using its web filtering feature.
Conclusion
The only way to Monitor WhatsApp on your child’s phone for free is by linking their WhatsApp to a companion device. But with that, you can only see their chats in real time, as whatever is deleted cannot be retrieved. It is different with a Parental Control app like Bark and mSpy. These apps have features to retrieve deleted messages, images, and videos. They also can track real-time location and set virtual boundaries for your kids. Hence, if you want more than just seeing messages, images, and videos and the ability to block WhatsApp, we recommend the Parental Control App.
May 17, 2024
How to enable Instagram parental control monitoring
Instagram having over 5B downloads tells how popular the social media app is. Your kids may be on this app, and you might want to monitor their activities. Fortunately, Instagram has a parental control feature that allows parents to supervise their kids on Instagram. In addition, parents can use the feature to give extra support to their teen on how to navigate the app.
The tool to monitor Instagram on your kid’s phone is called “Supervision on Instagram.” With the tool, you can set a limit on when and how long your kids can use Instagram. In addition, see all the people they are connected to and those they have blocked. Once the settings are activated, your teen will need your approval before making some adjustments to their Instagram account.
We recommend enabling the Supervision feature on Instagram to help ensure your kids are not being bullied online. Also, you will know all their activities, which is expected of a parent. However, if your child is 18 and above, you will not be able to use this feature, unless they update their age. However, you can use spy apps to continue monitoring them after turning 18, but that’s a different setting.
In this post, I will focus on how to monitor Instagram on your child’s phone using the Parental Control feature in the app. It’s free and does not require special knowledge to set it up. You should be able to set it up in a few minutes if you follow the instructions below.
Things you should know about Supervision on Instagram
If you activate the parental control feature in your teen Instagram account, you will be able to do;
- Set a daily limit on when and how long they can use Instagram.
- See everyone they are connected to and those they have blocked.
- They will need your approval to change some settings on the app.
- See their search history, messages, and posts on the app.
- Get notified when your teen gets a new follower.
- See when your teen reports a post/account, including who/what was reported and the type of report.
However, if your child’s account is set to private, it might limit your influence. According to Meta, you will not see your teen’s search history, messages, or posts unless their account is public. You might want to check that before activating parental control.
How to check if an Instagram account is set to Private
- To check if your teen is using a Private Instagram account, launch the app and tap on their profile pic on the bottom right side of the screen.
- Click on the three lines in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and tap Account privacy. You will see if the account is Private or Public. To switch the Account privacy, tap on it and then tap on the toggle. Tap on the switch to the public to confirm.
How to monitor Instagram on your child’s phone using the Supervision feature
- Launch the Instagram app and click on the profile picture at the bottom right corner.
- Tap on the three lines in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and tap on Supervisor under “For Families.”
- Tap on “Get Started” and select your teen from the list available.
- Once you have selected your child’s account, tap “Invite.”
- Meanwhile, you can share the link instead, just tap on the “share the link instead” above your screen.
- Copy the link generated and send it to your teen. They have 48 hours to accept the invitation, after which it expires, and you will have to generate another one.
- Once your Teen accepts your invitation, you can complete the setup. Follow the screen instructions via Settings>>Supervision when you want to make changes to your child’s Instagram account.
Unfortunately, monitoring Instagram using the Supervision function might not work for everyone. In some countries, you are not allowed to use social media until you are 18, which automatically makes it impossible to use Instagram. Interestingly, Instagram will block your account if you do not meet the age requirements of your country of residence. Nevertheless, you can still monitor your child’s Instagram account.
If this restriction is the reason, you cannot use the supervision feature to monitor your child on Instagram, we recommend using spy apps. They not only give you access to Instagram but also other social media platforms like iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat, and others.
However, you will pay a monthly or yearly subscription before downloading these apps, and some might not work on iPhones. We recommend mSpy, uMobix, and CocoSpy.
May 11, 2024
How to enable Snapchat Parental Control monitoring on Android and iPhone
There are many reasons to monitor Snapchat on your child’s phone. As a parent, it is natural to know who your kids are communicating with online and who they are friends with. In addition, you will know when your children are being bullied or harassed. With Snapchat Family Center, you can monitor Snapchat on Android and iPhone to see what your teens are up to.
What is the Snapchat Family Center?
Snapchat Family Center is a tool to help parents get insight into their kid’s lives on the Internet. It allows them to know who their “teens” are friends with and the people they have been communicating with. And like in real life, parents will respect their kid’s privacy and autonomy. Snapchat has designed this tool to create an online environment like in the real world, where parents usually know all their children’s activities.
