GPS on Android has so many uses, and it’s quite incredible. However, there is also another use for GPS on Android: tracking. That’s right, you can make a tracking device out of your Android smartphone!

Make a tracking device out of an Android phone!

Any Android device released from 2014 onward has a feature built into itself, the Android Device Manager. This service will frequently relay your device’s location to Google’s servers so that Google knows the whereabouts of your phone/tablet. You can then use Google’s specific website to track the location of your device at any time. Of course, to do this, you have to activate the service first. Go to Settings > Personal > Security > Device Administration > Device Administrators > Android Device Manager, then tap activate. Then allow the permissions displayed. Finally, you go Google’s Android Device Manager website, sign in the account associated with your phone, and then you can start tracking.

If you don’t trust Google enough, there are also third-party applications which operates more or less the same. Some notable apps are Lookout and Prey. Anyway, once you activate the feature, if you want your phone to be a tracking device, the next step is to mount the phone with the object you want to track. For example, you want to track a car, just put your phone somewhere inside it, or mount it with a special tool, then do the tracking. It’s easier said than done, but that’s how it works.

However, you have to take note that this is merely a makeshift tracking device, and it is better to have a dedicated GPS tracking device for a number of reasons. Firstly, your phone also has many apps running along with the GPS tracking, so will deplete the battery quicker than a GPS tracker. Secondly, GPS trackers are more accurate in pinpointing location than smartphones ever could. Last but not least, a GPS tracker is easier to mount, and is also easier and cheaper to replace than a smartphone, as you run the risk of losing the device quite often.

Android phone as tracking device: Just a temporary solution

With that said, making a tracking device out of your Android phone is just a temporary solution. Having a dedicated tracking device is much better for you, so consider your options!