How to Track a Car Using Your Phone | Autance

There will always be instances when you want to know the current location of your car. You may have forgotten where you parked it or you want to know where your son took it. There are now technologies that allow you to keep track of your vehicle’s location. Here’s how to track a car using these technologies.

Using the Built-in GPS of Your Car

There are three ways you can track a vehicle. The first one is using the GPS device that is already built into your car’s navigation system. These are important features that car manufacturers integrate in their top-of-the-line models. This can make it super easy how to track a car with GPS for free. There is no need to purchase a separate GPS tracker for car.

All you will ever need is a device that can connect to the internet where you will log into the website of the GPS tracking platform. You will be asked to register during your initial login session. From there, you can keep track of the location of your car.

The issue with this is that not all vehicles have built-in GPS. The vehicles that do have such systems often come with a premium. This is quite understandable. You will have to pay extra for using a technology that allows you to keep track of your car’s whereabouts.

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Using a Mobile Phone

There is a much cheaper way on how to monitor your automobile’s location. You will have to use a car tracker app that you need to download and install on your mobile phone. This is how to track a car with a cell phone.

The good thing about such an approach is that you do not need to purchase a high-end smartphone. As long as it has GPS functionality and good cellular network coverage, then it should work fine. You can also get a prepaid phone. Make sure that the data plan is sufficient to cover your vehicle tracking needs.

The more tracking platforms that you employ, the more accurate is the location service. Hence, your mobile phone should have a GPS, wireless, and cellular connectivity. This will help ensure the accuracy of pinpointing the exact location of your vehicle.

It will also help to have a cell phone that has good battery life. Switching the GPS and internet functions of the mobile phone can drain the battery a lot faster than with these features switched off. You will not be able to track your car with the mobile phone turned off.

Once you have a mobile phone, the next thing to consider is the best car GPS tracker. There are many apps on the mobile market that can help you locate your car. For example, you can download and install Accutracking, Google Maps for Mobile, or Instamapper. The two latter platforms are free, while Accutracking requires a monthly subscription to enjoy their services.

SpySat is another GPS tracking platform that is worthy of consideration. FamiSafe is also a good platform. These can make learning how to track a car with GPS for free a lot easier.

Each car tracker app will require you to complete a registration process. You will need to create a new account. You will create your login details as well as credentials to use the different features of these platforms. One very important information that you need to supply is the mobile phone number of the cell phone that will serve as your GPS tracker.

The next step in how to track a car with a cell phone is to place the mobile phone in your car. You can place it under the seat so that it remains hidden from view. There are also those who will mount it under the dashboard.

A critical step here is determining how you wish to keep your mobile phone-GPS tracker running 24/7. Some will connect the charging cable to the wires that lead to the car’s 12-volt cigarette lighter. Others will connect the charging cable to some other electrical wires that connect to the car’s battery.

If you do not want any of these approaches, then you will have to remove the cell phone the moment it arrives at your house. You can then recharge it for another round of car tracking the following day.

With the mobile phone in your car, you can keep track of its location from your personal smartphone, computer, or tablet. Log into the GPS tracking platform’s website and login with your credentials. You can then view the location information of your car, using the appropriate menus on the website. This is how to track a car with a cell phone.

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Using a GPS Device

Using a cell phone as a car GPS tracker can be a very practical approach. However, it does have its limitations. A better alternative will be to use very small gadgets that can serve as GPS and position trackers.

If you always have trouble locating your car in a large parking lot, you can use one of Tile’s latest gadgets. These only have Bluetooth functionality. The good news is that they have a greater Bluetooth range than conventional devices. Some of the newer Tile systems can have a Bluetooth range of 200 feet. And since the system also has a community of Tile users, you can further increase the range of the Tile to locate your car in a parking lot.

Unfortunately, Bluetooth devices have very limited range. A better solution is to use other small gadgets that work with GPS and other geolocation platforms. These gadgets have extended battery life. Some of them can continue operating for up to 14 days. This eliminates the need for connecting the device to a power source in your car.

Of course, you will still need your cell phone or computer to log into the website of these devices. It’s the only way you can learn the location of your car.

Learning how to track a car nowadays is very easy. You only need three things: a GPS device, a GPS tracking platform, and an internet connection.

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Sources:

1. How to Track a Car with GPS for Free – FamiSafe
2. This is the Best Way to Track Your Car Using Your Phone Without Spending a Dime – Innov8tiv