Things you need to know about Snapchat Family Center
- To monitor Snapchat on your kid’s phone, you must be a parent above the age of 25.
- Your child must be between the ages of 13 – 17.
- You must be friends with your child on Snapchat.
What can you do with Snapchat Family Center?
- You will see your kid’s Snapchat friends and groups they have chatted with in the past seven days.
- See the complete list of group members in the group your child chats in
- See the complete list of your child’s friends, existing friends, and newly added friends.
- Limits your kid’s ability to view certain content in the Stories and Spotlight tabs.
- Report accounts you are concerned about to the Trust and Safety team.
How to Monitor Snapchat with Snapchat Family Center
- Before you can use Snapchat Family Center, you need to have an app installed and an account.
- Once you have created and signed in to your Snapchat, you need to add your kid or whoever you want to monitor their Snapchat as friends.
- To add a friend on Snapchat, type their username on the search bar and tap Add next to their name in the result list.
- Wait until they accept your request and then move to the next step.
- Head to Snapchat Family Center by tapping on your profile picture.
- Click the gear icon on the top right and select Family Center under Privacy Control.
- You will have to set up Family Center and follow the screen prompt until you get to the invitation screen.
- Select the person you want to monitor their Snapchat and send them an invite.
- The invitation will come as a chat message, and once accepted, you can easily monitor their activities on Snapchat.
- To monitor Snapchat activities using Family Center, return to settings, and you will see recent conversations, friends, groups, and snaps.
Meanwhile, using the Family Center to monitor Snapchat means you cannot do it without the target person not knowing. They will accept your invitation before you can monitor them on Snapchat. Hence, you need their consent before successfully using the Snapchat Family Center.
To monitor Snapchat without your child knowing, you need a spy app. Unfortunately, these apps do not work on the iPhone, as you need to jailbreak the phone before they can be installed. It is easier when installed on an Android phone, and you can check the ones we recommend below.
How to Monitor Snapchat without your child’s knowledge
mSpy
mSpy is a spy app and it can also track real-time location. You can set a virtual boundary to get a notification when your child enters or leaves that area. Of course, mSpy monitors Snapchat efficiently, ensuring you do not miss any details.
The app can view vanished images your child has received and the photos they have been sending to their friends. You can also use the app to monitor WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, iMessage, and other social media platforms.
uMobix
uMobix is another app that can monitor Snapchat messages. Aside from social media monitoring, the app can track real-time location. It has streaming features, meaning it can record phone call conversations. In addition, it can view deleted Snapchat messages, the same as other social media apps.
CocoSpy
Like mSpy and uMobix, you can use CocoSpy to monitor your child’s Snapchat activities. It supports iMessage monitoring and other messaging platforms. Interestingly, you can enable a keylogger to see what your child is typing. Aside from monitoring Snapchat, the app can track real-time location, set virtual boundaries, and track phone calls.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, you need to access the target device before you can install a Spy app to monitor Snapchat. Also, these apps are not free, as you will pay a subscription fee. Unlike Spy apps, Snapchat Family Center does not require subscriptions, and you do not need a third-party app.
May 6, 2024
How to know when someone is tracking your phone
With Spy apps now flooding the internet, it makes it easy for someone to track your phone. These apps are for parents to monitor their children and make sure they are safe, but it doesn’t stop someone from abusing them.
If you have a spy app installed on your device, I would like to tell you that someone using the app to track your phone knows everything about you. Some of these apps support keylogger, which captures your keyboard strokes. It will be easy to obtain your bank app password.
We recommend checking your phone often to ensure no one is tracking your phone with any spy apps. Luckily, there are ways you can detect these apps on your device, though some are smart and work entirely in stealth mode. Nevertheless, I will guide you through how you can check to ensure your phone is not being tracked. In addition, things that might mean someone is tracking your phone.
But why would someone track your phone?
People do things for different reasons, but a jealous girlfriend or boyfriend will want to know you are not talking to another person. Also, someone insecure in their relationship can install these apps on the partner’s phone to monitor their movements and text messages.
If you had a stalker before, you might understand the extent someone can keep tabs on your location. However, they do not need to install apps on your phone but can use Social Media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and others to monitor your activities.
Of course, your parents. They want to know you are safe. Also, to ensure you are not being bullied or harassed online. Some of these apps have GeoFencing, which helps parents create a virtual boundary for their kids.
