Can You Track a Phone That Is Turned off?

Have you ever wondered: can you track a turned-off phone? Undeniably, modern-day life is packed full of technology. Everyone carries a mobile phone, laptop, or computer in some capacity. And, in our ever-more connected world, many people use phones for maps and GPS, texting, calling, social media, and taking photos.

However, when your child is hanging out, it's easy to find yourself worrying about their safety . And as such, it's easy to see why you might want to track their mobile activity and usage.

Part 1 : How to Track a Phone That's Turned on

Phones can easily be tracked when they're turned on. You can track your child's phone to ensure they're not wandering off course or lost.

Triangulation is one such method and works on the locations of cell towers or mobile network masts. This service works by monitoring which mast you are connected to. When that phone moves, it will ping from a different mast. Using multiple masts triangulates a position to narrow it down.

Another method for phone tracking is through GPS services. It is the most accurate monitoring form and can be shown in real-time. It uses satellite signals to ping the phone and provide a location. Phones also use A-GPS or assisted GPS when connected to Wi-Fi or data connections. It uses the cell site mast information to map the location more accurately when satellite coverage is poor.

When there is no connection, Bluetooth services help track a phone offline, as long as it is switched on. Find my iPhone, Find My Device, or similar services use the last known phone location to help you track it.

Finally, you can use IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers to trace a phone. It only works through GPS services or physically matches the IMEI reported stolen.

Part 2 : Standard Methods for Tracking Your Child's Phone

There is a range of online monitoring tools for tracking activity and GPS location services on your child's phone. These can run in the background of a phone to check actions and social media accounts. Some of the different options could include the following ideas.

Of course, whenever downloading any software onto your device from the internet, you should thoroughly do your research to ensure the app is safe, secure, and reliable. It's not uncommon for hackers to infect download links or apps with malware, so always check you're downloading reputable apps.

1Find My

If your child has an iPhone, you can enable Find My iPhone to help ensure that they (or their device) don't go wandering. The Share My Location function will always tell you where your kids are. You can also enable Find My network to find an offline device. If their battery runs low, you can get the last location by turning on Send Last Location.

2AirDroid Parental Control

AirDroid Parental Control is an app that aids in keeping kids safe, building healthy online habits, and providing parents with control over their child's phone usage. The app is easy to use and set up. You will have a full activity report breakdown usage to see what apps your child has been accessing and the screen time of specific apps.

Pros:

Keep your kids safe both online and in the physical world.

Have a live view of your kids' phone activity.

Check your child's messages and call logs, helping prevent fraudulent messages or bullying.

Get Alert if kid's phone has low battery or there has not been updating inactivity for a while.

3KidsGuard Pro

KidGuard Pro is a monitoring app that tracks active and deleted message threads, incoming or outgoing phone calls, browser history, and contacts list. It can scan messages from Kik and WhatsApp. It is one of the best teen and child phone tracking apps. The app also can enter incognito mode and hide itself, so your child doesn't know it's there.

It features real-time location tracking services, and you can look back at your child's location history to see where they have been. Other features include:

1. App activity times to see how much screen time they have spent on each app

View and monitor messages sent, call logs, contacts, and the gallery to see what photos they have taken.

2. Full browser history of what has been searched and viewed

3. Remotely control your child's phone and take screenshots of content

4. Records all keystrokes on your child's phone

4Bark

Bark is a monitoring app that monitors usage across social media, iMessage, and text messaging. It works by scanning content and incoming and outgoing messages across Android, IOS, Chromebooks, and Kindles.

One of the standout points of Bark is that it also monitors mental health through content viewed and the messages sent. It also can block inappropriate content through VPN filtering. Key features include:

1. App activity

2. Social media monitoring

3. Metal health awareness and monitoring

4. Filtering of online content

5. Great compatibility.

Part 3 : Can You Track a Phone That Is Turned Off?

We've mentioned numerous methods for tracking a switched-off internet-disabled phone thus far, but how about finding or monitoring a lost phone that is entirely switched off? Unfortunately, there is no simple method to track a phone that is turned off. But you may be able to see recent activities before the phone is switched off (such as the last known location with Find my iPhone). What's more, AirDroid Parental Control allows you to check whether your child's phone has a low-charge current. So you can remind them to charge their phone before it switches off due to low power.

Part 4 : Why Might You Need To Track Your Child's Phone

It's not uncommon for parents to question whether or not they should be tracking their child's phone usage. Ultimately, though, this comes down to a personal choice – and may also largely depend on how old your child is and whether or not they're responsible. However, if you decide to track your child's phone for their safety, you should naturally always let them know about this.

Keeping Your Child Safe

One of the key reasons a parent may wish to track their child's phone is to keep them safe online. It could be harassment or bullying online, and if you have a handle on who they are talking to or the content they are viewing, you can keep them safe.

Social media monitoring can help protect your child from online threats and bullying. It is vital in the modern-day digital world, where there is the risk of strangers they meet online. It could be in the form of predators who often target the most vulnerable. Ensuring that you know who they communicate with is essential to protect them from such threats.

Monitoring Screen Time

Another reason for tracking your child's phone is monitoring activities such as phone calls, screen time, and location. It allows you to virtually view your child's phone's location and the actions that the phone may be carrying out.

Of course, monitoring the content they view online such as video streaming services or online games, is often essential. Many children also spend money on online games, and watching how much time they spend and how much money they put into games can be helpful. It ensures that they do not become addicted to games or their phone and ensure that they are not wasting money online. In addition, there have been instances where parents have lost money when a child has bought online currency or items for games and has left them with a hefty bill.

Ensuring that parental controls are on helps reduce this risk. Moreover, it allows you to set screen time limits so that the phone is only active for day periods. Parental controls can also block inappropriate content for specific age groups and prevent unwanted content from reaching your child's phone.

Conclusion

When looking for ways to monitor and track your child's phone safety, there are many applications and tools out there. Do your research before downloading to ensure that you have the best one for your needs. There are countless options to choose from, and most are available across mobile devices, tablets computers.

Unfortunately, the question of “can you track a phone that is turned off” is still a firm no. However, with apps such as AirDroid Parental Control, you may be able to monitor your child's phone until it turns off. While they also allow you to set screen time locks so that your child's phone is turned off from being used if they've been on it for too long!

Setting up parental controls lets you have peace of mind over the content, interactions, and communication your child has online. It also helps build healthy online habits that will set them up with the online skills and mindfulness that they and you need.