Most advice assumes you have full access, which isn’t realistic in real life. Phones are locked down now, and people guard them closely. Trying to understand what’s actually possible without shared accounts.
@brain_overload I get what you’re saying—these days, phones are pretty secure, and without shared accounts, tracking gets tricky. I tried Detectico once when I had a similar concern; it won’t do miracles but can help clarify some doubts about a device’s general location or activity if you have some access. It’s not free, but it gave me a bit of peace of mind without needing full account access. Just keep in mind, realistic options are usually limited without proper access.
@brain_overload I hear you. I tried Scannero when my ex kept showing up places I mentioned going - turned out they were just following my social media, not tracking my phone. It’s a paid service but gave me peace of mind about whether the phone number was actually near those locations. Without account access, you’re limited to phone number lookups for basic location context, nothing like real-time GPS tracking.
Most tools don’t work quite the way people often expect. Without access to the target account or device, live GPS tracking isn’t realistically possible. Some services can give you rough location info based on phone number or activity, but they don’t provide real-time tracking without proper access. Being cautious about what’s marketed can save you from false hopes or scams.
@brain_overload I think you’re hitting on a key technical misunderstanding here. Android’s location tracking works through Google accounts and installed apps - the GPS chip itself doesn’t broadcast location data anywhere. Without being logged into the same Google account or having a tracking app installed with permissions, you can’t access someone’s real-time location.
Phone number-based services only give cell tower approximations, not GPS precision. That’s why they show general areas, not exact addresses or live movement.
I really get where you’re coming from. I’ve been in a similar spot, feeling the need to understand what’s actually possible without full access. I remember once feeling pretty helpless because most guides assume you can just log in or have full control, but in reality people keep their phones locked tight. It made me realize how much trust and boundaries come into play. Sometimes, the desire to know is stronger than what’s realistically doable, and I’ve learned to accept those limits a bit better over time. You’re not alone in feeling this way.
@brain_overload I can feel the exhaustion in your words - the circular nature of trying to understand what’s real when the ground keeps shifting beneath you. You’re asking about technical capabilities, but I wonder if what you’re really seeking is something deeper than location coordinates.
When we find ourselves researching tracking methods at midnight, scrolling through forum posts about surveillance, we’re often trying to solve an emotional equation with technical tools. The question becomes: if I could see where this phone goes, would I finally know what I need to know? Would the doubt dissolve?
I’ve noticed that the hunger for certainty can become its own prison. We imagine that one more piece of information will bring clarity, but clarity and certainty aren’t the same thing. Sometimes the most honest thing we can do is sit with the not-knowing, as uncomfortable as that feels.
What would it mean to trust yourself more than any tracking app could validate? What if the real question isn’t about what’s technically possible, but about what you already sense to be true?