A Practical Guide on How to Track Someone’s Location Via Text Messages

Harsha Kiran

Updated: August 11, 2023

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Ensuring your child’s safety daily is important because the world is filled with nefarious characters and dubious places.  This is why some parents have tracked their children’s location through their phones. 

Aside from caring for parents, many people are also trying to find effective ways to monitor their friends’ or family members’ locations. 

But one may wonder: is it possible to track someone’s location through text messages?

In this article, learn how to track a loved one using text messages. 

Key Takeaways

• Tracking someone’s location via text messages requires specific tools or apps designed for that purpose, like mSpy or Scannero.io.
• mSpy offers geolocating and geofencing features to monitor a person’s real-time GPS location and device activity.
• Scannero.io is a reverse lookup tool that can locate a person through their phone number by sending a message with a tracking link.
• Localize.mobi is a geolocating service that tracks someone’s location through text messages without requiring installation.
• On iPhones, iMessage and the Find My app can be used with consent to share and track a person’s real-time location, while Android devices have limited built-in options like Google Maps Go and Google Messaging.

Tracking Someone’s Location via Text 

Finding a person’s exact address by sending an ordinary text can be very challenging. They’re simply not designed that way. 

Fortunately, spy apps, tracking services, and a phone’s built-in sharing features transform a text into a catalyst for pinpointing a location. 

What is a Spy App?  A spy app is a type of software or application that is designed to monitor and track the activities of a device, such as a smartphone or a computer, without the user’s knowledge or consent. Spy apps are often used for legitimate purposes, such as parental monitoring or employee tracking, but they can also be misused for invasive or malicious purposes.

The following methods are effective in trying to locate someone through text messages. 

Method 1: Using mSpy

MSpy is a spy app that secretly records someone’s location. It also intercepts data from a targeted device to monitor websites, social media, apps, messages, and call logs.

Two of mSpy’s most used features are geolocating and geofencing. It pins the target’s GPS location in real-time. mSpy also works incognito in the background of a phone, sending you private information discreetly. 

The app also lets you set ‘forbidden ’ and ‘safe’ zones and notifies you when the target enters and leaves them.

Here’s how to get started on mSpy: 

Step 1. Go to mSpy’s website and select a subscription plan.

Step 2. Get the target phone.

Step 3. Open Google Chrome to download the authentic mSpy app. For Android phones, disable Play Protect first.

Step 4. Enter b55y.net/a into the search bar.

Step 5. Verify the captcha and click Download.

Step 6. Install the app. mSpy is labeled as Update Service for discretion.

Step 7. Log in to mSpy on your device.

Step 8. Follow mSpy’s instructions to link the two devices. 

Step 9. Scroll down and find Locations in the dashboard’s left panel.

Step 10. Access the phone’s whereabouts by clicking GPS Locations.

Quick tip!  mSpy doesn’t offer a free trial promo, but it has a fourteen-day, risk-free trial period where you can get a refund within two weeks if you want to discontinue using the service.

Method 2: Using Scannero.io

Scannero.io is a reverse lookup tool that uncovers private information via a phone number search. But instead of compiling a report on a person’s history, its main feature is to locate a person through text.

Scannero.io isn’t an app, so you can use it on almost any device if you have a browser. You can even access it through a flip phone.

To track someone’s location via text, follow these steps:

Step 1. Sign up and buy a Scannero subscription plan.

Step 2. Simply enter the target’s phone number on the search bar.

Step 3. Select a pre-set message or write a specific one to send.

Step 4. Tap Send and wait. 

Step 5. If the target person taps on the link with the message, you’ll instantly know where they’re at.

Good to Know! Scannero.io has a 24-hour trial that costs $1.19. Its monthly subscription is $66.45. You can search and track unlimited phone numbers during any of those plans.

Method 3: Try Localize.mobi

Localize.mobi is another geolocating service that has a phone tracking feature that can help locate people using messages. It doesn’t need to be installed and can be accessed on multiple devices.

All you need for this service is a phone number and a custom message you want to send. The message is also pre-programmed with a link that pinpoints the person’s address. 

The service offers unlimited searches at a trial rate of $0.89 for two days. You can extend that with a daily subscription for $0.99 or a monthly plan worth $49.80. 

Important tip: Take caution when dealing with this services like this. Read the terms and conditions before using them to avoid different types of identity theft and other cybersecurity issues.

Method 4: Use Location Sharing on iMessage

If you are using an iPhone, it has a built-in, pre-installed app that can be used to locate someone’s location. 

iMessage shares a person’s whereabouts in real-time by sending an ever-changing GPS pin in the conversation. You can just ask the other person to send you their location.

Here’s how the other person can do it: 

Step 1. Go to the Messages app. Tap All Messages.

Step 2. Open or create an iMessage conversation with you.

Step 3. Tap on the receiver’s name and icon at the top. Hit Info.

Step 4. Select Send My Current Location to send a current GPS pin. 

Step 5. Tap Share My Location to continuously share your location in real time for a set amount of time.

You may also find someone using the Find My app:

Step 1. Open Find My. Then tap People.

Step 2. Under the People tab, select the target person sharing their location with you.

Step 3. Tap Directions to open Maps. And follow the given instructions.

Step 4. If you see No location found, the person can’t be located.

For Android devices, it’s impossible to share locations on its messaging app. But you can use pre-installed apps like Google Maps Go and Google Messaging.

Wrapping Up

In today’s digital world, sharing your location is a comforting reassurance. For some, it’s a way to protect spouses and family members, keeping themselves updated on their loved ones’ day-to-day whereabouts. For parents, it’s for monitoring their children and ensuring they don’t get into trouble. 

But for others, geolocating and geofencing can be a gross invasion of privacy. It can even lead to data breaches and, worse, stalking. 

So as with all things in technology, locating someone via text can be a force for good or abuse. Use what you gained from this guide responsibly.