Do you know how to ping a cell phone location for free? If you don’t, then this guide is exactly what you need! There’s a probable chance you might have heard the word “ping” being thrown around in communication quite a bit.
In modern terms, pinging simply means to send a packet to a network interface and then receive a response, usually an echo. Think of it as the digital counterpart of echolocation, which is used by animals such as bats and dolphins to talk to each other and locate objects.
But, you should know that in the world of surveillance, pinging also means to track a person’s mobile phone. There are quite a few reasons why someone might want to ping your device. For instance, pinging could be used to get in touch with an old friend and surprise him or her.
On the other hand, there are complex legal programs and sophisticated software programs that are used by law enforcement agencies and by private investigators to identify the location of suspects. In fact, there are programs such as Localize that will allow you to track someone’s location with their phone number.
However, you should know that there are degrees of pinging. The most detailed form of pinging allows you to not only find the person’s exact location, but also get details about the mobile device, the number, and the person that it is registered to.
Obviously, this is only available through authorized software programs, which only people with appropriate levels of clearance are allowed to access. However, for the average person, we recommend a couple of really good location trackers programs, one is called mSpy and the other is eyeZy!
Ways to ping a cell phone
Pinging with the Phone Company
One of the things that you should know is that there is a default trigger in almost all iPhone and Android devices, which allow them to return all location and GPS data to the parent cell phone service providers automatically.
You might see the option under the “Location services” tab in the Settings on your phone. As long as you continue using the service data provided by your cell phone provider, the information is going to remain safe with your service provider.
Then, when you make the switch to another cell phone provider, they will be given authorization to track your location and maintain its history.
The tracking itself works very easily. The phone companies have different cell phone towers all around the covered region, and your phone connects to each tower as you move about.
These companies are able to triangulate your position based on which tower you connect with. You should know that 911 operators, as well as service station operators have access to location software.
This allows them to speed up operations and respond in case of an emergency. So, these are all of the legal ways by which companies are able to “ping” your phone and find out where you are exactly.
Pinging a Phone with Access
You should know that it’s illegal to ping somebody’s phone unless you have access to it. In most cases, you won’t even be able to ping their device. There are legal issues related to security and privacy, and there is a risk that you might end up committing a crime.
But, if you are trying to ping a phone when the owner is aware of your actions, you don’t need to worry about legal problems. There are two ways to do so, and both of these are highlighted in the paragraphs below.
You can track a person’s location using Google Maps or you can also ping your phone, or someone else’s using the Command Prompt on Windows. So, without further ado, let’s get into this.
1. Google Maps for Pinging
Arguably the simplest way to track a person’s location is to do so via Google Maps. Once you have gained access to the phone that you want to ping (and you have asked their permission), you have to open the Google Maps application.
It’s also important that you update the Google Maps application to the latest version, otherwise it’s going to affect performance. Then, tap on the vertical bar with the three dots, and this is going to bring up the Settings Menu.
Then, tap on the option that says “Share Location.” A dialog box will appear, and it will allow you to “let friends know where you are.” Then, you just have to tap on Get Started.
Once you click on it, a new dialog box will appear which will allow you to choose the duration for which you want to share your location. It starts from one hour, and you can increase it or reduce it accordingly.
You will also have the option to select the “until you turn this off.” You can choose your option accordingly. To have the location of the phone number sent directly to you, you must click on the three vertical dots again.
This will bring up all of the apps through which you will be able to receive the data. If you want, you can also select people and type the email address for the people you want to share it with and then have the information sent to you.
Then, you just open your phone, and repeat the steps again to be able to share the location in real time as well.
2. How To Ping A Cell Phone From A Computer
Like all other devices, including your computer, you should know that your cell phone also has an IP address. If the cell phone and your computer are on the same IP network and are using the Wi-Fi, you will also be able to ping your phone.
The method might be a bit technical, but you will be able to get all the technical details regarding the ping. But, to do that, you are going to require the IP address of the computer as well as the IP address of your cell phone that you want to ping.
It’s also important to note that this option is only applicable for Android phones. To do this, you need to use several commands. First, press the “Windows” key and the “R” key. This is going to open the Run box. Once that opens up, you will see a dialog box.
Just type “cmd” in lower case, and then press Enter. It is going to open up the Command Prompt. Then, type “ipconfig” in the Command Prompt, and then press enter. You will see a series of numbers, which basically includes the IP address of your machine as well.
There’s also another way to check the IP address of your device. Just open the browser and then type “what’s my IP” on the search bar, and press Enter. It will show you the IP address, as well as the internet service provider that you are using.
But, to ping properly, you are going to have to use the Command Prompt. Now, type “ping” in the Command Prompt, and then add the IP address for your mobile phone. A ping will be sent to your phone directly.
You will notice whether the ping is successful or not based on the data that appears on the Command Prompt. If the ping is successful, you are going to see two or three lines that include the reply received by your cell phone.
Basically, these are the data packets that were sent from your device and the reply that was received by your mobile phone. If a ping is not received, you will get the reply saying that the ping timed out. More importantly, you will also notice a small amount of time mentioned at the end.
This is the amount of time that it took between the time that the ping was sent and the time when a reply was received. It’s a pretty fast method, as you can see, since almost all of the amounts will be in milliseconds.
More importantly, this method also allows you to figure out the exact number of data packets that were sent to the device. If you receive an error when you are trying to ping the device, you should consider restarting your computer first, or restarting your cell phone.
Or, you might want to consider rebooting your wireless router as well. There is also a chance that the IP address could be causing an error too.
Remember, this method is only used for pinging the device; it’s not going to give you any information about the location of the mobile phone device.
It’s just a way to figure out whether the cell phone is connected to the internet or not, and if you don’t have a bit of technical knowledge, you might not understand exactly what’s being returned in the form of data packets, or more importantly, what it means.
These are just two of the methods that are used for pinging a cell phone. Obviously, neither of these are possible unless you have the permission of the mobile phone user you are going to ping.
Unless you are a 911 operator or work in law enforcement or an emergency center, you will find it difficult to gain legal access to a person’s phone without their explicit permission. These are just some important things that you should know about pinging a cell phone.