A scammer can install these apps on your phone to get bank or credit card details. They get access by sending a malicious link, and once you click on this link, they can gain access to your device.
If you are an employee, your employer may track your location, Of course, with your consent. It is to monitor your internet activities and productivity during work hours. It does not extend beyond work hours, and your details cannot be accessed.
How can I know someone is tracking me?
Check Google Play Protect settings on Android: if someone is tracking your phone, they probably installed a spy app on your phone. These apps need Google Play Protect turned off before they can work in stealth mode.
- Open the Google Play store on your device.
- Tap on your profile picture and click Play Protect.
- Tap the gear icon at the top right to reveal “Scan app with Play Protect and Improve harmful app detection.”
- If they are disabled, then someone might be tracking your phone.
If you are using an iPhone, it is almost impossible to install apps from unknown sources unless someone jailbreaks your iPhone. You can search for Cydia or Sileo apps on your device, which could mean your device has been jailbroken if you can find either of those apps.
Signs that show someone is tracking your phone
The microphone and camera turn on automatically
In Android 14, Google introduced a permission tab. When your microphone or camera is in use, you can see a green icon on the top left of your screen. Because some spy apps have streaming features, they can activate your microphone or camera. Hence, if you notice the microphone or camera icon frequently appearing without being triggered, it could mean someone is monitoring your phone.
Overheating and battery drain
If your phone starts overheating, you will experience battery drain. There is a chance of your phone heating up when playing video games or charging it, which is normal. However, if your device heats up while idle, it could mean some apps are working in the background.
These spy apps work in stealth mode, even when your device is idle to record your activities in the background, and can lead to overheating and battery drain. It could be a sign of someone spying on your phone with your phone.
The surge in Data Usage
Are you noticing an unexplainable surge in your data usage? It could be that someone has installed spyware on your phone. They use your data to upload your activities to the cloud, which contributes to data usage.
- To check data usage on Android (Samsung), head to settings>>connections>>data usage.
- On your iPhone, head to Settings>>Cellular.
Laggy performance
Spy apps continue to work in the background while eating up a chunk of your RAM. It can cause your device to become slow. If your device becomes laggy and takes ages to open an app, it can be an indication that someone is stealing your information.
Noise during calls
If your phone is being tracked, there is a chance the person tracking you wants your calls recorded. You might hear occasional noise during calls and echo. However, it should happen constantly to indicate someone is tracking your phone, as a poor network can also result in that.
What you should when you notice someone is tracking your phone
- If you suspect someone is tracking your phone, they probably have some of your login details. You can start by resetting your passwords: lock screen and app passwords.
- Check for apps that you did not install and uninstall them.
- If you are sure there is spyware but cannot find or remove it, we recommend performing a factory reset. This action will wipe all data on your device, so ensure you have a backup.
- If your bank details have been compromised due to the bridge, we recommend you report to the appropriate authorities.
How to prevent someone from tracking your phone
- Android releases security patch updates every month to resolve security vulnerabilities. It is important to ensure your device gets these updates, which makes them secure from spyware and malware.
- Make sure your device runs the latest Operating system. Frequently check for updates and install them, if any.
- Download and install apps from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- If possible, change your lock screen password or pattern often and enable 2-FA authentication for your apps.
- Avoid clicking on links even if they look too real. These links, when you click on them, can reveal your location or install malware on your device.
- Avoid open Wi-Fi or public Wi-Fi.
- Before granting apps permission, we recommend reviewing the permission they are requesting.
- Often scan your phone for unknown apps and uninstall if you find any.
Conclusion
As technology advances to improve our lives, it makes it possible for people to invade our spaces without consent. You should make it impossible for someone to access your details without your permission. Ensure no spy app is on your device with all the information I have provided in this post.
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May 3, 2024
How to track and find a lost or stolen Android phone
There is this sinking feeling that comes when you cannot find your phone where you kept it. That’s one of the worst things that can happen to you, considering that our smartphones are literally part of our lives. And with smartphones getting expensive, losing your phone makes it even worse.
That moment when you start turning your house upside down, looking for your smartphone, or checking your pockets and purse, your phone probably needs to be found. Fortunately, we have passed that age when someone can steal our phone, and we can’t track it. With the in-built Find My Device on Android, you can track and find a lost or stolen Android phone in a few minutes.
However, it would help if you had Find My Device enabled before losing your phone, and then you can track and find it using this method. However, the feature is enabled once you sign in with your Google account on your Android phone. You should check the settings to ensure they are enabled, and we will show you how to do that below.
