Is someone tracking my phone?

Your partner mentions a place you never told them about. An ex shows up where you are. Or a sound comes from your bag that you cannot place. You want to know whether your phone, or something near it, tells someone where you are. This page lists the checks that find most tracking, and the one step to take before you change anything. We checked each step against Apple’s, Google’s and the Coalition Against Stalkerware’s own pages on 2026-10-08.

Before you change anything

If you think a partner or ex tracks you, the safest first step is a plan, not a setting. The Coalition Against Stalkerware warns that removing monitoring software or making big changes “may be detected by the abuser and could increase the abuse and harassment.” Apple says the same about location: people “may notice that you’ve stopped” sharing.

So, if you can, read this page and call a support line from a device the other person has never held. A friend’s phone or a library computer works. The help lines at the top of this page take calls about phones and tracking. You can also look first, write down what you find, and decide later.

Who sees your location

Location sharing is the most common way people track each other, because the phone offers it.

On iPhone:

1. Open Find My and tap People.
2. Review each name. These people see where your phone is.
3. To stop one person, tap the name, tap Stop Sharing My Location, then tap Stop Sharing Location.
4. To stop everyone, tap Me and turn off location sharing.

On Android, Google lists the people in your phone’s settings:

1. Open Settings and tap Location, Location services, Google Location Sharing.
2. Tap the list of people you share with.
3. Tap Stop next to anyone you want to remove.

Shared albums, notes and calendars can also tell someone where you were. Our page on an ex who still sees a shared album covers those.

Is a tracker travelling with you?

An AirTag or another tracker can sit in a bag, a coat or a car. Phones now look for them.

• iPhone. With iOS 17.5 or later, the iPhone alerts you with AirTag Found Moving With You or [Product Name] Found Moving With You. Tap the alert, tap Continue, then Play Sound. Apple says turning off Bluetooth or Location Services “doesn’t stop the owner from seeing the location.” Tap Instructions to Disable to turn the tracker off.
• Android. Google says Android 6 and later alerts you when someone else’s tracker that is away from its owner seems to move with you. To scan by hand, open Settings, tap Safety & emergency, Unknown tracker alerts, then Scan now. On Android 11 and lower, the menu is Google, Personal & device safety, Unknown tracker alerts.

If you find a tracker, Google suggests you save screenshots, the serial number and any owner details first. Both Apple and Google say to go to a public place and contact the police if you feel unsafe. Once you turn a tracker off, its owner stops getting updates and may notice, so plan that step too.

Is something installed on your phone?

On iPhone, the first place to look is device management. Apple says these tools “may allow access to data or location information on the device.”

1. Open Settings, tap General, then VPN & Device Management.
2. If no profiles show, none are installed. If one shows that you did not add, and the phone is not from work or school, write down its name.
3. To remove it, select the profile and tap Delete Profile. Then restart the phone.

Monitoring apps on Android can be harder to spot. The Coalition Against Stalkerware lists signs such as fast battery drain, data spikes and strange notifications. It adds that the software can run without any of them. Its strongest sign is simple: the other person knows too much about what you do on the phone.

Also check your app list. Our guides on hidden apps on iPhone and hidden apps on Android show where apps can sit out of sight.

Is someone signed in to your account?

Someone with your Apple Account or Google account password does not need your phone at all.

• iPhone. Go to Settings, Privacy & Security, Safety Check, and tap Manage Sharing & Access. It reviews people, apps and the devices signed in to your Apple Account, and it has a Quick Exit button.
• Google. Open your Google Account, tap Security & sign-in, then Manage all devices. Tap a device you do not know, then Sign out.

If someone also knows your phone passcode, read what to do when a partner knows your passcode next. A passcode lets a person add their face to Face ID.

Where York Vault fits, and where it does not

York Vault is a photo vault, not a tracker finder. It does not scan for monitoring apps or trackers. It can help with what you keep on the phone while you work things out:

• Its own code. Photos, screenshots and notes in York Vault open only with a York Vault code, never the phone passcode. See lock options.
• A record of wrong codes. York Vault keeps a log of wrong codes, with a photo from the front camera if you turn that on. See wrong-code photos.
• A cover code. If someone makes you open York Vault, a cover code opens a second, ordinary library.
• A fast exit. Turn the phone face down and York Vault locks and opens another app. See quick exit.
• Quiet on the screen. On iPhone the home screen name is “YV”, with neutral icons. On Android, York Vault sends no notifications while a neutral icon is on, unless you turn them on.

Do you want proof of what is happening? Our page on keeping a record of domestic abuse covers how to store it out of the other person’s reach.