What you can actually do to locate a phone
You can find a phone's location in three main ways: through the phone's built-in location services if you have the owner's permission and login credentials, through a carrier's location tools if you're the account holder, or through law enforcement if there's a crime involved. The method that works depends on whose phone it is, what access you have, and why you need the location.
If it's your own phone, you can use Find My iPhone (Apple) or Find My Mobile (Samsung) or Google's Find My Device. If it's someone else's phone, you need their permission and their account password. If it's a child's phone on a family plan, parental control apps can show location. If someone is missing and you suspect a crime, contact local police — they can request location data from carriers with a warrant.
Key Takeaways
- Apple's Find My iPhone, Google's Find My Device, and Samsung's Find My Mobile all require the phone owner's account login to work, even if you physically have the phone.
- Family Link (Google), Screen Time (Apple), and Samsung Kids let parents see a child's phone location, but only if the child's device is set up under the parent's account from the start.
- Carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have location tools in their apps, but they only work if you're the account holder or have written permission from the account holder.
- If someone is missing and you believe a crime occurred, police can request location history from carriers and Google with a warrant — this is faster than trying to access the phone itself.
- Trying to locate someone's phone without their knowledge or permission is illegal in most places, even if you're related to them.
Finding your own phone using built-in tools
Every modern smartphone has a built-in location service. On iPhones, it's called Find My iPhone and lives in Settings under your name, then iCloud. On Android phones made by Google, it's Find My Device and lives in Settings under Google. On Samsung phones, it's Find My Mobile and lives in Settings under Samsung Account. All three work the same way: they let you see your phone on a map, make it ring, lock it remotely, or erase it if it's stolen.
To use any of these, you need to have set them up before your phone goes missing. If you haven't, you can't turn them on remotely — the phone has to be on and connected to the internet for you to access it. Open the service's website on a computer (iCloud.com for Apple, google.com/android/find for Google, findmymobile.samsung.com for Samsung), log in with your account, and select your phone from the list. Within a few seconds, you'll see its location on a map.
These tools are accurate to within a few hundred feet in cities where GPS and cell tower data are strong, but less accurate in rural areas or inside buildings. If your phone is off or has no battery, the map will show its last known location before it died.
Locating a family member's phone with parental controls
If you're a parent and you set up your child's phone under your own account from the start, you can see their location through parental control features. Google Family Link (for Android), Apple Screen Time (for iPhone), and Samsung Kids all show a child's location on a map in real time. These are designed for parents of young children, not for monitoring teenagers or adults.
To set up Family Link on Android, go to families.google.com, create a family group, and add your child's device. Your child will see that Family Link is active on their phone. To set up Screen Time on iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, select Family Sharing, and add your child's account. They will also see that Screen Time is on. Samsung Kids works the same way through the Samsung account.
All three services require the child's device to be set up under the parent's account before use. You cannot add these features to a phone that's already been set up by someone else. If your child is old enough to have their own account, these tools won't work without their knowledge and cooperation.
Using your carrier's location tools
Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and other carriers offer location services through their apps and websites, but only to the account holder. Verizon's Family Locator, AT&T's FamilyMap, and T-Mobile's Family Mode all show the location of phones on the account. These are subscription services — they cost extra per month, usually $5 to $10 per line.
To use a carrier's location tool, log into your account on the carrier's website or app with the phone number and account PIN. You'll see a list of all phones on your account and their current locations. Like the phone's built-in tools, carrier location is accurate to within a few hundred feet in areas with good cell coverage, but less precise in rural areas.
Carrier location tools work even if the phone is off, because they use cell tower data rather than GPS. However, they only work if you're the account holder. If you're not the account holder but you have permission from the person who is, ask them to log in and show you the location themselves.
What to do if someone is missing
If someone is missing and you believe they're in danger or a crime has occurred, contact local police immediately. Do not spend time trying to access their phone or accounts. Police can request location history from carriers and from Google much faster than you can, and they have legal authority to do it.
When you call police, have ready: the person's full name, date of birth, phone number, and the last time you saw them or heard from them. Tell them if the person has medical conditions, takes medications, or has a history of going missing. Police will file a missing person report and can request location data from the carrier with a warrant. Google also responds to law enforcement requests for location history stored in Google accounts.
If the person is a child, police will treat it as a higher priority. If the person is an adult and has been missing less than 24 hours, police will still take a report, despite what you may have heard — the 24-hour rule is a myth.
Why you cannot locate someone without permission
Locating someone's phone without their knowledge or permission is illegal in most U.S. states and in many countries. It falls under wiretapping, stalking, or unauthorized computer access laws, depending on the state and the method used. Even if you're a parent, spouse, or family member, you cannot legally access someone else's phone location without their knowledge unless they're a minor on your family plan.
The penalties vary by state. Some states treat it as a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 and jail time up to one year. Other states treat it as a felony, especially if the person is being stalked or harassed. If you're concerned about someone's safety or behavior, talk to them directly or contact a counselor, social worker, or law enforcement — do not try to track them secretly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find someone's location if I know their phone number?
No. You need either their account login, access to their phone itself, or a warrant. Knowing the phone number alone tells you nothing about location. Apps that claim to locate someone by phone number are either scams or they require the target person to have installed the app and shared their location with you.
What if I lost my phone and don't remember my password?
Go to the website for your phone's location service (iCloud.com, google.com/android/find, or findmymobile.samsung.com) and use the "Forgot password" link. You'll need to verify your identity using a recovery email or phone number you set up when you created the account. This usually takes a few minutes.
Can police locate a phone if it's turned off?
Police can request the phone's last known location from the carrier, which uses cell tower data and works even when the phone is off. They cannot access GPS data if the phone is off. With a warrant, police can also request location history from Google if the person has a Google account, which shows where the phone has been over time.
Will Find My iPhone work if the person changed their password?
No. Find My iPhone requires the current account password to access. If someone changed the password and locked you out, you cannot use Find My iPhone to locate the phone. You would need the account holder to log in themselves, or you would need a warrant if it's a crime.
Can I track my ex-partner's phone?
No, and doing so is illegal. Even if you share a child or were recently in a relationship, accessing someone's phone location without their knowledge is stalking in most places. If you have safety concerns, contact a domestic violence hotline or law enforcement instead.