Learn how to track your cell phone using Google Maps. It's very simple and quick!
Did you know that it is possible to track a cell phone in real time or check where a person has been, through Google Maps, using the tool's location history? It can be useful for parents who want to keep track of where their children are, for safety, or for people who want to remember places they have visited. It can also be ideal for keeping your cell phone safe. However, it is important to remember that the tool should not be used to keep track of where your partner goes, since stalking is a crime.
Find out now how to track a cell phone using Google Maps.
How to track a cell phone by timeline
The timeline of the Google Maps shows the history of places visited by the user, to access it, simply:
- Go to Google Maps, click on the profile photo icon and select the “Your timeline” option;
- If you want to see where you were on a specific day, click on “Today” and choose a date from the calendar. This way, you can check the summary of the activities carried out;
- The tool's information includes kilometers driven, number of visits, and a summary of the cities that were visited.
How to enable the feature
- If the timeline is disabled, go to the home page, tap on the profile photo and select the “Timeline” option;
- Click on “Location history is disabled”, click on the “Enable” button;
- Finish by confirming “Activate” and “I understand”. This will successfully activate the timeline.
How to track in real time
- For real-time tracking, click on the profile picture icon and select “Share Location”, then click on the option again;
- Set the sharing time and the contacts you want to send the location to. You can also share the link through other means;
- Finally, click “Share”.
You can't track a phone on Google Maps if it's turned off or has a dead battery. When you click on the sharing link, the message “This person is no longer sharing their location” will appear and location sharing will stop.
Loss or theft
If you have lost your cell phone or was stolen, you can track the location of the device through the website android.com/find. Then, log in using your Google account of the cell phone you want to track. When logging in, select the cell phone you want to track. After that, a message will be sent to the device and the map will show the information about where the cell phone is at the moment.
If the system is unable to locate the cell phone in real time, it will be possible to view its most recent location. Through the website, it is also possible to erase the cell phone's data, even if you are not carrying it, using the “Erase device” option. After cleaning, the Google account data will be deleted and it will no longer be possible to track the device.
If you have lost your cell phone inside the house, for example, you can use the “play sound” feature, which will make the cell phone emit a sound for about 5 minutes, even if it is in silent mode.
Stalking
As mentioned above, stalking is a crime and is defined as persecution by any means, such as the internet, that threatens someone's psychological and physical integrity, interfering with their freedom and privacy. This crime carries a prison sentence of six months to two years, in addition to a fine. According to the law, the crime has a penalty increased by 50% when committed against a child, adolescent, elderly person or woman, for reasons of gender.