How to enable Find My Device on Android (Pixel)
- Head to your Android phone’s Settings.
- Please scroll down to reveal Security & privacy and then tap on it
- Click on Device Finders and Tap on Find My Device
- It should be on, but if it’s not enabled, you should allow it to
How to enable Find My Device on Android (Samsung)
- Go to your Galaxy phone settings app.
- Please scroll down to reveal Google and then tap on it.
- Click on Find My Device. It should be on, but if not, you should enable it.
Meanwhile, Samsung has its tool for locating a lost or stolen phone, SmartThings Find. To be able to track a lost or stolen Galaxy phone, you need to enable ‘Lost device protection.’
- Head to Settings>>Security and privacy>>Lost device protection.
- There are five options, including Offline Finding, and you should enable all of them.
With all these features enabled on your device, finding your lost or stolen Android phone would take little time. However, while you can track offline Galaxy phones, tracking your other Android phones is only possible if they are turned on and connected to a mobile network or Wi-Fi. However, Google is working on that feature and has enabled it on the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8, but limited to the US and Canada. We hope they will extend the ability to do so to other regions in the coming weeks.
How to track and find a lost or stolen Android phone
- On your phone or PC browser, go to google.com/Android/find.
- Once the page opens, you will see all your Android phones signed in with the same Google account.
- Tap on the one you lost or that has been stolen.
- You will know the location of the device on the Map.
- Play a sound to locate the device if you have misplaced it.
Meanwhile, there is an option to ‘Secure device‘. We recommend using the option when the device has been confirmed lost or stolen and you didn’t just misplace it.
Also read: How to track and find your lost Android phone using Google Maps
The Secure Device option lets you lock the device remotely with its PIN, pattern, or password. You will be signed out of your Google account on the device, but you can still locate the device.
Factory reset device. This option will erase all data from your device permanently, and you can’t track and locate the device’s location after the reset. Of course, the device needs to be connected to Wi-Fi, but if it is offline, erasing will begin once it’s online again. We recommend the option when there’s no way to recover the device.
How to track and locate a stolen or lost Samsung Galaxy phone
While Samsung phones support Google Find My Device, the company has SmartThings Find. It works similarly to the former but can track your device even when switched off. Below is how to track your phone using SmartThingFind.
- On your PC browser or your second phone, head to “https://smartthingsfind.samsung.com.
- Sign in with your Samsung Account to see all the devices signed in with your account.
- On the left side of your display, tap the Samsung phone you want to know its location.
Of course, you can only track and locate phones with your Samsung account signed in
On the SmartThings Find page, you will see where your Samsung phone is on the Map, its battery percentage, and when the location was last updated. You have the option to ring the device, lock it, track its location, erase data, and Extend battery life.
Ring: This option will ring your Galaxy phone for one minute at a maximum volume, even if the sound mode is set to Vibrate or Mute. We recommend using this option when you misplace or lose your device in a crowded place.
Lock: if your device is not locked, you can remotely lock it. You can lock the screen and display emergency contact information or a message on your Lock screen. You can lock the power off to prevent anyone from turning off the phone.
Track location: this will check where the missing phone is every 15 minutes and report to you.
Erase device: You can remotely wipe it, but you must sign into your Samsung account and bypass the two-factor authentication before wiping the device.
Extend battery life: When you extend the battery life, the device enters power-saving mode and disables background activities, meaning data won’t be backed up to Samsung Cloud.
If your Samsung device is switched off, you will be notified when it is turned back on with the email provided, though you can see the last location. Meanwhile, other Samsung phones around your lost or stolen phone can help find your device even if they are offline. These Samsung gadgets communicate with each other using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to help find a stolen or lost phone.
Unfortunately, you cannot track the phone when switched off, as power is needed to operate the Bluetooth Low Energy. Nevertheless, you will see the last updated location, and a notification will be sent to your email once the device comes back online.
Track my Samsung Galaxy phone not connected to the internet
If you have offline finding enabled, you can locate your Samsung phone while they are online with the help of other Samsung gadgets around. These devices communicate with your phone using Bluetooth Low Energy to ping its location. However, the problem is when no Samsung gadgets are within the BLE range of your lost or stolen device.
Conclusion
Finding a lost or stolen Android phone is only possible when all the right features are enabled. You can only use Samsung’s offline finding when you have turned it on before losing your phone. Hence, we recommend you enable Find My Device, as it does not only help locate a lost phone but misplaced phones, as well when you play sound.
