The first step to take is an obvious one that is often overlooked. Call your phone. Yes, it is a long shot, but it may just be between the couch cushions or under the kitchen table. Maybe some kind soul found it and would be happy to return it to you. Call a few times just to be sure. While you are at it, call any friends you were with when the phone went missing. Many phones look alike, and it is certainly possible that someone grabbed yours by mistake. Call any homes or businesses you were at as well to see if the phone was found.

Up the Ante

If you strike out with the methods listed above it may be worth your while to put your money where your mouth is by offering a reward for the phone. Send a text to your phone offering a no-questions-asked reward for its safe return. No, not every phone thief will be willing to risk a meeting, but it is certainly worth a try. How much you offer is up to you, but if it is a nice smartphone with important personal data on it a generous reward will increase the chances of it being returned.

Mobile Tracking

Find out if anyone on your mobile plan is using a family tracking application. These programs use the GPS tracker in mobile phones to pinpoint the location of the device, which certainly comes in handy when your phone gets pinched. If you are fortunate enough to find the location of your stolen phone, alert the police rather than confronting the assailants yourself.

If you have an Android or iPhone you are especially lucky, as there are applications that can locate your phone for you. To find your lost or stolen iPhone, go to your iCloud app and click on the “Find My iPhone” icon. If the phone is on its location will come up on your screen. You will also be able to lock the phone, clear all phone data or send a message. If you have an Android phone, use the Plan B app to locate your phone, as it can be downloaded and used after your phone has gone missing.

Report the Theft

It may seem trivial, but you should report your stolen phone to the police. They will not send a team out to investigate but they will be able to assist you in the event that you learn the location of your phone through another means. Report the theft to your service provider as well, as this will allow them to flag your phone if someone else tries to register an account with it.

This might seem like a simple question, but it does not always have a simple answer. Most of us would say that the more information we can get the better. However, when ethical concerns come into play, the situation becomes more complicated. A better question to ask is “what information do you feel comfortable gaining access to?”

Basic Spy Apps

The most basic applications allow you to track the location of the phone via GPS. This is fine if you just want to find out where the owner of the phone is spending his or her time, but that is all you get. A step up from these programs we find apps that provide some basic call information such as the time, number and length of incoming and outgoing calls. They may also include SMS monitoring. These solutions are quite inexpensive, with some coming in under $20.

Full-Featured Software Solutions

If you want the “whole enchilada”, and do not money shelling out some extra cash, the high-end spy apps provide an astounding amount of data. The Pro versions of some popular programs include features such as:

• GPS monitoring
• Call logs
• Complete SMS records
• Access to contacts
• Access to photos
• Access to browser history
• Call listening
• Live listening via the microphone

With a list of features like this, it is as if you are with the owner of the phone all day long monitoring his or her activity. If there is anything fishy going on, you are sure to find out pretty quickly. Even applications with all of these features can be purchased for under $100, so they are relatively affordable.

Compatibility

The first thing you have to find out before you purchase a program is the model of the phone you wish to track. This will narrow down your list of potential solutions to apps that are compatible with it.

Installation

Most mobile spy apps are quite easy to install. You must simply get your hands on the phone you want to track and navigate to a specific web address to download and install the app. The process can be done in just a couple of minutes, and there is no trace of the software to tip the user off that you are spying on him.

Making a Choice

Spy programs vary in features and price, so these are the two main variables that will inform your choice. You also have to decide what degree of spying you are personally comfortable with. It also helps to go online and read some reviews for popular applications. This gives you an idea of what actual users think of the software, and should help you make a more informed decision.

How it Works

Cell phone trackers are simple applications that can be quickly and easily installed on compatible mobile phones. Once the app is installed there is no trace of it on the phone for the user to find, so your spying will go completely unnoticed. To retrieve the phone data you simply log in to your secure control panel, the details of which are included with your purchase. As activity occurs on the phone, all relevant data is sent to you in real time. You will know exactly what the owner of the device is up to at all times.

Features

The applications have come a long way in a short time and now boast an impressive array of standard features. Most spy software now includes:

• Tracking of incoming and outgoing calls. The time and duration of the call are recorded and some advanced applications now record the actual conversations!
• SMS data, including all text messages and files sent and received.
• Browser history of all websites visited with the device.
• Access to the contacts list.
• GPS tracking of the physical location of the device at all times.

Some of the better programs also include a microphone activation feature that allows you to record conversations that are occurring in the vicinity of the smartphone. With this kind of access it will be impossible for the owner of the device to hide anything from you.

Choosing a Tracker

The first thing to do before you shop for a tracking app is to find out what type of smartphone you will be installing it on. Some applications are compatible only with specific brands, so make sure you choose software that will work on the mobile brand you wish to track. Next you have to decide what features you need. A standard program will work in most situations, but if you want to have calls or conversations recorded you will want to choose a more feature-rich program.

