Tracking someone’s location can be a sensitive subject, depending on why you want to obtain this information. However, there are plenty of valid reasons to want to know someone’s location, including keeping an eye on the safety of children and loved ones.
If you need to track someone’s location, you may be wondering if this is possible via nothing but a text message. This article gives you more information about this process and if text message location tracking is viable.
Why Track Someone’s Location?
As we mentioned above, there are many reasons that you might want to figure out someone’s location. Below, we list some of the most common reasons for trying to find out this important information.
- You want to keep an eye on your children as they go to school alone or become more independent
- You want to make sure your friends and family are safe when they are out and about
- You are concerned that your partner is lying to you and want to verify their location
- You need an address of a previous partner so that you can send legal documents or report their address to law enforcement
Remember that attempting to find someone’s location information so you can stalk, harass, or otherwise commit a crime is illegal. You should only search for someone’s location to satisfy your own curiosity or as a way to keep tabs on your loved ones with their consent; otherwise, you can end up in serious legal trouble.
Is It Possible to Track a Location Through Text Alone?
In most cases, it’s impossible to track the location of something through text alone. This is because sending and receiving text messages doesn’t provide you with the important location information that you would need to figure out where someone is.
That being said, phone companies and cell towers that an individual’s phone pings off of when sending or receiving messages can tell you where someone’s location is. However, this information is not publicly accessible. It is typically only released to individuals in the case of a formal legal request or as part of an investigation into a crime.
You should also be cautious when researching how to figure out location through text messages alone. There are plenty of apps and websites out there that will claim to help you figure out this information, but once you install them or create accounts, they turn out to be scams. It’s very easy to lose important personal information to scammers like this, so keep in mind that a single text message is unlikely to show you someone’s exact location.
Below, we discuss alternative location-sharing methods that you can use to find out where someone is or locate their address.
Possible Ways to Figure Out Someone’s Location
If you need to figure out someone’s location, you can use any search methods below. But, again, make sure you perform these searches responsibly as you attempt to track down someone’s location data.
Address Searches
When trying to track down an individual because you need information about their address, you can use an online address search tool instead of manually tracking locations. A reverse address lookup will provide you with the address information you need, plus a history of previous addresses, that might give you an idea of where the individual you are searching for primarily resides.
Once you have the address information, you can perform further research or, if you’re trying to send legal documents to someone, give the address to a legal professional.
Google Maps Links
Google Maps links are an easy way to request someone’s location data via text message. For this method to work, head to the main menu of your account in the Google Maps app. From there, scroll down to the option that says ‘location sharing.’ Tap on this option, and then select ‘messages’ from the list of options. You can then send a text message to someone that shares your location, or they can complete this process to send a text message with their location information.
Alternatively, you or the individual whose location information you are looking for can send a message with their location info. Simply press the plus sign or the item that says ‘share location’ when composing a text message. This method utilizes the installed Google Maps apps and works most effectively on Android phones, as iPhones have their own brand of location-sharing abilities. On iPhones, you can select a ‘share my location’ option in a similar fashion and receive or send the location pin via text.
Shared Location Services
Shared location services that are always on are an effective way to keep track of a friend, your children, or other loved ones for safety purposes. iPhones have a built-in method for sharing locations at all times, while Android phones might need to install third-party apps such as the popular Life360.
Make sure when selecting a location tracking app that you check reviews, the legitimacy of the app, and if the app has all of the features you need to ensure you end up with the best option and protect your personal data.
Figuring Out the Location Data You Need
Finding someone’s location can be difficult, and it is often impossible to figure out this information from a text message alone. However, you can utilize any of the search methods listed in our guide to help you share your location or monitor the location of your loved ones safely and respectfully.
Just remember to treat any location information you find with care and don’t fall for scams that offer to help you track location via sketchy apps or websites, and you can safely figure out the location data you need.
