Locating someone through their phone number is one of those questions that sparks curiosity, but the reality is much simpler—and more restrictive—than most people believe. There are no legal shortcuts or clandestine methods that work without the other person's consent. Modern mobile privacy systems deliberately prevent this. However, there are legitimate ways to know where someone is if they decide to share that information with you.

Google Maps: the most direct option

The simplest and safest method is for the other person to share their location with you through Google Maps. It doesn't require complicated settings: simply open the maps app on your phone, access the location-sharing function and send your position to the contact you wish. They will receive a notification and can accept it. From that moment on, you can see each other's locations for as long as you both decide to keep that option active.

According to xataka.com, this is the most practical way to coordinate in everyday life: meeting up with friends, tracking during trips or simply knowing that a family member has arrived home safely.

Native applications depending on your operating system

Both Android and iOS offer integrated tools to locate devices registered in your account:

• Android: the Find My Mobile app allows you to see where devices linked to your Google account are located, although you can also authorise other users to locate yours.
• iOS: there is the Find My application, which works similarly. It offers the possibility of tracking other iPhones or iPads, but requires that the other person has given their explicit consent.

In both cases, permission is mandatory. You cannot activate these functions behind anyone's back; the system clearly warns when someone tries to locate you.

Third-party alternatives for temporary location sharing

If you need something more flexible, there are applications like Glympse, designed specifically to share your position for a limited time. It is useful when you want someone to know where you are at a specific moment—for example, when you are driving towards a meeting point—but you prefer the information to expire automatically after a few hours.

These services prioritise transparency: the other person always knows they are sharing location data and for how long.

What about WhatsApp or the direct number?

Here comes the reality that dispels many myths. There is no way to locate someone through their WhatsApp number without them knowing. There are urban legends about commands like netstat -an in terminal to obtain IP addresses, but they don't work: WhatsApp uses intermediate servers that hide the real identity of users. What you would obtain would be the IP of one of the company's data centres, not the other person's.

Furthermore, WhatsApp implements end-to-end encryption, which protects both messages and any location metadata. The only way for someone to know where you are through this platform is if you decide to deliberately share your location within the conversation.

The conclusion: consent is the rule

Privacy on modern phones is designed to be robust. There are no legal or technical shortcuts to bypass it using just a phone number. If you need to know where someone is, the only viable option is for that person to actively share it with you using one of the available tools.

Is it inconvenient in some cases? Yes. Is it better for protecting everyone's privacy? Also yes. The real question is not whether you can locate someone without their permission, but whether you really should be able to.