Installing the Application

Installing a mobile tracker only takes a few minutes, but you must be able to access the device to do so. To complete the installation simply navigate to the specified URL (included with your purchase), and follow the instructions provided. Once you install the software you never need to touch the actual phone again, as all of the data will be sent to your control panel which you can access online at any time.

No Turning Back

Installing mobile spy software on your partner’s phone does come with certain risks. For one, you are violating the basic expectation of privacy most people have with regard to their communications. Secondly, it is a clear admission that you have lost trust in your partner. The software is undetectable once it is installed, but that does not guarantee that your spying will stay under the radar. If your suspicions are not confirmed and your spouse finds out you have been snooping, your relationship could land in real trouble. Make sure you are willing to deal with all of the potential repercussions before pulling the proverbial trigger.

The Hard Truth

Mobile spy software will give you access to every call, text, contact, photo and website visited on your partner’s phone. With this kind of unfettered access there will be no stone left unturned, so be prepared to find out the cold, hard truth. It is natural to want to know what your spouse is up to, but finding out specific details especially those pertaining to extramarital affairs may be a lot to stomach. Before you ask the questions, make sure you can handle hearing the answers.

Tread Lightly

If you are not sure that your partner is being unfaithful or untruthful, take care to ensure that your spying stays covert. Make sure you have enough time to install the application without being detected, as this is the easiest time to get caught. Most programs only take 3-5 minutes to install, so this should not be a big problem. Also, be careful not to let on that you know where your spouse is all the time at least not until you have evidence to confront him with. If it turns out you were worried over nothing, you want to be able to put the concerns behind you and move on with your relationship.

Peace of Mind

The main thing you can get from using cell phone spy software is the peace of mind that comes with knowing the truth. If your concerns are validated, at least you can deal with issue directly. If you find out your spouse has not been misbehaving after all, you will be able to put your insecurities aside and get on with your life. These apps can be a real lifesaver if used with care and discretion.

Features

The more advanced spy applications provide an incredible amount of information regarding the use of the device being tracked. These features include:

Call data: This includes all incoming and outgoing calls. The phone number, time and length of the call are all recorded. Upgraded versions of popular programs even allow you to listen in on recorded calls.

Text messages: All sent and received texts are also recorded. Even deleted texts are transmitted through the software before the user erases them.

GPS data: You can view a map that shows exactly where the phone has traveled each day.
Internet browser history: this reveals all of the websites that were visited via the phone’s web browser.

Contact list: Get the full list of contacts stored in the device’s address book, including numbers, email addresses and physical addresses.

Additional features such as photo monitoring and microphone activation are included in some applications.

Ease of Use

Learning how to track a mobile phone is as easy as purchasing and installing a simple software program. Anybody who can navigate to a web address can use this technology, so this is not something that only tech savvy users can take advantage of. The instructions and user interface were designed to be intuitive and user-friendly.

Viewing the Data

The next step in understanding how to track a mobile phone involves retrieving the data collected by the software. This is also quite easy, as you are given a secure web address at the time of your purchase. When you navigate to this address you will receive instructions for activating your account, which include creating a user name and password with which to log in and view the recorded data.

Once you login to the control panel, all of the information collected by the application is there in an easy to view format. If the owner of the device is sneaking around behind your back, or doing anything he or she is not supposed to be doing, you will know.

Getting Started

Now that you know how to track a mobile phone, complete access to nearly anyone’s mobile activity is just a few clicks away. Once you complete your purchase, you will be given instructions on how to install the software on the device in question. This only takes a couple of minutes, as it merely involves visiting a website with the device and clicking a few confirmation tabs. If you can gain access to the phone for three or four minutes, you can install the software. Once installed, there is no trace of the app, so the user will be none the wiser.

You have learned exactly how to track a mobile phone now, so go put the information to good use and find out what has been going on behind your back.

In many cases, the answer to the last two questions is “yes.” When the behavior of another is inextricably relevant to our own lives as is the case with children or spouses a strong argument can be made in favor of these applications. If your husband is seeing another woman, would you not want to know about it? If your daughter is experimenting with drugs, is it not your responsibility as a parent to find this out and intervene?

However, there is a trickier question to answer. Why use a mobile phone spy when you could simply ask the individual in question about his or her actions? The rather unfortunate answer to this query is that people even those we are closest to often lie to protect their secrets. Given this undeniable fact of reality, cell phone spy software is one of the few ways to get the truth.

Better to Know

One argument against spying is that it is often better not to know about the transgressions those in your life are committing. “Ignorance is bliss”, as the old saying goes. Some may feel this way, but countless others have a very different point of view. Many of us want to know exactly what our children, spouses, lovers, employees and other people in our lives are up to when we are not around. The behavior of others often has profound implications on our lives, so is it not better to be aware of such behavior?

