Can a phone that is turned off be tracked?

So, you’re wondering if a phone that’s off can be tracked? It’s a good question, right? I’ve wondered the same thing myself! Generally speaking, nope, a phone that’s totally powered down isn’t constantly chattering with cell towers. Think about it – it’s off! How could it? It’s like trying to call a landline that’s unplugged. Dead silence.

But, and this is a big but, there’s this thing about its last known location. Before you hit that power button, the phone was talking to those towers, leaving a little breadcrumb trail. So, law enforcement, with the proper warrants and all that, or maybe even your phone company, could potentially access that last known location. Makes you think, huh?

I remember this story about a lost hiker… or was it a missing person? Anyway, the police used the last ping from their phone to narrow down the search area. Something like that. The point is, that last location can be a big deal.

And, of course, the moment you turn the phone back on? Boom. Back on the grid. Location services spring back to life and it starts sharing its whereabouts again. So, while a truly off phone isn’t actively being tracked, there’s still some location information floating around out there. Kind of creepy, if you ask me.