My teen has been staying out way past curfew and I really need a low-key way to check their whereabouts without constantly calling. I checked a few options online but they all require installing an app or getting their login details, which would just start a huge argument. Is there actually any service that can pinpoint their location using just their phone number, or am I completely out of luck?
Short answer: no civilian service can actually pinpoint a phone in real time with just a number—those sites are either scams, rough cell-tower guesses, or rely on tricking the kid into tapping a location-sharing link. Real tracking needs either carrier family features, built-in tools like Find My/iOS or Google Family Link, or a legit app installed with permissions, which basically means getting hands-on at least once. Honestly, it’s way less friction to just plug their phone in next time you’re together, turn on a family tracker, and call it a mutual safety check than trying to pull off spy-movie stuff.