# Best way to check your phone for tracking software? **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [January 24, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.redact.dev/t/best-way-to-check-your-phone-for-tracking-software/257 "2026-01-24T18:59:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TimBuckToo420](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/community.redact.dev/timbucktoo420/32/200_2.png) [@TimBuckToo420](https://community.redact.dev/u/TimBuckToo420)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.redact.dev/t/best-way-to-check-your-phone-for-tracking-software/257/1 "2026-01-24T18:59:25Z")
I buy and sell a lot of phones on marketplace, ebay, craigslist, etc. You guys have any neat tricks or apps that help to find any sort of tracking apps or software ion mobile phones? ---
**Author:** ![BTCfixesTHIS](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/community.redact.dev/btcfixesthis/32/138_2.png) [@BTCfixesTHIS](https://community.redact.dev/u/BTCfixesTHIS)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.redact.dev/t/best-way-to-check-your-phone-for-tracking-software/257/2 "2026-01-24T19:22:29Z")
If you’re buying a used phone, the safest move is to assume it’s sketchy until you wipe it yourself. There’s no perfect “spyware detector,” so the best fix is a clean reset plus a couple quick checks. iPhone: check Settings, General, VPN & Device Management. If there’s a management profile you can’t remove, I’d pass. Then erase all content, update iOS, and set it up as new. Also make sure it’s not tied to someone else’s Apple ID. Android: check for weird stuff in Device admin apps, Accessibility permissions, Notification access, and any unknown VPN. Run Play Protect, then factory reset (recovery reset if you want to be extra safe). Big red flag: if management controls can’t be removed or settings keep coming back after a reset, I’d return it or in your case I guess get rid of it ASAP since you likely can’t return these phones you’re buying ---
**Author:** ![kittycat](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/community.redact.dev/kittycat/32/137_2.png) [@kittycat](https://community.redact.dev/u/kittycat)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.redact.dev/t/best-way-to-check-your-phone-for-tracking-software/257/3 "2026-01-24T20:10:44Z")
if you’re on a droid, check All Devices Detector finder: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.monystudio.detectorhiddendevices&hl=en\_US](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.monystudio.detectorhiddendevices&hl=en_US) ---
**Author:** ![lil\_debbie\_cakes](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/community.redact.dev/lil_debbie_cakes/32/141_2.png) [@lil\_debbie\_cakes](https://community.redact.dev/u/lil_debbie_cakes)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 8:20pm UTC](https://community.redact.dev/t/best-way-to-check-your-phone-for-tracking-software/257/4 "2026-01-24T20:20:54Z")
There is actually a built-in tracking checker on all android phones, not sure if you knew that. It’s to check for things like air tags in your vicinity. I know this thread is about tracking apps and weird hidden stuff on your phone, but figured this may be helpful to someone. go to Settings \> Safety & Emergency \> Unknown tracker alerts and toggle “Allow alerts” to on ---
**Author:** ![llllllllllllllllllll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/58956e/32.png) [@llllllllllllllllllll](https://community.redact.dev/u/llllllllllllllllllll)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 8:46pm UTC](https://community.redact.dev/t/best-way-to-check-your-phone-for-tracking-software/257/5 "2026-01-24T20:46:32Z")
[malware bytes](https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download) has a free scanning tool to find and remove spyware, tracking, and other nasty stuff on your devices. ---
**Author:** ![BIGdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BIGdave](https://community.redact.dev/u/BIGdave)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://community.redact.dev/t/best-way-to-check-your-phone-for-tracking-software/257/6 "2026-04-27T03:29:38Z")
BURNER PHONES Y’ALL. THIRTY BUCKS AT WALMART. PROBLEM SOLVED. ALSO YOU CAN REPORT THEM AS LOST AND CARRIER WILL BLACKLIST IF SOMETHING WALKS OFF, HAHA WIN WIN No but seriously get you a burner ---
**Author:** ![yashaalog](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/community.redact.dev/yashaalog/32/203_2.png) [@yashaalog](https://community.redact.dev/u/yashaalog)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 2:50pm UTC](https://community.redact.dev/t/best-way-to-check-your-phone-for-tracking-software/257/7 "2026-04-27T14:50:57Z")
for android there is also a thing called bouncer that lets you grant permissions only one time, like if app wants location you give it for that session and then it gone. cara this app saved me when I noticed weather app was checking my location 200 times a day, 200! kkkk who needs that much weather