How to Track My Child’s Phone Without Them Knowing for Free

Raven Wu
Updated on: September 4, 2024 Writer

The best way to track your child’s phone without them knowing is by using a parental control app, and there are some decent free options out there, like Google Family Link and Apple’s Family Sharing. However, they aren’t exactly discreet. Most parental controls, free and paid, require you to install an app on your child’s phone and send notifications to their device.

Luckily, there are a few that do let you track your child’s phone without their knowledge, and my favorite is mSpy. It’s not free, but it’ll give you honest insights into your child’s behavior, including their social media, calls, and texts. Plus, it tracks your kid’s location.

In the article below, I walk you through both free and paid options for tracking your child’s phone without them knowing, so you can make an informed decision.

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3 Ways to Track Your Child’s Device Without Them Knowing

The best and easiest way to track your child’s device without them knowing is with a paid parental control app, which offers many more features (including the ability to hide itself intentionally) compared to free alternatives. If you’re only considering a free solution though, you can try Google Family Link for Android devices or Apple Family Sharing for iOS devices

Parental Control Apps

Top parental control apps like mSpy include a location tracking feature that lets you see where your child’s phone is in real time and all places they visited before. For comparison, free parental controls typically only show you where your child is at the moment — if the location tracking option is included at all.

Paid parental controls usually come with a geofencing feature, too, which alerts you when your child enters or leaves predefined areas on the map (such as your home or their school). This helps you keep tabs on their location without constantly checking.

But what really sets paid parental controls apart from free tracking options are the other monitoring tools they come with to help keep your child safe. mSpy, for example, lets you read all of your child’s text, emails, and social media messages, as well as see any shared media, like photos and videos. It’s also built to run stealthily — It creates no app icon, alerts, or notifications, so your child won’t know they’re being monitored.

Installing an app like mSpy involves downloading the app and following the on-screen instructions, which include giving some permissions and sometimes disabling Google Play Protection on Android.

But note that some of these features that let you see and read virtually everything may require you to root or jailbreak your child’s phone. This is risky, as it’ll void the phone’s warranty, may compromise the phone’s security, and could possibly break the phone entirely if you do it wrong, which can be a huge turn-off. However, if you’re set on monitoring all your child’s phone communications without them knowing, it might be necessary.

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Google Family Link (Android Only)

Google Family Link is the best free option for tracking your child’s Android phone without them knowing. It tracks your child’s location on Google Maps, and you can also add geofenced zones. However, unlike mSpy, it doesn’t keep a list of the places your child has been recently.

Follow these simple steps to set up Google Family Link:

1. Download the app. Get the Google Family Link app on your device from the Google Play Store.

2. Create your family group. Open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to create your family group. You’ll need to have a Google account to proceed. If your child doesn’t have a Google account yet, create one for them during this step.

3. Link your child’s device. Follow the prompts in the app to send an invitation to your child’s device. You’ll need to accept the invitation on their device.

4. Hide your monitoring. Sign into your child’s Gmail account and delete the emails from Family Link that inform them that you’ve set up parental controls. Then, hide the Google Family Link app on your child’s device by going to Settings, tapping on Home screen, and then tapping on Hide apps on Home and Apps screens. And finally, turn off notifications from Google Play Services by navigating to Settings, Notifications, and then App notifications (otherwise, it will alert your kid whenever you set or change a restriction).

5. Start tracking. You can now start tracking your child’s location, screen time, installed apps, and more.

The advantage of Google Family Link is that it’s completely free, and it’s easy to set up if both you and your kid have a Google account already. It also lets you discreetly hide inappropriate YouTube content, filter what apps your child can see and download from the Google Play Store, limit Google Assistant to family-friendly questions, and more.

However, you have to take a lot of extra steps to hide your monitoring, and if your kid is tech savvy and starts going through their phone’s settings, they may still be able to figure out that you’re supervising their phone. For comparison, mSpy is completely invisible after you set it up.

Apple Family Sharing (iOS Only)

Apple’s Family Sharing is the best free option for tracking your child’s iOS phone without them knowing. You’ll be able to see exactly where your child is at all times in the Find My app. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include location history, nor does it offer geofencing (mSpy has both).

Follow these simple steps to set up Family Sharing:

1. Create a Family Sharing group. Navigate to Settings on your iPhone or iPad and tap the Family option. From there, select Family Sharing and follow the on-screen instructions to set up the group.

2. Add your kid. Tap Family Sharing again and select Create an Account for a Child. If your kid doesn’t have an Apple ID yet, create one for them while adding them to your Family Sharing group.

3. Hide your monitoring. A notification is sent to your child’s device after you finish setting up Family Sharing that lets them know their device is being monitored. Clear this notification by opening the Lock Screen and swiping left over the Family Sharing notification. You can also do this from the Notification Center, which you access by swiping down from the center top of the screen.

