Here is How To Use an Old Android Phone as A Tracking Device. Knowing the where about of our loved ones is far more reassuring than knowing the whereabouts of our loved ones at any point in time.
Unfortunately, dedicated GPS trackers can turn out to be quite expensive. Luckily, you are not expected to purchase one if you happen to own an old Android Phone. Surprisingly it is easy to do, and all you really need is the right app and configuration.
You would not just get yourself a tracking device that is not expensive, but it would also help you reduce the world’s electronic waste by making use of your old mobile device that is probably on your shelf gathering dust.
How To Use an Old Android Phone as A Tracking Device
In this article, I would be giving you details on how to use your old Android phone as an effective tracking tool. Once it has been set up and ready, you should be able to monitor your friends and your family in real-time, make sure to check their location histories, and even receive alerts whenever they leave or arrive at a particular area.
Selecting Your Phone’s Tracking App
In other, for you to transform your Android device into a Tracking device, you would be required to install a phone tracking app. One of your major options is via Google’s very own Find my Device. This app has already been pre-installed on a lot of Android devices but you can also find it on the Play Store. Alternatively, you might be required to try some of the third-party apps on the Google Play Store.
If you decide to make use of Find My Device, here is everything you need to do it other to get the app properly set up.
- First, make sure to sign in to your Google Account on your Phone if you are yet to get it done.
- Then turn on Location and Wi-Fi or your Mobile data
- Enable Find my Device from “Settings > Security.”
- Then enable the “Store recent Location” straight from “settings > Security > Find my Device”.
- Head over to “Google Play Library” and then verify that your device has a checkmark right on the “Show in Menus” column.
- After that, sign in to your find my Device app
Also, you can try making use of other third-party apps if you are looking for more functionality than what “Find my Device” offers.
Place the Phone in Whatever You Want to Track
Seeing as your device has been configured, the next thing to do is to secure whatever or whoever it is you are required to keep tabs on. For instance, if you choose to track your family members, you can choose to the phone right inside the bags or tell them to keep the phone in their pockets.
No special material is needed for this, but it is recommended that you have it connected to your “power bank” so that it would not be completely drained.
If you want to place the phone on your car or a kid’s bicycle, you would need to have it mounted. You can get an amazing phone holder online that is great and fits bulky devices.
Track The Phone
Right after attaching your Android device to what you would like to track, you can start checking location in real-time. If you use the find my device app, here is how you can find your Phone on Google Maps:
- First, open your browser on your phone or computer
- Then head to com/android/find
- Then sign in to your Google Account if you are yet to sign in.
- Right on the left-side panel, select the phone that you would like to track. If your phone is turned on and is connected to the internet, then a green location icon should pop up immediately on your map.
If you have used third-party apps before, all that you need to do is launch the app and you would instantly see that your members’ profile photos are on the map. Most of the apps saved the last location, so even if the phone is no longer on or the app is no longer active, you should be able to see where the device was located last.
