Reefgazer Posted May 18, 2020 Posted May 18, 2020 Question for you tech-savvy people: Does powering off your phone completely prevent the phone from being tracked? 1 Quote
Arcadia Posted May 18, 2020 Posted May 18, 2020 By something like find my iPhone app and the Android equivalent, then yes. Is there hidden code in the firmware to send info to whoever/whatever using the onboard battery, I don’t know (it can be done for electronics goods but I don’t think any manufacturer is interested in draining onboard battery for that). 2 Quote
klmama Posted May 18, 2020 Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) Google is unable to find my phone when I turn it off. I have no idea if there are ways for anyone else to track it when off. Edited May 18, 2020 by klmama 2 Quote
katilac Posted May 18, 2020 Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) What are you up to, Reefgazer? 🤔 Turning the phone off prevents it from being tracked in the standard ways. If the FBI or well-funded criminals are after you, or someone who has ready access to your phone, you will need to remove the battery in case there's hidden malware. This is not possible with many phones. Anyone who requires being untrackable at certain times needs to choose their phone with care. Edited May 18, 2020 by katilac 2 3 Quote
klmama Posted May 18, 2020 Posted May 18, 2020 1 hour ago, katilac said: Anyone who requires being untrackable at certain times needs to choose their phone with care. Or they could leave it at home. 1 Quote
Arcadia Posted May 18, 2020 Posted May 18, 2020 15 minutes ago, Dreamergal said: Even if your phone cannot be tracked, what about your car ? What about traffic cams, neighbor CCTVs Domestic violence or stalker. People have passed their phones to others for decoy when they have violent stalkers and not enough evidence for restraining order. Even with restraining orders, some still get killed. 1 1 Quote
Reefgazer Posted May 19, 2020 Author Posted May 19, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, klmama said: Or they could leave it at home. Yes, I am wondering if this is the only foolproof method of not being phone-tracked. Edited May 19, 2020 by Reefgazer Quote
Reefgazer Posted May 19, 2020 Author Posted May 19, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, Dreamergal said: To answer your question, probably. But I am not sure what is embedded in hardware. Even if your phone cannot be tracked, what about your car ? What about traffic cams, neighbor CCTVs....You see where I am going with this. If someone wants you tracked, they will be able to find you be it hackers or the government with all the technology available now. So best is acknowledge that and live in the matrix world where privacy laws allegedly shield you. I'm wondering about phone-tracking at the moment; I am aware of the other methods of tracking. CCTV and traffic cams can verify a person at those points only, but phones can trace your close-to-exact route and determine how long you were in any one place. I walk almost everywhere in my neighborhood and surrounding area (unless I am travelling directly to work), so my car isn't much of a concern. And I pay cash when I shop. 😉 Edited May 19, 2020 by Reefgazer Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 I’d leave it home and either go without or take a separate phone if it was super critical. 1 Quote
RootAnn Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 I've been leaving mine at home when possible. I have location services off & disabled, keep the phone off, but still think it is better to leave it home. If I go somewhere & need to be able to call someone at some point, I bring our ancient flip phone which our provider keeps telling me will stop being useable soon. 1 Quote
katilac Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, RootAnn said: I've been leaving mine at home when possible. I have location services off & disabled, keep the phone off, but still think it is better to leave it home. Why? Are you worried about someone in particular tracking you, or just in general? I try to be diligent about privacy and location settings, but I mostly don't care if the world knows I went to the craft store and then my mom's house. Plenty of people are seeing where I am in person, so it's not like leaving my phone at home will help me falsify an alibi 😼 And why have a cell phone if you want to leave it at home as much as possible? So many questions! 22 hours ago, klmama said: Or they could leave it at home. They may already be out with their phone when they suddenly realize they are being tracked and followed, because they were an accidental witness to a crime. If you watched more unrealistic action movies, you would know this 😁 Edited May 19, 2020 by katilac 4 Quote
Valley Girl Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 I hope you're OK, Reefgazer, and that whatever has you concerned is more just wanting privacy (which I totally get) rather than a safety issue. 2 Quote
