What to do if…
you think someone may have put a tracking device in your bag, car, or belongings

What to do now

1. Move to a safer pause. Go into a busy, staffed place such as a store, café, hotel lobby, or police station lobby. If you are driving, park somewhere public, well-lit, and near people or cameras.

2. If you feel in immediate danger, call 911. Tell the dispatcher you believe you may be being tracked, where you are now, and that you do not feel safe.

3. If it is not an emergency, contact local law enforcement through a non-emergency route. Ask how they want you to handle a suspected tracking device and ask for an incident or report number if they make a report.

4. Avoid revealing your next private destination. If you need somewhere to go now, choose a public place you do not usually visit or ask law enforcement where to go. Do not lead anyone to your home, workplace, school, or another predictable place.

5. Use your phone to check for unknown-tracker information, if you can do this safely.

   • iPhone or iPad: If you received an alert, tap it and follow the on-screen options, such as map details, Play Sound, Find Nearby, or disable instructions if offered. To look for recent alerts, open Find My, tap Items, then scroll down for Unknown Items Detected with You if shown.
   • Android: If you received an alert, tap it and follow the on-screen options, such as the map, Play sound, Find nearby if offered, and next steps. On many Android 12-or-newer phones, you can also open Settings, tap Safety & emergency, tap Unknown tracker alerts, then tap Scan now. On Android 11 or lower, the path may be Settings, Google, Personal & device safety, then Unknown tracker alerts. If those paths are not available, search Settings for unknown tracker alerts.

6. Do a quick, safe check of obvious hiding places only if you are somewhere safe.

   • Bag or belongings: Check outer pockets, lining gaps, clipped-on keyrings, under a base insert, inside rarely used compartments, and inside luggage pockets.
   • Car: Check under seats, the center console, seat-back pockets, door pockets, the trunk area near the spare tire, and for any plug-in device in the diagnostic port, often under the dashboard.
   • Stop the search if you feel exposed, rushed, watched, or unsafe.

7. If you find a device, prioritize safety and document what you can.

   • Take photos of the device where it was found, including how it was attached or hidden.
   • Write down the time, date, exact place, and what led you to find it.
   • If your phone shows a serial number, device identifier, map, owner information, or disable instructions, take screenshots.
   • If you need to stop tracking immediately for safety, follow the device’s own disable instructions if you can do that calmly.
   • If you do not need to disable it immediately, avoid handling it more than necessary and ask law enforcement how they want you to preserve or bring it in.

8. Save digital evidence somewhere the suspected person cannot access. Screenshot notifications, scan results, maps, serial numbers, and identifier screens. Store copies with a trusted person or in an account the suspected person does not know about and cannot access.

9. If this may be connected to stalking or a controlling relationship, contact confidential support from a safer device if possible. The National Domestic Violence Hotline or a local victim advocate can help you think through safer communication, account access, phone safety, and next steps without pressuring you to report.