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What to do if…
you find device monitoring or tracking settings and fear someone is using them to control you

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Use a safer device that the person has not accessed to contact someone you trust or a specialist domestic abuse service. Do not immediately disable tracking, remove linked accounts, confront the person, or reset the device if that could alert them or increase the danger.

Do not do these things

  • Do not confront the person about the settings while you feel unsafe.
  • Do not assume that changing one visible setting will stop all monitoring.
  • Do not make sudden password, account, location-sharing, or device changes if the person may notice and react.
  • Do not factory-reset, discard, sell, or hand over the device before getting safety advice.
  • Do not download a safety app or repeatedly search for help on a device that may be monitored.
  • Do not pressure yourself to prove who changed the settings before seeking support.
  • Do not tell the suspected person where you are going for help.

What to do now

  1. If you are in immediate danger, move to the safest available place and call 999. If you cannot speak on a mobile call, listen to the operator and press 55 if prompted to be transferred to the police.

  2. Use a safer device that the person has not accessed, such as a trusted person’s phone or a computer at a library, school, or workplace. Avoid signing it into accounts the person may control.

  3. Contact someone you trust or a specialist domestic abuse service. Say that you found monitoring or tracking settings and are worried that changing them could alert the person.

  4. Leave the suspicious settings unchanged for the moment if altering them could reveal your plans, cut off communication, or cause the person to escalate their behaviour.

  5. From a safe place, consider whether your location may also be shared through a linked account, family-sharing service, vehicle, wearable, smart-home device, or tracking tag. Ask a specialist technology-abuse service for help before changing anything.

  6. Choose one safer way for trusted people to contact you, such as a separate phone, an agreed calling time, or a neutral phrase that means you need help.

  7. If it is safe, make one brief record using a safer device of what you noticed, including the date and the names of unfamiliar settings, accounts, or linked devices. Do not gather evidence if doing so could put you at risk.

  8. Ask a specialist adviser to help plan the order of any later security changes. Email access, account-recovery details, passwords, linked devices, and location sharing may need to be reviewed together.

What can wait

You do not need to identify the exact software, prove who enabled it, replace every device, close every account, report to the police, leave a relationship, or make permanent decisions today. Device examination, account recovery, reporting, housing, finances, and legal options can be considered later with specialist support.

Important reassurance

Finding these settings does not mean you caused the situation or must handle it alone. Technology can be used as part of controlling, coercive, stalking, or abusive behaviour, and specialist services can help you consider your options without requiring you to confront anyone or report to the police.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate safety and first-contact steps only. Securing devices and accounts can change what another person can see, so later technical, housing, reporting, or legal decisions may require specialist support.

Important note

This is general safety information, not legal, technical, medical, or therapeutic advice. Device and account settings differ, and the safest action depends on who can access your devices, accounts, home, vehicle, or location.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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