4. Start tracking. You can now start tracking your child’s location, screen time, phone pickups, and more.

The advantage of using Family Sharing is that you don’t have to install a separate app — everything you need is already on your device. It also shows you how much time your child is spending on their device and what apps they’ve been using. In addition, it allows you to see how often your child picks up their phone and what app they opened first after picking up the phone. Last but not least, you can block pre-installed iOS apps on your child’s phone.

However, it takes a lot of effort to ensure that your tracking stays undetected, and you can’t filter content discreetly because Family Sharing notifies your kid when it blocks a site. Additionally, even if you take the necessary precautions, your child will still be able to see that they’re part of a Family and figure out that you’re monitoring their device, if they start poking around in the settings. So mSpy is a better choice if you don’t want to risk being discovered.

How to Track My Child’s Location Without Them Knowing

There are some other free methods to track your child’s location without them knowing. The ones I list below have the advantage of being easy to set up — they don’t require you to install any other apps. However, none of these methods allow you to monitor anything other than your child’s location. They’re also not easy to hide and can be turned off by your kid if they discover them.

Find my Device (Android)

1. Check that the appropriate settings are enabled. Both Find My Device and Location requests must be turned on in the settings menu.

2. Go to Find my Device on Google. Log into the Google account on your child’s phone and go to Find my Device.

3. Start tracking your child’s phone! You should now be able to see the phone’s location on Google Maps.

Find my iPhone (iOS)

1. Launch the Find My app on your child’s device. Then go to the People tab and tap on Start Sharing Location.

2. Share the device’s location with your own phone. Enter your own phone number, tap Send, and tap Share Indefinitely.

3. Start tracking your child’s iPhone location! You can now see your child’s device location on your own Find My app.

Google Maps Location Sharing

1. Launch Google Maps on your child’s phone. Then tap on the profile icon in the top right and tap on Location sharing.

2. Share the location with your own account. Tap on the blue New share button, toggle it so that Google Maps continues sharing the device’s location Until you turn this off, and then select your own account as the receiver.

3. Start tracking your child’s phone! You can now locate your child’s phone on Google Maps.

Are There Other Ways to Track My Child’s Phone For Free?

• SMS location tracking. There are some third-party location-sharing services that can be set up so that sending a specific SMS command to your child’s phone will have the device automatically respond with its location.
• Phone carrier tracking services. Many carriers offer free location tracking services for family plans, allowing you to see your child’s location through the carrier’s app or website.
• Shared location on messaging apps. Some messaging apps, like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, allow users to share their real-time location with specific contacts, which you can request from your child.
• Social media check-ins. Some social media platforms allow users to “check in,” which lets all of the user’s friends and followers know where they are. Other platforms have location tags that tell people where a post was made. If your child makes use of these features, you may be able to get a sense of their general location by monitoring their social media accounts.
• Spyware (not recommended). While there may be some shady programs that allow you to track your child for free, using them may expose your child’s personal information to malicious third parties or compromise their phone’s security.

Why Should I Monitor My Child’s Phone?

Children are exposed to a variety of risks via the internet and smartphones, but many of these can be prevented by keeping an eye on their phone activities. Here are the major reasons you should monitor your child’s phone:

• Locate your child at any time. Many parental controls come with a location tracking feature, so you can find your child quickly in the event of an emergency, such as if they get lost or go missing.
• Prevent exposure to inappropriate content. Many parental controls include web and app filters to protect your child from graphic violence and sexually explicit material online.
• Protect them from cyberbullying. By monitoring your child’s social media activities and texts, you’ll be able to see if they’re being targeted or harassed, talk to your child about what’s happening, and take action to stop the bullying, such as blocking the bully, reporting the behavior, or contacting school officials.
• Catch early warning signs. Monitoring your child’s communications can help you figure out if your child is struggling with something, like substance abuse or depression, which will allow you to intervene early.
• Manage screen time. Smartphone and internet addiction is a very real problem. Many parental controls include screen time management features that can help ensure that your child maintains a healthy balance between their real and digital lives and that their phone use doesn’t interfere with schoolwork, sleep, or family time.

Pros & Cons of Tracking Your Child’s Phone Without Them Knowing

Tracking your child’s phone without their knowledge can be helpful, but it carries risks. Some benefits of tracking a child’s phone without them knowing are:

• Gain honest insights. Your child might act differently if they know their phone is being tracked, even if they aren’t doing anything bad, so you won’t be able to see their natural and genuine behavior.
• Detect secretive behaviors. A child who’s engaging in problematic behavior will try to hide what they’re doing if they know their phone is being tracked.
• Avoid confrontation. Your child might be adamantly opposed to having a tracker on their phone. Doing so secretly will avoid potential arguments and won’t make your child feel distrusted.

