Keeping track of someone’s movements is becoming easier and easier. Apps, social media sites like Facebook, and other digital tools make it simple to see where someone has been and where they are going. That’s why we live in a world where the phrase “you can’t hide from Google” is something people actually understand and use on a semi-regular basis. If you want to remain untraceable or just keep personal information private, there are several ways you can do that without going all Ted Kaczynski on the world. Here’s how to make your phone impossible to track and some tips on staying safe in a world obsessed with digital surveillance.
How To Make Your Phone Impossible To Track
Get a new phone
This is the easiest and most obvious way to make your phone untraceable. If you’re worried about someone tracking you, it doesn’t matter if they have to run a mile in order to find out where you are. The best thing you can do is get a new phone. That way, when they want to find out where you are, they just won’t be able to.
Get a new SIM card
While some people may not know this, it’s possible for someone to track your location even when you change phones or SIM cards. It’s because the process of tracking is based on the network towers that connect your device and cell tower. If your carrier isn’t able to send signals from one tower to another, then your location will not be tracked by anyone who wants it tracked. This is an easy fix and one that anyone can do without having any technical skills at all.
Use a burner phone
If you don’t want anyone to be able to track your location, you should use a burner phone. The term “burner” refers to an older model phone that has no connection to a particular carrier. This means that your carrier can’t tell where you are or who you are communicating with at any given point in time. A burner phone is an easy way to keep your location and identity private, but it does require the purchase of a new device. If that’s not in the cards at the moment, then this option is still worth considering.
Use Signal
The signal is one of the most popular options for people who want to stay private on their phones without having any technical knowledge or tools at all. This app allows users to create their own encrypted messaging system that doesn’t have any connection whatsoever with any cell towers or GPS location data. It’s only accessible through the app and, although it’s not perfect, it’s a great way to stay safe from anyone who wants to track you.
Use a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is essentially a private network that allows you to securely connect to the internet without having your location or identity exposed. This is a great way of making sure that no one can figure out where you are or what you’re doing by using your phone. There are many different VPN services available and they all have their pros and cons, but the one that everyone seems to agree on is TunnelBear. It has been around for quite some time now and it has proven itself over time as being one of the best VPN services available on the market.
Don’t use your location at all
While having an untraceable phone may be helpful in some cases, there are other ways of staying safe from those who want to track you down. The first of these is to simply not use your phone at all. If you’re not using it, then there’s no way for anyone to figure out where you are, or who you’re communicating with. Of course, this isn’t always practical and you may actually want to use the phone at some point in time. If that’s the case, then make sure that the person with whom you’re communicating is using a burner phone as well so that they can be tracked as well.
Change Your Passwords Regularly
- Change your passwords on multiple sites.
- Password protects your phone and/or computer if you have a smartphone or laptop.
- Don’t use the same password for multiple sites.
- Don’t use the same password for multiple people.
- Don’t use passwords that can be found on the Internet.
- Don’t use the same password for multiple devices.
- Don’t use your names or birthdays as passwords.
Use Encryption When Possible
Encrypt Your Apps
Most phones have an option to encrypt apps. This is the option that will prevent anyone from seeing what you are doing on your phone. It’s not the most convenient method, but it is a good way to keep your information safe.
Encrypt Your Phone’s Data Storage
This is a more advanced method of keeping your information safe while still allowing you to use your device normally. This method will allow you access to certain apps and functions on your phone, but it will prevent data from being sent to or retrieved from other devices and it will block access to certain websites and apps that may contain sensitive information that shouldn’t be sent across networks or stored on other devices.
Use a Third-Party App That Encrypts Your Data
There are plenty of third-party applications available for Android and iOS that will encrypt the data on your device. Just make sure you know what you are signing up for before turning off your device’s ability to encrypt data.
Use a Tamper-Proof Device
Your phone is an open book when it comes to your personal information, but there are devices like the Blackphone that can keep your information from being tracked. This is a very secure way to protect certain information from being accessed by others, but it will also make it impossible to use your phone normally.
Use a Firewall on Your Device
A firewall will block all of the data on your device from being transferred to other devices unless you allow it. This will prevent anyone from accessing apps and files that may contain sensitive information, but you won’t be able to use apps or access the internet without allowing them through the firewall first.
Don’t Use GPS For Everything
- If you want to remain untrackable, don’t use your phone’s GPS when it is not absolutely necessary. If you know someone is following you, they probably have your phone’s location history. Unless you are driving or walking, there’s no reason to be using the GPS feature.
- Instead, try using a different app called “No GPS.” It allows you to toggle the GPS off and on without having to restart anything on your phone. You can also prevent apps from accessing the GPS by going into settings and turning it off within the app itself.
- If all of this fails, there are other ways to keep track of where you are without using any kind of tracking software on your phone or computer. The most basic solution is just carrying a physical map with you at all times so that if anyone tries to follow you, there will be no way for them to know where exactly they need to go in order to find you.
- Other options include: buying a cheap phone or computer to use as a burner phone or laptop, getting a burner number through Craigslist, and using an encrypted messaging app like iMessage, Signal, or WhatsApp. These apps can be set up on your phone so that even if someone does have access to your device’s data, they won’t be able to read the messages you are sending.
Don’t Sync Everything To One Place
- If you’re going to store all of your data on a single device, make sure that it’s not something like an iPhone or Android. These devices are designed around being easily accessible by numerous third-party apps, which means they will be constantly syncing data with the cloud.
- If you really want to keep some information off the grid and away from Google, use a Linux-based operating system on a laptop or desktop computer. Macs and Windows machines are designed around Apple and Microsoft’s software, which makes them easy to track.
- If you already have an Android phone or tablet, consider getting an extra phone number for work or personal use that does not match your primary number. This is especially useful if you have a family member who will be using your device regularly. You can simply give them your secondary number and tell them to call it when they need help tracking you down.
- Don’t store passwords, credit card information, or other sensitive data on your phone. If you do need to store passwords or other sensitive information, store it in a password-protected app on your computer.
- If you have an iPhone, consider getting a case that covers the front and back of the device with a screen protector. This will make it impossible for anyone to steal the data from the screen.
Conclusion
Keeping track of someone’s movements is becoming easier and easier. Apps, social media sites like Facebook, and other digital tools make it simple to see where someone has been and where they are going. That’s why we live in a world where the phrase “you can’t hide from Google” is something people actually understand and use on a semi-regular basis. If you want to remain untraceable or just keep personal information private, there are several ways you can do that without going all Ted Kaczynski on the world.