Spryte Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 Is this a Covid-19 contact tracing worry? I don’t know how to address that, I think it’s dependent on apps that aren’t developed yet anyway. But I do think that a simple solution to the worry that a particular phone is being tracked might be just to get another phone? Like a pre-paid phone or something similar, to take with you when out and about, in case you need to make a call. Power off the phone in question and leave it at home. I hope you are ok. Just considering someone being stalked gives me the shivers, so I’m hoping this is more of a rhetorical question than anything else. 1 Quote
RootAnn Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 I'm annoyed at all the "anonymous" data tracking that is done & then posted. It has always happened and I figured it wasn't including my data but now I don't know. So I leave my Android phone home. I used to take my phone for internet access at the library or to listen to an audiobook on the road. I'd rather the radio or a book than to have my data involuntarily included in the data being tracked. It is the principle of the thing. 1 1 Quote
Reefgazer Posted May 19, 2020 Author Posted May 19, 2020 3 hours ago, Valley Girl said: I hope you're OK, Reefgazer, and that whatever has you concerned is more just wanting privacy (which I totally get) rather than a safety issue. Oh, perfectly ok. Just considering ditching the phone entirely for more privacy. Not foolproof privacy, just more. Thanks, though. 1 Quote
Reefgazer Posted May 19, 2020 Author Posted May 19, 2020 2 hours ago, Spryte said: Is this a Covid-19 contact tracing worry? I don’t know how to address that, I think it’s dependent on apps that aren’t developed yet anyway. But I do think that a simple solution to the worry that a particular phone is being tracked might be just to get another phone? Like a pre-paid phone or something similar, to take with you when out and about, in case you need to make a call. Power off the phone in question and leave it at home. I hope you are ok. Just considering someone being stalked gives me the shivers, so I’m hoping this is more of a rhetorical question than anything else. All ok, just generally privacy concerns. 1 Quote
Spryte Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 19 minutes ago, Reefgazer said: All ok, just generally privacy concerns. Oh good. I get it. I’ve never had a Facebook account for that reason. Or any social media, other than here. I’m a weirdo. 🤣 3 Quote
RootAnn Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 18 minutes ago, WendyAndMilo said: You are still trackable with your flip phone, just FYI. Yep, but I feel a lot more comfy that there is less trackability with it off than an Android off. [I have read enough lost-person articles that they need it on to triangulate.] I don't take any phone with me anymore unless I need to call someone at the other end of the drive. Quote
Arcadia Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 1 hour ago, WendyAndMilo said: You are still trackable with your flip phone, just FYI. I like flip phones. At least Facebook, Google and what have you won’t know where I went to buy groceries for example. My kids and my husband use my iPhone sometimes because they forgot to charge theirs. So Facebook got pretty confused and I get “weird” adverts. Google and Facebook can’t decide which political party I dislike more. 1 1 Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 3 hours ago, RootAnn said: I'm annoyed at all the "anonymous" data tracking that is done & then posted. It has always happened and I figured it wasn't including my data but now I don't know. So I leave my Android phone home. I used to take my phone for internet access at the library or to listen to an audiobook on the road. I'd rather the radio or a book than to have my data involuntarily included in the data being tracked. It is the principle of the thing. There was one just recently done with covid stuff and they used data from apps where users had allowed location tracking. So if that’s the main worry (official science studies etc) turning off location services on all the apps should be sufficient. 1 Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted May 19, 2020 Posted May 19, 2020 Also I found out if you go into advanced your iphone stores data about your frequently visited locations and how long you were there. It was kind of helpful to me because ds needed to created a backlog of time spent on a specific activity but if i was serious about privacy concerns I’d be pretty uncomfortable about it. 1 Quote
katilac Posted May 20, 2020 Posted May 20, 2020 5 hours ago, RootAnn said: [I have read enough lost-person articles that they need it on to triangulate.] I don't take any phone with me anymore unless I need to call someone at the other end of the drive. See, my mind immediately goes to but then they can't triangulate your location when your car veers off of the road and into a ravine! In all seriousness, being able to call for help while on the road was the biggest reason I got a cell phone in the first place (long ago). 3 Quote
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