April 29, 2024
How to use Google Maps for Geofencing for free
Google Maps is more than just a navigation tool. While you can use the app to track and find someone’s location for free, you can also monitor that person’s movement. Parents can leverage this feature to monitor their kids’ location, while employers can use it to monitor their employees. Of course, you can monitor your spouse’s movement, but they will know you are monitoring them.
Many GeoFencing apps on the Internet, each promising the best performance. However, to use these apps, you must purchase a monthly or yearly subscription, depending on the company’s billing cycle. However, with the built-in GeoFencing feature on Google Maps, you don’t have to pay a penny. You only need to have Google Maps installed on your device and that of the person you wish to monitor their movement.
Before we enable GeoFencing using Google Maps, it is necessary to understand what geofencing is. Geofencing means using GPS and RFID technology to create a virtual geographic boundary. Once that is made, Google Maps will alert you when the target device leaves or enters that particular location.
Meanwhile, using Google Maps for GeoFencing has some limitations, which other apps can give you access. Hence, we recommend using their feature to monitor your employees, partners, or kids. And yes, you will need permission from the target person before you can successfully set a virtual boundary.
How to enable GeoFencing on Google Maps
Google Maps does not have ‘GeoFencing‘ as an option, but it does have ‘Locations.’ You can use this feature to set a virtual boundary on someone, and Google will alert you when that person enters or leaves that area, depending on your settings.
However, before you can use Google Maps for GeoFencing, you need permission from the targeted device as they will share their location with you using Google Maps.
How to share location with Google Maps
- Open Google Maps on your phone.
- Tap on the profile picture and click on share location.
- Adjust the settings and select the person you wish to share the location with.
- You can learn how to share your location using Google Maps here.
- You will be notified that someone shares their location on Google Maps. Once you click the link, you will see their real-time location on the Map. If you want to enable GeoFencing, follow the steps below.
How to enable GeoFencing using Google Maps
- You can only enable it on someone sharing their location with you on Google Maps.
- Head to Maps and click on the profile picture.
- Tap on location sharing, and you will see everyone sharing their location.
- Click on anyone you wish to enable GeoFencing and tap ‘Add.’
- On the next window, click ‘Add location.’
- You can use the search bar to type in the location or click on Map and Drag to set the location.
- Once you have successfully entered the location, click on add at the top right side of the page.
- Now, there is an option, ‘Get Notified.’ You can enable both if you want to know when the person enters and leaves that particular place. However, if you’re only interested when someone leaves a location, you can turn it off ‘Every time they arrive.’ You should do the same if you only want to know when they arrive.
- Tap on save and confirm your option by clicking save again.
Of course, Google sends a notification to anyone who has GeoFencing enabled on them, with an option to turn it off. That’s why before you can successfully use the feature on someone, you need their permission, as they can turn it off anytime. Once they do, you cannot track their location again.
We recommend using Google Maps when setting virtual boundaries for your kids and loved ones. Schools can enable this on their gadgets to get alerts when someone tries to take them outside the school premises. You can also enable it on your phones and computers so you will get an alert when someone takes them outside of your house or office.
Does using Google Maps for GeoFencing drain my battery?
We have been using the feature on our gadgets, and we don’t think it drains your battery. When sharing your location with Google Maps, it works in the background and only occasionally updates your current location. That is the only time you see the Maps icon on your screen, which disappears after some seconds.
Conclusion
Google Maps is not just a navigation tool; it does much more than that. In our testing, Google Maps achieves the same results as GeoFencing apps. However, consider purchasing a GeoFencing app for more sophisticated features.
April 21, 2024
How to know if someone is monitoring your WhatsApp calls or reading your texts
Someone might be monitoring your WhatsApp calls and reading your texts without installing a spy app. Yes, that’s true. WhatsApp has introduced some new features, including companion mode, which makes it easy to monitor WhatsApp calls and read texts without installing a spy app.
Unfortunately, if someone monitors your WhatsApp calls or reads your texts using companion mode, you will only notice if you check for linked devices on WhatsApp. However, you can turn off companion mode on your WhatsApp if someone has activated it without your knowledge.
What’s Companion Mode on WhatsApp
Companion mode on WhatsApp allows you to use your account on multiple phones. It also means someone can link your WhatsApp to their phone without your knowledge. Interestingly, chat history is automatically synced between all the linked devices when connected to the Internet.
