How to spy on a cellphone for free using predefined tools
The first solution I want to talk to you about spy on a cellphone for free relates to the use of tools that, available by default on Android and iOS mobile devices, allow you to keep track of the position of a mobile phone.
These are features designed to allow, for example, to trace a device in case of theft, as location tracking requires the preliminary activation of some settings. Furthermore, to use these tools, it is necessary to know the login data of the account associated with the device you want to track (the Google account for Android devices or the iCloud account for iOS devices).
The following lines therefore refer to the procedure for Android or iOS, relating to the use of these specific monitoring tools.
Find my device (Android)
To track the location of a device Android, you can use the default tool Find my device. As anticipated, to use this tool, you must first activate some settings and then perform the configuration of this native feature of Google mobile devices.
The first thing you need to do is activate the localization: then tap on the app Settings and then on the wording Geolocation; then move from OFF a ON the lever at the wording Not active, so that the wording appears Active.
Then go back to the screen Settings and presses on the wording Google> Security> Find my device. At this point, move the lever from OFF a ON, to activate the remote location functionality and perform the device location procedures remotely by visiting the site www.google.com/android/find via any browser for browsing the Internet.
Now, log in to the Google account linked to the mobile device you want to track by typing theemail address and Password e premendo sul pulsating NEXT.
Once logged in, you can see the device tracked and depicted with an icon on a geographical map; in the left sidebar you can find some fundamental information regarding the tracked device, such as information on the Wi-Fi network to which it is possibly connected and also the battery percentage.
You can also click on the buttons Play audio, Block e Reset, which, respectively, give you the possibility to make the device ring, to block it or to reset it, deleting all the data contained within it. Warning: the latter option formats the device and prevents you from tracking it later.
To use this monitoring tool, you can also download the Find My Device app on another Android device: its features are the same, so follow the instructions I just provided. If you want to know more about how Find my device, I suggest you read my guide dedicated to the topic.
Find My iPhone (iOS)
To spy on the location of an iOS device for free, you can use the default tool Find my iPhone, whose operation is similar to the tool for Android that I told you about in the previous lines.
To use it, you need to perform some preliminary operations: first tap on the app Settings (the gear icon located on the home screen), then presses on the items Privacy> Location and move the lever from OFF a ON to activate it.
Now press on the wording Share my location and also in this case move the lever from OFF a ON. Then scroll through the section menu Locationuntil you find the item Find iPhone and finally, tap on it. Now make sure to put the check mark next to the wording While using the app for option Find iPhone and go to the next step.
Finally, go to the section Settings> Your Name> iCloud> Find My iPhone of iOS and make sure voices are active Find my iPhone e Send last position: by activating this option, you will ensure that the location of the device is automatically sent to Apple, in case the battery level is extremely low.
If you have performed these operations correctly, following my instructions, you can now access the tool Find my iPhone via web browser; However, I remind you that, to use it, you must have the login data of the iCloud account, connected to the device you want to track.
Start the browser you use to surf the Internet and go to the official iCloud website, logging in with the data relating to the Apple account of the device you intend to track. From the iCloud application screen, click on the entry Find iPhone and wait for the start screen to load.
Once the location is complete, you can see the position of the device traced on a geographical map; then click on cue ball and on symbol (s), to see the buttons on the screen Make it ring, Lost mode e Initialize the iPhone.
These you will see on the screen are in fact the tools that allow, respectively, to sound an alert on the monitored mobile phone, activate the lost mode (which will facilitate the return of the device in case it is lost) and format the device. Warning: if you click on the latter option, the factory reset will be activated and you will no longer be able to monitor the device.
On iOS devices, you can download the Find My iPhone application, so you can spy on another iOS device even without having to access the iCloud website. If you want to know more about how Find my iPhone, read my guide dedicated to the topic.
Applications to spy on a cellphone for free
In some specific cases, the native tools of Android and iOS mobile devices, which allow you to track the location of a mobile phone, may not be enough.
For example, in case you need a more advanced tool to spy on a mobile phone for free, I suggest you read the following paragraphs, in which I will tell you about some useful applications for this purpose. I recommend: always use these monitoring tools for legitimate purposes; otherwise, I do not take any responsibility.
Cerberus (Android)
The first application I recommend you to use is Cerberus, an anti-theft app that allows you to locate your phone remotely and control it remotely, even via SMS, in a much more advanced way than Google's Find My Device. It gives its best on terminals with active root permissions (which, however, are not a fundamental requirement).
For Cerberus to work, the geolocation active. If you don't know how to activate the GPS on Android mobile devices, read the instructions I gave you in the previous paragraphs, or read my guide specifically dedicated to the topic.
Cerberus is an application that can be used for free only for a limited period of time; at the end of the trial version, to continue using it, you will need to purchase a license, the cost of which depends on the number of devices you want to monitor. To proceed, download the Cerberus app from the Play Store by pressing the button Install and then on the button Accept and, at the end of the operation, press the button apri to start it.
