Stalkerware & Hidden Trackers
Someone who wants to control or follow you may install spying apps on your phone, use shared accounts to see your location, or hide a Bluetooth tracker in your car or bag. This page covers warning signs and safe next steps.
- Everyone
Your safety comes first. If you are in danger, call 911. Suddenly removing a tracker or app can alert the person watching you and may make things more dangerous. If you can, talk to an advocate first: the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233 (text START to 88788). Use a device the person can’t access.
Warning signs
- Someone knows where you’ve been, or what you said in texts or calls, without you telling them
- An alert on your phone that an unknown AirTag or tracker is “moving with you”
- Unfamiliar apps, or apps with permission to see your location, microphone or messages
- Settings changed, such as location sharing turned on, or security features turned off
- Someone else had your phone, knows your passcode, or set up your phone or accounts
- Battery draining fast or data use jumping with no explanation (not proof on its own)
Places to check
- Location sharing: Find My, Google Maps sharing, family-sharing plans, and social media apps.
- Account access: devices signed into your email, Apple or Google account; change passwords on a safe device.
- Phone safety checks: iPhone Safety Check and Android’s Safety Check tools review who you share with.
- Car and bags: wheel wells, under bumpers, under seats, glove box, linings and pockets.
- Tracker scans: both iPhone and Android can alert you to unknown trackers, and Android can scan manually.
Next steps
- Write down what you notice (dates, screenshots) for a police report or protective order.
- Make a safety plan with an advocate before changing settings or removing trackers.
- Report stalking to police; stalking is a crime in every state.
- Consider a new phone and new accounts if you can’t clean the old ones.
Standards & references
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