WhatsApp introduced Companion Mode to allow a seamless experience using the app. It’s now possible to have the same account on two phones without losing your data, unlike before when you had to log out of your account before you log it into another device.
How to check for linked devices on WhatsApp
- Launch the WhatsApp app to check if someone has linked your WhatsApp account to their phone.
- Click on the three dots at the top right and select Linked Devices.
- You will see all the devices with access to your WhatsApp, including when they were last active.
- To log out of the device, tap on it and log out if you have unauthorized access.
- Once you have successfully logged out of the device, they won’t be able to see your messages or your calls again.
Meanwhile, someone can monitor your WhatsApp calls and read your messages with a Spy app. Unfortunately, it won’t show on linked devices, and you might be unable to detect the app.
How to know if someone is monitoring your WhatsApp calls or reading your texts
Unusual Activity: When someone monitors your WhatsApp, you will see messages marked read when you haven’t opened them. Also, you might see “call answered on another device” or calls getting disconnected.
Unusual Noise: Some Spy apps have streaming features that remotely trigger your microphone or camera. If you experience any noise or notifications without any reason, someone may have installed a spy app on your phone.
Overheating and battery drain: Spy apps continuously run in the background, which causes your device to heat up and drain its battery.
Laggy performance: If you start experiencing lag when using WhatsApp on your device, we recommend updating the app. However, if the issue continues after that, you might have a spy app installed.
To enable these extra security features on your WhatsApp account, head to WhatsApp, click the three dots at the top right. Select account, and from the list of options, choose Passkey and Two-step verification. Then, follow the screen instructions to complete the process.
How to check for spy apps on your Android phone
- To check if someone has installed a spy app on your device, head to the Play Store on your Android phone. Tap on your profile picture and click Play Protect.
- Click on the gear icon at the top right to reveal the two options: Scan app with play protection and improve harmful app detection.
- If both are disabled, someone likely installed a spy app on your device. We recommend you enable it and scan for harmful apps.
How to scan for Harmful apps on Android phones
- Head to Play Store and tap on your profile picture.
- Click on Play Protect and Tap scan.
- It will take some seconds to scan your device, and if someone has installed a spy app on your phone, it will detect it and ask you to uninstall it.
Alternatively, you can go to Settings and click on apps. Tap on All Apps to see both system and third-party apps. Check for any strange app and uninstall it.
How to scan for Harmful apps on iPhone
It is always hard to differentiate between malicious and original apps, so you must be careful while following these steps.
- Check your screen for apps that you don’t remember installing.
- If you find an app that is familiar but cannot remember installing it, it is better to install the app as it could be a spy app.
- Head to the App Store and tap the App icon at the bottom of the Store. Tap your profile picture, then click Purchased to see the app you have installed from the App Store.
- If an app on your device is not on the list, it is likely a spy app; we recommend uninstalling it.
How to stop someone from monitoring or spying on your WhatsApp
WhatsApp has security features that make it nearly impossible for someone to spy on you when enabled.
- Enable Passkey: a simple way to sign into your account using your face, fingerprint, or screen look to verify it’s you with Passkey.
- Enable two-step verification: Create a 6-digit PIN that you must enter when registering your phone number on WhatsApp again.
Conclusion
It is possible for someone to spy on your WhatsApp, monitor your calls, and read your messages without your knowledge. This is possible with the new Companion Mode on WhatsApp. However, with extra security features enabled, it would be nearly impossible for someone to monitor your WhatsApp activities.
April 18, 2024
Apps to spy and monitor iMessage
It can be frustrating when your partner starts spending more time on their phone, smiling and giggling, and you don’t know what is happening. You might also wonder what your kids have been up to, who they talk to, and what type of messages they receive.
As a parent, it is your duty to protect your child while ensuring they are not bullied online. Hence, it’s not strange to spy on or monitor iMessage on their device to make sure everything is alright with them. You can also use the same method to monitor your partner when they start behaving strangely and will not say what is going on.
Luckily, spy apps monitor iMessage and other social media apps. With these apps, you can see what your child is up to and if your partner has started cheating on you. In this guide, we have listed five spy apps for monitoring iMessage on a target device.
Apps to spy and monitor iMessage
Before you can monitor iMessage, we recommend getting consent from the target device owner. After you guys have talked about it, it might be your kids or your partner, and see how it can improve the relationship.
mSpy
When you install mSpy on your kid’s phone, you will see all their text messages. You will see who they text, the pictures they share, and everything that goes on in their inbox. Aside from helping you monitor messages, mSpy can track social media activities call logs, and block websites.