If this is your first time using Cerberus, click on the button Grant permissions and then you agree by pressing the button Allow, to all the warnings you see on the screen: they refer to the permissions necessary for the correct functioning of this application. Then optionally run the other options that are asked of you, such as battery optimization and changing system settings.
At the end of these operations, configure Cerberus by creating an account: first tap on Create a Cerberus account, fill out the registration form you see on the screen, press the button Create account, check the items relating to the acceptance of the terms and the sending of promotional emails (optional) and finally press the button Create account.
At the end of these operations, click on the wording Amministratore device e fai tap sul pulsating activate, so you can use all the advanced features of this application.
Cerberus also has some additional features that can be activated manually: among these there are the words Protect Device Administrator, Lock Power menu e Lock status bar. These entries refer to advanced protection systems, such as the inability to uninstall Cerberus (Protect Device Administrator), which can be activated to adjust the monitoring remotely.
If you want to see all the monitoring configuration options that can be activated, tap the button with the menu symbol and explore the application through the voices Main configuration, Automatic photo capture, SIM Checker e Auto task configuration.
The monitoring of the device on which Cerberus has been installed and configured can be performed through a special panel, to which you can connect from the official Cerberus website. Then click on the link indicated and then click on the wording Login and enter the login data of the Cerberus account you created earlier, then clicking on the item Login.
From the Cerberus main screen, click on the drop-down menu, which you can see next to the entry Command, to expand the menu with all available options. Then choose the one you prefer and then press on the item Send commandto perform it. In case some options don't work, reload the webpage or root the device you want to track and monitor.
Prey (Android / iOS)
As for the ability to spy on an iOS mobile device, the choices are more limited, since the Apple operating system is a "closed" system (unless you jailbreak and install apps like iKeyMonitor). However, this does not mean that you cannot succeed in your intent.
Therefore, if you want to spy on an iOS mobile phone, I recommend that you download the free application from the App Store Prey (you can do it in a simple way, by pressing the button Get and then on the button Install, and then start it by pressing the button apri). The application in question is also available for free download from the Android PlayStore: tap the button Install and then on the button Accept to download it.
In both cases, at the end of the download, start the application and press on the item Sign up, and then fill in the form dedicated to creating an account. Once registered, activate the localization on the mobile device to be traced, performing the operations I explained to you in the previous lines. If you need more information on how localization is active, read my guide dedicated to the topic.
On mobile devices Android, configure the app by pressing on the item Activate Protection and then Activate, then on Give Permissions, su Approve and then Consented, for all the times you are asked. Once the configuration is complete, you will be able to see the item on the screen protected.
On mobile devices iOSInstead, make sure that, in the section Settings> Location> Prey there is a check mark next to the wording Everlasting, so that the application can have access to the location of the device to be spied. Is this wording missing? Then access the Prey website to activate it; an operation that you must carry out, whatever the operating system of the device, to remotely monitor it.
From the main screen of the Prey website, click on the entry Login and log in with the previously registered account data. After logging in, click on the name of the connected device and, as far as iOS devices are concerned, wait for the location access warning to appear, so that you can press on the item Consenti semper.
Prey features are visible next to the item Actions: you can, for example, trigger an alarm (Sound alarm), make sure that a message appears on the screen, which facilitates the return of the device (Send Message) or activate a feature that disguises the application icon (Toggle camouflage).
If you use Prey to monitor an Android device, you can also see the buttons Lock device (allows you to block monitoring, after setting an additional password), Wipe Data e Retrieve files. The latter two are options available only upon payment of the subscription version of Prey, which also includes monitoring of multiple devices.
Other apps to spy on a cellphone
The applications I told you about aren't right for you? Would you like more advice on free applications to use to spy on a cellphone? Don't worry: take a look at the instructions below, I'm sure you will be satisfied.
- Mobile Fence (Android) - is a free application that allows you to spy on a mobile phone with features dedicated to parental control. It is only available for download from the Android Play Store and allows you to monitor and limit many activities performed, such as starting applications. I told you about it in detail in my guide on how to block adult sites.
- Lost Android (Android) - this is a solution designed to play the role of anti-theft application for Android devices. It is free and, similar to Cerberus, allows you to monitor the device remotely, via the Web interface. Some of the features include the ability to receive a log with the history of calls and messages. If the application is of your interest, I suggest you read this tutorial of mine, in which I talk about it in depth.
- Qustodio (Android / iOS) - is one of the best parental control apps and is available on both Android and iOS. Its functionalities are similar to the Mobile Fence application, since the purpose is to monitor and possibly limit the activity that is performed on the devices where the app is installed. You can learn more about it by reading my guide on how to spy on Android.
