[Mukiwa]

I'm wondering if it possible to have my iPhone unlocked and use the SIM card in a simple "non trackable" flip phone if that exists... I want an emergency phone that can be used without someone tracking me... I have seen lots of threads about faraday cages for iPhones to prevent tracking etc but is there any way of using a smart phone and being able to stay hidden? I'm not a techy at all so please keep it simple if possible.

To all those who have tablets/iPods/smart phones as emergency databases for all their survival info and have solar chargers and keep them in a faraday cage do you have ways of blocking tracking?

Thank you in advance and yes I have searched this topic and have found similar threads but not quite what I'm looking for. If there is a thread please steer me in the right direction..

 

[JDH]

Simplest, airplane mode. Not infallible but pretty effective.

It is getting next to completely worn out but I have a RAZR that is old enough to have Cingular on the battery cover. BUT it doesn't matter it you have a phone old enough not to have GPS built in you can still be tracked fairly accurately just by your relationship to the towers.

 

[ElevenBravo29th]

*IF* your phone is GSM, then I see no reason why you cannot transfer your SIM card to another phone for operation.

Tracking: My head hurts. Your SIM card is registered to you... Doesnt matter what phone you use, your SIM card has your digital ID and THAT is what allows the phone to operate... period.

A GSM phone will not operate without a SIM card (to the best of my knowledge) , EVEN for 911 calls, because it cannot establish a connection to the cell network without SOME kind of ID.

If you do not want to be "trackable" via a cell phone, dont own a cell phone.

I myself do not worry about being tracked PSHTF, if it ever got to the point where it was "EOTW", my cell would be tossed in someone's pickup bed while I passed it.... If your not on a [email protected] list, your doing something wrong or doing nothing... Im sure [email protected] has my IP address just as I press the publish key.

I hope I made it clear enough and was helpful,
EB

 

[NickTheGreat]

I've never been on a GSM network, so my carrier has only recently had SIM cards.

But isn't that SIM card a different physical size?

 

[Mukiwa]

Thanks for the quick replys.. I know it's left feild but if for some reason someone wanted to track me.. Not nessisarily a govt agency... Could they track a gsm phone that does not have gps capability? Once again not a tech person but doesn't it take them a few minutes to triangulate your position when making a call or is that just in the movies.. Can they locate you from a text? Right now anyone that could back into my apple network could probably use my "find your iphone" capability to find out when I'm home, where I go, etc etc.

No I don't have anything to hide and have no reason to comit a crime and this is more of a curiosity question as you always see it in the movies where they track someone's iphone or gps in the car etc. eg on prison break they were using text messages to prevent the "bad guys" from tracking them.. Is this realistic? It is hard to separate grub from fiction sometimes..

 

[Goodwrench708]

If you don't want to be tracked....don't have a cell phone. Buy a prepaid calling card and use a pay phone.

 

[JDH]

What's a payphone?

 

[ElevenBravo29th]

GMS or CDMA, either are prevalent networks in the US. Either can be tracked WITHOUT a GPS by using signal tri-angulation.

Can GOV track you with cell signal or GPS? Pretty sure..

Can *I* track your phone? Unless I had physical access to your phone to install a non signed app that would transmit your location to me, NOT A CHANCE.

However, do NOT get it confused with the way you see it done with CSI on TV, thats a bucket of bull****. The carrier has to perform the task, and accuracy via cell signal is very poor, with GPS a good bit better... but your GPS has to be enabled before that will work.

Historically and typically, after you enable the GPS service on your phone, the battery is pretty much sucked dry in an hour, which is why most people leave it disabled UNTIL they need it (driver navigation: Google Maps, Etc).

Ive been in professional and amateur communications for two decades. No, I cant track you. Yes, the GOV can track you. Thats the short answer.

EB

 

[Watchingtheweasels]

All cell phones can be tracked but modern smart phones will give .gov far more information about you and your life than an old flip phone will. If you have to have a a smart phone for work or other reasons a blackberry is the best choice as it has the best security and with BBRY being a Canadian company they are at least somewhat insulated from the decrees of our courts.

 

[SamboRoberts]

I'm wondering if it possible to have my iPhone unlocked and use the SIM card in a simple "non trackable" flip phone if that exists... I want an emergency phone that can be used without someone tracking me...

If you have network service, your phone is trackable. One cell tower will give an approximate location, three cell towers will narrow it down fairly closely.

If you don't want your phone tracking you, keep it turned off. Of course, that sortakinda defeats the purpose of having a mobile phone in the first place.

But to answer your first question, you can take the SIM card of your phone and put it in another phone. It would be a waste of time and effort, but you can do it. :thumb:

 

[TxTowman]

iphone 4 and up have a micro size sim card. not likely the same as a flipper. turn off location services and wifi and they will be unlikely to pinpoint you in a densely populated area. however if you are in a rural area with limited towers you may be easily found by other means once an approximate location is determined. especially if you move.

 

[TheSurvivalWiki]

iphone 4 and up have a micro size sim card.

Yup. No go for older phones.

 

[Mukiwa]

How long does it actually take them to track you? I know tv is mostly BS but is there a certain time they need to get a location?.. Lol don't you love how everyone always hangs up a second before they are located on tv haha every time!

 

[Mukiwa]

iphone 4 and up have a micro size sim card. not likely the same as a flipper.

This would probly fix that...
http://m.banggood.com/Wholesale-IPh...EW81OoHxBldcTIilABCb59rKIk_7LCUd_BKHsmGfD_BwE

 

[kjohn1]

How long does it actually take them to track you? I know tv is mostly BS but is there a certain time they need to get a location?.. Lol don't you love how everyone always hangs up a second before they are located on tv haha every time!

Anytime your phone is on, or off but sill has a working battery in it, it is communicating with nearly every cell tower it can reach. That's how 'triangulation' is done; each cell tower is a known location, so each time your phone communicates with a tower, a record of that is made. It also shows the signal strength (with is a good indication of how far you are from the tower). All that is needed for a fairly accurate triangulation is a few tower pings, and that will show about where you are. So, to answer your question, it's an ongoing process, so there is no time limit. It can be done in almost real time. And it can be done historically, too, to show where you have been, not just where you are.

And GPS, which practically all new and newer phones have, is even easier. Just like looking at google maps, with a little blue dot showing exactly where you are. And, regardless of what you hear, you cannot just turn your GPS off. Even if you turn it if in the settings, it's still working in the background.

The only real way to disable any tracking ability (other than maybe some computer geek tweaking the hardware/software) is to remove all power to the phone.

 

[SamboRoberts]

The only real way to disable any tracking ability (other than maybe some computer geek tweaking the hardware/software) is to remove all power to the phone.

Jam the GPS signal. :thumb:

 

[juskom95]

I'm wondering if it possible to have my iPhone unlocked and use the SIM card in a simple "non trackable" flip phone if that exists... I want an emergency phone that can be used without someone tracking me... I have seen lots of threads about faraday cages for iPhones to prevent tracking etc but is there any way of using a smart phone and being able to stay hidden? I'm not a techy at all so please keep it simple if possible.

To all those who have tablets/iPods/smart phones as emergency databases for all their survival info and have solar chargers and keep them in a faraday cage do you have ways of blocking tracking?

Thank you in advance and yes I have searched this topic and have found similar threads but not quite what I'm looking for. If there is a thread please steer me in the right direction..

A phone (even a dumb flip phone) is trackable if it is powered (not just turned off).

The iPhones use micro sims now, but there are adapter cards available.

Amazon.com: LE Microsim Adapter for Ipad Iphone4g Convert Micro Sim to Regular Sim Adapter: Cell Phones & Accessories