Features of mSpy
iMessage monitoring: With mSpy, you can supervise conversations to learn what your kids discuss. The app lets you stay on top of your kid’s activities online, ensuring they are not bullied.
Social media tracking: mSpy can track activities across multiple social media apps. You can view saved pictures and read text sent using these apps, which include WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Snapchat, Tinder, Skype, TikTok, and others.
Call Monitoring: This is a feature on mSpy that helps you monitor who your child or partner usually talks to. You will get a detailed timestamp, including how long the call lasts when it was initiated, and by whom.
Geo-Fencing: You won’t have to worry about where your kids are. With Geo-Fencing enabled, you will get a notification when your kids or partner enters or leaves a particular location. These boundaries are set using the mSpy app, and you will get an alert when they are violated.
There are many other features; you can check them out when you visit the official website here.
uMobix
Another spy app that helps monitor iMessage and text messages. It can also help you monitor social media activities, view all incoming and outgoing calls, pull all media files, get accurate real-time location, and more.
Features of uMobix
Message tracking: one of the best features of uMobix is message tracking. You can monitor all sent, received, or deleted messages. Interestingly, you can have a timestamp and contact information for all the messages they receive.
Call log: you can view all incoming and outgoing calls. You also get a timestamp, duration, and caller information.
Streaming: With uMobix, you can access the target device’s camera and microphone. In real-time, you will see and hear what is being discussed in their surroundings. This is also important when tracking a cheating partner, as you can listen to what is being said.
View deleted information: It will be hard to miss out on any information with uMobix. You will be able to see all deleted calls, messages, renamed contacts, and images when you log into your dashboard.
CocoSpy
CocoSpy is your online surveillance to keep track of the things you love. It can monitor Android and iOS devices and doesn’t take time to set up. With the app, you can track location, messages, calls and set boundaries.
Features of CocoSpy
Text messages tracking: You can read incoming and outgoing text messages, including deleted ones. Also, the app checks all incoming and outgoing calls.
Call logging: If your kids or partner are talking to someone more than usual, CocoSpy will help you discover who that person is. You can view call durations, timestamps, and call frequency.
Monitor social media messages: You can read all social media messages and see group chats and timestamps.
Geo-fence alert: The app allows you to set up virtual zones and mark them as forbidden. You will receive an alert when the target device enters or leaves that zone.
Keylogger: works only on Android. The feature records every keystroke input on the target device. You will see what the target device type and their login credentials to apps, which you can track using the app.
Also read: How to share your location using Google Maps
Eyezy
Eyezy is another spy app that monitors iMessage and messages on the target device. Like other spy apps, you need to access the target device manually to install the app. Once installed, you can learn the truth about the people you care about most.
Features of Eyezy
Text message tracking: You don’t have to be part of the conversation to know what is being discussed. With Eyezy, you can see messages sent, received, and even deleted.
Email tracking: if you suspect the conversation is via email, you can read all emails using the eyeZy app.
Call logging: You can get information on who calls them and who they call. You can also get timestamps, and you can view their contacts to be sure they are not talking with strangers.
Social media monitoring: social media activities can be all you need to understand what’s going on. With Eyezy, you can see their texts on WhatsApp, Kik, Telegram, Viber, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, and others.
FlexiSpy
FlexiSpy is another app capable of spying and monitoring someone’s iMessage. While most spy apps work on select devices, FlexiSpy works on Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac. Aside from spying, the app works for location tracking and employee monitoring. Interestingly, you can purchase a new phone with FlexiSpy pre-installed, which makes it easy, as you will not have to do the installation.
Features of FlexiSpy
Message tracking: FlexiSpy is an excellent tool for spying and monitoring iMessage and every social media app. It gives you access to the target device’s SMS and MMS.
Remote Control: Only a few Spy apps offer remote control, but luckily, it’s one of FlexiSpy’s features. You can remotely restart, uninstall, and stop the software.
Call recording: Spying on someone will only be complete if you can track their phone calls. With FlexiSpy, you can intercept incoming and outgoing calls and access audio recordings of the phone conversation.
Location Tracking: Of course, you will be able to see the target device’s real-time location. If you enable Geo-fencing, you will get an alert when they enter or leave a set location.
Keylogger: A Keylogger allows you to see what the target device is typing. You can also easily access the target device’s app password and what the user says in their messages.
Conclusion
As a parent, you must monitor your kid’s Internet activities. The only way to do this is to monitor their social media presence, including iMessage, using some of the spy apps mentioned in this post.
