iPhone Question - Probably Silly But I Don't Know

I was talking with a girl at work last night about our kids. She stated that she had installed a tracking app on her teens iPhone - a newer app that doesn't require that she have the phone in her possession to install said app. Her teen is quite tech savvy so I questioned whether this app would work if the GPS & phone were turned off. She claims that it will, I know that the phone can still be traced if the GPS is disabled via tower signals, etc. but if the phone is off there are no signals to be sent or received. Is there now such an app that can trace her childs phone if it's turned off?

reply to post by claireaudient


The iPhone does have a built in tracking software, but it needs a data connection. Whether its cellular or wifi it connects using the Internet and finds the approximate phone location through geolocation.

If it's all off then tracking doesn't work, at least with my experience.

The only way it could be tracked if the phone was off is if she had a hardware tracker installed.

reply to post by xvagrantx

The only way it could be tracked if the phone was off is if she had a hardware tracker installed.

Still requires a power system, you aren't going to be installing a self powered tracking system inside an iphone. Besides, they are designed to break if you try to open them now anyways.

I have an ipod touch, not an iphone, so I really have no clue about the process of removing the battery. That's the only "safe" method of ensuring your smartphone isn't being tracked.

Anyways, I do not believe it is possible for the mother to have installed tracking software without physical access to the phone, at least once. In fact, any of the apps I just googled require you to enable icloud and tracking within that on the phone you wish to track.

Once you do that, you can monitor it from any internet connected pc, but there is simply no way there is a security hole big enough to allow someone to randomly install software on someoneelses phone, without physical access to it.

Now, maybe the mother bought the phone, maybe the icloud / itunes account belongs to her, if that is the case, then yes, as long as she enabled tracking on the phone (PHYSICALLY) she can track without installing anything, but again, she had to enable tracking on the kids phone.

Thank you everyone. I was just curious because I wasn't aware of any program that could be installed without her having physical access to the phone. I also did a google search & found that as long as the phone is on her account, which it is, there are applications she could install without having the device in her possession or the kid knowing about it HOWEVER, from what I gather, the phone has to be on for the programs to be effective, even with the GPS turned off.

a newer app that doesn't require that she have the phone in her possession to install said app.

I don't think this is possible, at least not without some other sort of "helper" app already installed on the iPhone to receive other apps (?)

In any case, best way to protect your iPhone from unwanted tracking apps is with this tool...

Installing the app without actually having the phone is completely possible these days. I don't even have to plug mine into the computer to install apps anymore, I just hit download on the App store and it syncs to my phone automatically. I think ask long as you have access to the account the phone is registered to it works like that.

As for being able to track the phone while it is off, your friend is full of it there. Like was stated earlier up in the thread, the only way to do that would be with a hardware tracker, and I'm pretty sure the teen would notice that device...

Some of the other phones can have apps pushed to them discreetly, the iphone is not one of them.

Motorola and Samsung come to mind.

I am sure she can install the app without the kid knowing or having it in her possession....have done this numerous times on iphones and blackberry's....simple "push" application process. As far as it having to be on to track them, I wouldn't worry about it much..if the kid wants to use the phone he/she has to turn it on and voila...tracking signal picked up. So unless they are going days without using the phone, which is highly unlikely, then she shouldn't have an issue with it.

Y'all are a wealth of information! That's why I came here with my question. Thanks again!!

Originally posted by phishyblankwaters
reply to post by xvagrantx

 

The only way it could be tracked if the phone was off is if she had a hardware tracker installed.

Still requires a power system, you aren't going to be installing a self powered tracking system inside an iphone. Besides, they are designed to break if you try to open them now anyways.

I have an ipod touch, not an iphone, so I really have no clue about the process of removing the battery. That's the only "safe" method of ensuring your smartphone isn't being tracked.

Anyways, I do not believe it is possible for the mother to have installed tracking software without physical access to the phone, at least once. In fact, any of the apps I just googled require you to enable icloud and tracking within that on the phone you wish to track.

Once you do that, you can monitor it from any internet connected pc, but there is simply no way there is a security hole big enough to allow someone to randomly install software on someoneelses phone, without physical access to it.

Now, maybe the mother bought the phone, maybe the icloud / itunes account belongs to her, if that is the case, then yes, as long as she enabled tracking on the phone (PHYSICALLY) she can track without installing anything, but again, she had to enable tracking on the kids phone.

edit on 13-4-2012 by phishyblankwaters because: (no reason given)

I'm not quite sure what you mean by designed to break if you open them. I've did front and rear glass replacements without breaking anything. Also you do know that when they install some tracking devices, they run off from the internal battery. Not saying there's much room to be installing an external gps tracker in one of these devices but it's completely plausible.

iPhones need "Location Services" on to be tracked with the default app (iCloud or "find my iPhone). Having said that the macs are tracked from connecting to WiFi, so with 3rd party apps the phone could be also.

Installing an app without the owner of the phones knowledge is not possible, unless the software has been hacked.
Installing remotely is.