Locating an electronic device such as a PC or a smartphone is relatively simple, especially if the device in question is our property and we want to know its position in real time wherever it is. If, on the other hand, we want to locate another device or monitor a loved one (with their consent), we can do it with some heavy programs and apps for parental control.
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In this guide we will show you in detail all the methods that you can use to locate and find the geographical position of a mobile phone or a PC , both in case we are the owners (in case of theft or loss) and in case we want to monitor a security device. a minor or a person in our home (always with his consent).
How to locate a smartphone, tablet or PC
To find the location of a person, simply configure one of the surveillance systems below in advance or obtain their public IP address, more than enough to obtain an approximate location of the device used. Obviously, chat localization systems such as WhatsApp and Telegram are also fine, for those who decide to be followed in every move made.
Integrated geolocation
Google provides a location service on Android , to track the position and movement of smartphones or tablets registered with our Google account .
Basically, it is enough to add our account to the device to be monitored , thus providing consent to report its position on the Google Maps map; this system does not violate privacy in any way because it is a service that we choose to voluntarily enter every time we add a Google account to a device with Android as an operating system.
Even on iPhones, iPads and Macs there is a page to track down the lost Apple device, the important thing is that it is associated with an Apple account which we can access at any time.
If we have enabled localization on Windows 10 and entered our Microsoft account, we can use it to track down a lost laptop. First we enable the localization by taking us to the path Start> Settings> Update and security> Find my device ; once localization is enabled, go to the Microsoft personal page , go to Devices , then the Find my device tabto start searching for the lost handset. Obviously the laptop will have to be turned on to be able to track it, although we can still go back to the last known position while it was on.
Parental Control
Another effective way to locate a smartphone, tablet or computer involves using parental control services and apps, so that devices with different Google or Apple accounts can also be “monitored”.
One of the best parental control services is Google Family Link , which provides a separate app for parents and an app for kids and teens .
In addition to the forms of filtering and restriction typical of this type of service, it allows you to constantly monitor the location of the device in use by the “child” account, so as to obtain a complete report on the places frequented and on the activity carried out in real time ( without the possibility of deactivating it).
If we are looking for other apps or services for parental control, we invite you to read our guides on How to limit the use of smartphones and tablets to minors .
Localization via messaging and social apps
If we have the user’s consent to locate it, we recommend that you use the location monitoring services provided by modern messaging apps such as WhatsApp, the famous app available for Android and iPhone.
To activate this localization, simply get the smartphone of the person to be monitored, open the chat towards us, press on the paper clip symbol then on Position -> Position in real time . In this way we will provide the location of the device in real time, monitoring all movements until the permissions are removed.
Similar functionality is also available on the Telegram app (also available for Android and iOS ): just access our chat from the phone to be monitored, press on the symbol with the paper clip, press on Position and activate the Share current position for … function , indicating how long we want to provide the position in real time.
On Facebook you can choose to be located and you can find all your friends on the Bing map , with the new Facebook Places feature , of which I wrote a guide.
Anti-theft app for PC, smartphone and tablet
In addition to the localization systems integrated in Android and iOS, we can also use third-party apps as anti-theft for the device, such as Prey Anti Theft , available for Windows and Mac , Android and iOS / iPadOS devices .
By installing the service program or app, we will always be able to monitor the location of our devices and retrieve valuable information to attempt to recover stolen or lost devices; with the owner’s consent we can also monitor another device, so as to always be informed about the movements made.
If we are interested in installing an anti-theft app on our smartphone, tablet or PC, we invite you to read our guides on the Best apps for all phones to find your stolen or lost mobile phone and anti-
theft for laptops and USB sticks .
Localization via IP address
If we have the IP address of the device connected directly to the Internet or the public IP provided to the modem, we can obtain the approximate location using one of the many IP location services such as the IP Location Tool like Lanc remastered.
By entering the IP address in the Remote Address field we will be able to obtain the approximate location of the IP, based on the information provided by the telephony operator. The accuracy is not high but it will allow you to obtain at least the city from which the public IP comes out, so as to know where it is or to which radio tower it is connected (in the case of IPs assigned to smartphones or tablets).
Conclusions
Locating a device or a person connected to the Internet is much simpler than it seems: as long as the person decides to be followed voluntarily or provides his IP or access to an app for parental controls to activate H24 surveillance worthy of a detective!
If we want to protect ourselves from this type of spying or to protect our privacy wherever we go, we recommend that you read our guide on how to surf anonymously and use fake IPs .
If, on the other hand, we wanted to obtain the IP from an email received, we can do so by reading the suggestions seen in the guide locate the sender of an Email and trace who sent it .