The cons and ethical implications of tracking a child’s phone without them knowing include:

• Invasion of privacy. Tracking a child’s phone without their knowledge or consent is an invasion of their privacy, which can lead to trust issues if your child finds out.
• Conflict and resentment. If your child discovers that you’re secretly tracking them, it might lead to conflicts and resentment, which can potentially damage your relationship with them.
• Ignoring other aspects of parenting. Tracking your child secretly might lead to an over-dependence on technology, causing you to ignore other crucial aspects of child-raising, including direct communication and fostering a relationship based on trust and understanding.
• Legal concerns. In some jurisdictions, tracking a child’s phone without consent may have legal implications.

Overall, I recommend communicating openly with your child about why you’re tracking their phone. This gives you an opportunity to educate your child about the dangers of the online world and to create awareness regarding responsible digital behavior.

How to Openly Discuss Tracking Your Child’s Phone

If possible, it’s best to be open to your child about your decision to track their phone. This helps maintain a relationship based on mutual trust and respect. A child who understands your intentions is also less likely to circumvent your efforts to protect them. Here are some tips for parents on how to approach this conversation:

• Be honest and open. Start the conversation by explaining your intentions honestly and emphasizing that your primary concern is their safety and well-being.
• Emphasize trust. Let your child know that you trust them — the tracker is there to protect them from potential dangers, not to spy on them.
• Involve your kids in the process. Whenever possible, include your child in setting up parental controls. Discuss and agree on rules, time limits, and the types of content they should avoid.
• Respect your kid’s feelings. Be attentive to their reactions and feelings. If they express discomfort or resistance, acknowledge their concerns and address them openly.
• Educate your kids about online safety. Teach your child about online risks like cyberbullying, scams, and inappropriate content. This helps them to understand why you’d track their phone.
• Regular check-ins. Let your child know that you’ll periodically review and discuss the settings and restrictions to ensure they’re appropriate and effective.
• Maintain open communication. Encourage your child to come to you with any concerns, questions, or issues they encounter online. Assure them that they won’t be punished for sharing their experiences.
• Lead by example. Model responsible digital behavior. Show them how you manage your own screen time and navigate the online world responsibly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best free way to track my kid without them knowing?

The best free method to track your kid’s location is to use the Find my Device feature on Android, the Find my iPhone feature on iOS, or Google Maps’s location sharing feature.

However, if you want to do more than just track your kid’s location, you may opt instead for parental controls, like Google Family Link or Apple Family Sharing, which will also show you what apps your kid’s using on their phone and how much time they’re spending on their phone and individual apps.

The above methods can be difficult to hide from a tech-savvy kid though, and they could figure out a way to turn them off or bypass them. So if secrecy is important to you, consider a paid parental control app, like mSpy, which is designed to leave no trace on the monitored device.

How can I see my child’s text messages for free without them knowing?

Most free parental controls can’t access your kid’s text messages due to strict privacy controls on Android and iOS operating systems, which prioritize user data protection. But there are some paid parental control apps, like mSpy, that can record everything your kid types on their phone.

Another paid parental control app that allows you to read your kid’s texts is Bark. It also monitors emails, and 30+ social media platforms and apps. But it only shows you messages that contain problematic content. Plus, Bark comes with a kid’s app and sends notifications to your child’s phone, so your kid will know you’re monitoring them.

Should I jailbreak my kid’s phone in order to track it?

I don’t generally recommend jailbreaking or rooting a phone to install tracking software. It can void the device’s warranty, make it vulnerable to security risks, and might have legal implications. But if you want full access to your kid’s device, you might have to — parental control apps like mSpy require jailbreaking for some of their more invasive features to work.

Is it legal to track my child’s phone without their knowledge?

In most cases, it’s legal to track your child’s phone without their knowledge as long as they’re under 18 and you’re the legal guardian or parent. However, I always recommend checking local laws and regulations as they vary from one place to another.

You should also consider talking openly to your child about why you want to track their phone in order to build a relationship based on trust and open communication. Plus, it’ll give you the opportunity to teach your child about responsible online behavior.

At what age should I stop tracking my kid’s phone?

You should generally stop tracking your child’s phone when they reach 18, as they are legally an adult and you can’t track them without their consent. Many countries have privacy laws that make it illegal to track any adult, whether it’s your child or not, without their consent, so be sure to do your research on local laws and regulations.

For younger teens, consider their maturity, trust level, and safety needs. If they’re around 15 to 18 years old, it’s important to have open conversations about privacy, trust, and independence. Gradually easing off monitoring as your child matures can also help them develop a sense of autonomy while still ensuring their safety.