Also, it’s a perfect way to clear the suspicion of a cheating partner. When you monitor their messages, you will find out what they have been up to, and perhaps you are overreacting.
While many tools can monitor iMessage, the five apps listed in this post will complete the job. However, when choosing a spy app, remember you must access the target device to install the app. As some companies advertise, we do not believe there is a way to install the app remotely.
April 14, 2024
How to find someone’s location using Google Maps
As a parent, you will always want to make sure that your child is safe, and being able to know their location is one way of making sure of that. While tracking and finding your kid’s location is easy since they’re likely to consent to that, it might be hard to track a cheating pattern with the same method.
With kid’s consent, you can track and find their location using Google Maps. You can also set a location on the Maps to let you know when they arrive or leave at a particular area. However, tracking your spouse might be a different situation, as most times, you would not get consent, and you might want to do it without them knowing.
Luckily, there are many ways to track and find someone’s location without them knowing. They are different from using Google Maps and require a subscription fee. In this guide, we will show you the tools you can use to track someone without them knowing.
Before we proceed, let’s look at the difference between using Google Maps and Spy apps to track someone:
- Tracking someone with Google Maps is free, but you pay to use Spy apps to track someone’s location.
- You can track multiple people at the same time using Google Maps. With Spy apps, you might track a few people simultaneously.
- There is no location history using Google Maps, but some Spy apps give you the target person’s location history.
- You will need an Active GPS to track someone’s location with Google Maps, while Spy apps don’t need location enabled.
- Google Maps sends notifications to the target device that they are being tracked, while Spy apps work in stealth mode.
- With Google Maps, you can only see the real-time location of your target device. However, with Spy apps, you can see social media activities and call history. Some of the app supports keyloggers, website bookmarks, and others.
Having discussed the difference between Google Maps tracking, if you are interested in tracking and finding someone’s location, we recommend Google Maps. However, if you want to track social media activities and know the person’s location history, we recommend a spy app.
What you can do with Spy apps
- Real-time location and location history
- Videos and photos on the target phone gallery
- Track social media activities
- Keylogger
- Browser history
- Call history
- SMS message
- Emails
- Newly added contacts
- Website bookmarks
Before you choose a Spy app, it’s necessary to know that you will have to pay for the tool. You will need access to the target phone to install the app, and some features like keylogger might require rooting or jailbreak.
However, with a Spy app, you can monitor someone’s location without their knowledge. To track location, you do not need to enable GPS, and you get real-time information and location history.
How to use Spy apps to track and find someone’s location without them knowing
If you want to use a Spy app, we recommend mSpy. The tool has all the features you need to get the job done, and it works in stealth mode, but you will need to manually install the app on the target device before you can start tracking.
- Step 1. Visit the official mSpy website and select ‘Try now’ in the top right corner.
- Step 2. Create a mSpy account, or you can continue with your Google account.
- Step 3. Select the device you will be monitoring, Android or iPhone. There’s an option to decide later.
- Step4. Select a subscription plan and tap on ‘Buy Now’ to be directed to the payment page.
- Step 3. Enter your card details and click on ‘submit order.’
- Step 4. You will get an email from mSpy if your order is successfully on how to install the app.
- Step 5. Follow the installation guide on the email and install the app on the target device.
How to start tracking someone after installing the mSpy app
- Log in to mSpy and go to your dashboard
- Tap on ‘GPS Location,’ and you will see all the person’s location entries under ‘List View.’
- Tap on ‘View on Google’ to view their location on Google Maps.
- If you want to know when the target device leaves a particular location, you can use the Geo-Fencing feature.
Other apps track someone’s location without them knowing
While mSpy gets the job done, it can be difficult to install it on a target device, especially when you don’t have access to the phone. However, there is an app that tracks someone’s location with just their mobile number.
Yes, you can track someone’s location using just their mobile number. However, you will need to send a message that will make them click on a particular link attached to the message you will send to them.
There’s an option to use a default message, and we recommend Localize. mobi. You don’t need an app, but you need to create an account using your email. After that, you will see where to input the mobile phone number you want to track the location. Send a location request to the target device, and you will receive their exact location in your email. You can view it on Google Maps through your dashboard.
Conclusion
Tracking someone without them knowing works when you use the Spy app since they work in stealth mode. We recommend mSpy and Localize. mobi. Google Maps is a decent alternative, but you need the target device to accept your request before you can track them.
April 10, 2024