Track iPhone by Number: 5 Foolproof Ways

Need to track an iPhone with nothing but the target’s phone number? Want to do that without them finding out?

Whether it’s to keep tabs on your kids, hunt down a thief, or recover a missing phone, this is for you. Read on to discover three ways to track a person’s iPhone location using a phone number plus two alternatives if you don’t have access to that number.

How Do You Track Another Person’s iPhone Location

Here are the best ways to track an iPhone by number, depending on what kind of tracking you want to do.

Send a Tracker Via Text Message

With this method, you track iPhones by sending a text message to find the location of the iPhone device. It’s useful when someone sends you a message and you don’t know who the caller is or if you want to know someone’s current location using their iPhone number alone. This is not the solution to finding a missing phone or tracking a person’s phone activity.

To track someone’s iPhone, the target device needs to be connected to the internet, and the SIM card must be intact.

• Step 1: Open your browser and search for Localize.mobi, an iPhone locator that lets you send a tracker to the target iPhone via SMS. Subscribe to the app when prompted.
• Step 2: Enter the phone number of the iPhone you want to track. A text containing the tracking link will be sent to the owner of that iPhone number. Customize the text so your unsuspecting recipient won’t realize what it is.
• Step 3: Once the recipient taps on the link, the tracker automatically pinpoints their iPhone location by phone number, sends you their IP address, and displays their location on the map. Depending on which app you subscribe to, you can also access their call log, read deleted text messages, and spy on their iPhone.

What’s great about this iPhone tracker is that you don’t need to physically access the iPhone you wish to track. The message is also completely anonymous, so no one can trace it back to you.

Use Reverse Phone Number Lookup to Track iPhone Location

With this method, you simply type in a person’s iPhone number to look them up. You can track the person’s country and city by phone number free of charge, but for more specific information, you’ll want the paid option.

One of the best services for this is Intelius. With 20 billion public records to sift through and two decades of experience in the industry, they have one of the most comprehensive databases online.

Here’s how you track an iPhone by phone number via Intelius.

• Step 1: Open intelius.com
• Step 2: Choose whether you’ll look them up by name, address, or phone number.
• Step 3: Type in the phone number and wait for the results. Intelius will conduct a thorough scan of social media, messaging apps, dating sites, addresses, criminal records, mortgage and vehicle ownership, property and assets, and other public records. It even searches for the person’s extended family, neighbors, and online relationships.
• Step 4: Sign up to receive a detailed report in your inbox.

Employers use Intelius to conduct background checks of potential hires. Property owners use it to look up real estate brokers and property records. You can use it to identify an anonymous phone number, confirm your suspicions about a stranger, look up private details, or get in touch with an old friend you haven’t seen in years. Intelius keeps your search information confidential and allows unlimited searches, so you can conveniently look up hundreds of people armed with only their iPhone numbers.

Can You Track a Phone with Just Its Phone Number

Yes, you can track someone’s iPhone with just the number using a third-party app. Simply choose between reverse phone lookup, sending a tracker via text, or using spy apps. There are also two simple ways to track iPhone location that do not require a phone number.

Use Your Apple ID

If you ever lose your iPhone, the first option is to use Apple’s own cloud-based app, FindMy.

Unlike the other phone number-based options in this article, FindMy iPhone is an iPhone locator that relies on your Apple ID. It works for all Apple devices from Airpods to iPads, as well as any gadget with an AirTag attached to it.

If you misplace your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Log in to iCloud through another device using your Apple ID. You can open icloud.com on a mobile or desktop browser.
2. Select the device and the geolocation feature will show your missing iPhone on the map. If the device is far from your current location, tap the car icon to request directions.
3. If the iPhone is nearby, select Play a Sound to find its location. However, if the battery is dead, or the phone is in an area with no signal, this option won’t work.
4. If you don’t want someone else to access your phone, you may lock the device by putting your iPhone on Lost Mode. The screen will display a message with the alternate phone number and email so anyone who finds the device may contact and notify the owners immediately.
5. If you think the phone has been stolen, and you have sensitive information you want to keep private, you can opt to erase all the data in the phone. If you ever recover the iPhone, you can restore data via iCloud backup.

If the target phone doesn’t have a signal in the area, the changes go into effect the next time it connects to Wi-Fi. You can also set up your iPhone to automatically send its location history to the iCloud when the battery runs low. Even if the iPhone is dead, this information will be available on iCloud.

Another feature of the FindMy app is location tracking by sharing a phone’s location history to members of a shared group. Enabling location sharing lets you track your child’s Apple ID remotely, letting you know where your kids actually are, when they leave an event, or when they return home. All you need are your child’s Apple ID credentials, and you’re all set to go.

Use an IMEI Tracker

If you want to track an iPhone without knowing its Apple ID, you can use the phone number to track it. But with an iPhone stolen or pickpocketed, if the thief changes the SIM number, you can use the phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number instead.

The IMEI is a 15-digit number that you can find on the box of your iPhone. If you’ve already thrown the box away, you can still find your IMEI number for future reference by opening Settings, clicking About Phone, and checking your IMEI. You can use a USSD code. Dial *#06# and list the numbers you see on your screen.

Once you know the IMEI of the lost iPhone, you can download an IMEI tracker app and use it as an iPhone locator.

Can I Track an iPhone Without the Owner Knowing?

There are many apps that let you track iPhone location in incognito, but the level of monitoring and information you get depends on the software you use. Reverse phone lookup is brilliant if you want to uncover a person’s background. Sending a tracker via text is a great way to locate the target iPhone if you can get the recipient to click on it. But if you want to track what they’re doing on their phones 24/7, the best option is to use a spy app.

If you want to track someone’s iPhone, either because you suspect your spouse is cheating, or you want to know what your kid’s friends are up to, a premium spy app is the best iPhone tracker for you.

If you take this route, you have two options. The first is to download a hidden spy app on the target iPhone and set it up to send you phone activity records in secret. If you can’t physically access the phone, you can download an app to remotely track the phone.

Track an iPhone by Phone Number

Our top pick is mSpy, the number one phone tracking app for concerned parents. Through this parental control app, you can track your child’s iPhone remotely via mobile number and protect them from online predators. Its powerful features let you do the following:

• Record screen use and keystrokes
• Monitor calls
• View phone numbers in their list of contacts and dates on their calendar
• Access texts, emails, social media chats, and social media posts, including messages deleted
• See pictures and videos sent and received
• Track iPhone location via GPS
• Set up geofencing to alert you when the target user enters a certain location that’s off limits
• Block apps and websites
• Monitor browser history and bookmarked websites

All you need to do is create an account, pick a plan that suits your needs, and track iPhone activity through the app. It takes only five minutes to set up and constantly sends you updates. mSpy works worldwide, and with its arsenal of features, including real-time location tracking, you can track kids’ iPhones even when they’re an ocean away. The only caveat is if 2-Factor Authentication has been enabled on the iPhone, you will need to physically access your child’s iPhone to download the tracking app.

One of the best iPhone tracking solutions in the market, mSpy has also been used by employers to keep track of their employees’ exact location during work hours and spouses suspecting their better half of cheating. It works in the background, and the app icon does not appear on the home screen, so the iPhone user won’t know they’re being tracked by you.

For all of its features, it’s quite affordable compared to other spy apps. And in case you want to track a phone number free of danger of getting caught, or accidentally leaking information, mSpy uses top-tier encryption to keep the data from the target device secure. It is also compatible with Android phones.

Our more comprehensive review of mSpy can be found here.