Invading the privacy of another is not something to be taken lightly. If your answer to “why use a mobile phone spy?” is for entertainment, or out of sheer curiosity, that is certainly questionable. If, however, you use this technology to stay aware of the actions of those whose behavior directly impacts your life, the invasion of privacy is warranted.

Monitoring Children

Spying on husbands and wives is the first thing most people think of when the question “why use a mobile phone spy?” is asked. Keeping track of children is perhaps a less controversial use for these applications. There is all manner of trouble out there for kids to get themselves into these days, and even well-behaved children are not immune from making poor decisions which have significant repercussions.

Using this software to monitor your children allows you to always know where they are and who they are in contact with. Think of the peace of mind this offers worried parents. Instead of sitting around worrying about what their children are up to they can simply login to their secure control panel and view the data being transmitted.

Company Cell Phone Tracking

Managers have a slightly different answer to the question “why use a mobile phone spy?” These applications allow for the monitoring of employee whereabouts and come in handy for drivers and other employees who spend a lot of time outside of the office. If an employee is not where he or she is supposed to be, the data produced by the software will reflect this.

Mobile phones are as ubiquitous as automobiles these days, but 20 years ago if you asked five people “what is a cell phone?”, four of them would not have known.

The earliest models were quite basic, and coverage was fairly limited. With the invention of smartphones, the personal computer and the mobile phone has basically merged together. People carry their phones with them everywhere, and use them as media-playing devices, address books, day planners and game consoles.

What is a Cell Phone Used For?

The primary advantage the mobile phone offers is portability. Users can get service almost anywhere these days, so the times of missing a call because you are not at home are well behind us. However, modern devices do much more than that. As mentioned above, people used them as all-in-one electronic devices. Smartphones do everything from connecting you to the internet to providing driving directions via the GPS system.

As new advances in nanotechnology are introduced, more functionality is added to pocket-sized smartphones. There is now very little one can do on a laptop computer that cannot just as easily be done on a mobile device. As more technological progress is made, the answer to the question “what is a cell phone?” will change along with it.

Always Plugged In

Mobile phones allow users to constantly be connected to each other via text messaging and social media sites. They have changed the way we interact with our friends and family, and how we share the details of our lives. When people find themselves with a few minutes of down time, the cell comes out and that time is spent sending text messages, posting an update to Twitter or browsing Pinterest.

Some argue that people are spending too much time on their gadgets these days, while others claim that this level of social interconnection is a positive thing. Whatever your opinion on the subject, it is clear that these devices are here to stay, and will continue to be embraced.

What Is a Cell Phone Really Good For?

Even if you do not want to be glued to your smartphone all day, having one comes with a number of important benefits. For one, they are great in emergencies. If your car breaks down or you suffer an injury you can immediately call for help. If a family member is in need of assistance you are always available to take a call. These benefits far exceed being able to play games while you are waiting in line.

How to Use Spy Mobile Phone Software

Mobile spy programs can be purchased online from several retailers. Once you purchase an application that is compatible with the cell phone you plan to monitor, all you have to do is get your hands on the device for a few minutes and navigate to a specific web address to install the app. Once installed, the program leaves no traces on the device to betray its existence. You have the ability to monitor all use without the owner having a clue about what you are up to.

Retrieving Data

You are given a secure login where you can access the recorded information to view the data on the tracked device. You can login any time day or night to see where the phone has been, what calls and texts were made and received, and various other data dependent on the features of the particular app you use.
Applications of Spy Mobile Phone Apps

These spy programs can be used to monitor anyone’s cell for any reason. If you want to know where someone is and who he or she is in contact with, spy software is the ideal solution. Spouses commonly use these apps to make sure their partners are being faithful and telling the truth about where they are spending their time away from home. Parents benefit from this software by using it to monitor their children’s activities and whereabouts and who they are in contact with. Even business owners use this software to monitor employee use of company cellphones.

The Benefits

The primary benefit of spy mobile phone technology is the ability to monitor all activity, 24/7, regardless of where the phone is and how it is being used. If the owner of the device is hiding something from you, it is only a matter of time before you find out exactly what it is. If your suspicions are unfounded, the phone activity logs will let the individual off the hook and restore your confidence in the owner of the device.

The Drawbacks

There are some ethical concerns with regard to invading someone’s privacy through the use of spy mobile phone apps. While the technology is 100 percent legal under current law, people’s opinions regarding the ethical nature of its use vary considerably. Another concern involves the information that may be obtained using this type of application. You may find out some very unpleasant things, so you have to ask yourself if you are ready to know the truth however upsetting it may be. You never know what you will find out with the access the technology affords.