Decision sheet — What a tracker can do
GPS location tracking explained
The point you see on a map is an estimate that the phone's location services work out from several signals, not a reading from a single GPS chip. iPhone combines cellular, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth; Android, with Location Accuracy on, combines GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks and motion sensors. The light-blue circle around the dot shows how unsure the system is, and the update time shows how old the point is. Read both before you act on the place.
- Read6–8 min read
- You needA phone or finder app on your own account
- Works oniPhone Location Services · Android Location Accuracy · Google Maps
Verified: October 2026 against Apple, Google and Samsung official support.
A map point is an estimate produced by location services. It may use GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular and Bluetooth signals depending on the device and its settings. A precise-looking pin with a wide circle or an old timestamp is still an estimate — it shows where the phone probably was, not proof of where a person is now.
How to judge a location point before you act on it
- Confirm location services are on. On iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services. On Android: the location setting, plus Location Accuracy (also called Google Location Services). With Location Accuracy off, Android's help says only GPS and device sensors such as the accelerometer, barometer and gyroscope are used.
- Check whether the app has precise or approximate access. On Android, approximate location only tells the app the device is in an area of about 3 square kilometres. On iPhone, turning off Precise Location for an app leaves it with an approximate location. A pin from an approximate permission is a district, not a doorway.
- Read the circle. In Google Maps, a light-blue circle appears around the blue dot when Maps is not sure of the location; the smaller the circle, the more certain it is, and Google says you could be anywhere within it.
- Read the timestamp. Finders show the last point the phone reported. Find My can show a last known location for up to seven days; Find Hub may show the last known location if the current one cannot be found. An old time means a historical point.
- Look for obstacles. Google notes that if there is something between you and cell towers, like a parking garage or tall buildings, your blue dot might not be accurate.
- Decide on the area, not the dot. If you need to act, act on the whole circle and on the age of the point. Do not read a street address off a wide circle.
What does the point on your screen look like?
Pick what you see, and read what it honestly tells you.
A good estimate of the current spot.
A small circle means the system is fairly certain, and a fresh time means the phone reported recently. It is still an estimate built from GPS, Wi-Fi, cell and other signals, but it is the best a phone gives you.
Do this: Use it, and still allow for the edge of the circle.
Somewhere inside the circle.
Google Maps draws the light-blue circle when it is not sure; you could be anywhere within it. Google also notes that something between the phone and cell towers, like a parking garage or tall buildings, can make the blue dot inaccurate.
Do this: Treat the whole circle as the answer; do not trust the street under the dot.
A district, not an address.
With approximate permission an Android app only learns that the phone is within an area of about 3 square kilometres; on iPhone, Precise Location off gives an approximate location.
Do this: If you need more precision for your own device, switch the app to precise location yourself.
Last-known, not current.
The phone has not reported since then. Find My, Find Hub and SmartThings Find can show the last point the phone sent when the current one cannot be found — Samsung says that if the device is powered off, only the last known location will be available.
Do this: Read it as “where it last was”, and refresh to see whether the time moves.
No current location.
Google's help says a missing or grey blue dot means Maps cannot find your current location. Location may be off, the connection weak, or the app may lack permission.
Do this: Check location settings and app permission, then try again with a connection.
Why a location point can be off
- GPS alone is narrower
- With Android's Location Accuracy turned off, only GPS and device sensors are used; Wi-Fi and mobile network signals are not added.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning
- Android lets the device scan for nearby Wi-Fi access points or Bluetooth devices to help apps get better location info. With scanning off, apps have fewer signals to work with.
- The Wi-Fi and cell database
- Apple says an iPhone with Location Services on periodically sends the geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers to Apple. Estimates based on those signals depend on what is around you.
- Obstacles
- Google says that if there is something between you and cell towers, like a parking garage or tall buildings, your blue dot might not be accurate.
- No fixed accuracy number
- The official help pages we checked describe the circle and the signals but do not publish a single accuracy figure in metres. We do not invent one: the official help does not describe this.
- A point is not a person
- A pin shows a phone, not who is holding it. Even a precise, fresh point does not prove a particular person is there.
How each platform builds a location point
| iPhone | Android | Google Maps view | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signals used | Cellular, Wi-Fi, GPS networks and Bluetooth | GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks and sensors (Location Accuracy on) | Uses the device's location |
| With extra help off | The official help does not describe this | Location Accuracy off: only GPS and sensors | Grey or missing dot if no location |
| Precise vs approximate | Precise Location toggle per app | Approximate ≈ an area of about 3 km² | — |
| Uncertainty shown as | The official help does not describe this | The official help does not describe this | Light-blue circle; smaller = more certain |
| Last-known point | Find My: last known location | Find Hub: last known location, if available | — |
| How you know it's in use | Arrow icon in the status bar | Privacy dashboard shows recent location access | — |
If the point does not look right
The circle is huge
Make sure you have a strong internet connection, check Location Accuracy (Android) and that the app has precise access, then refresh.
The point is in the wrong district
Check whether the app has approximate access only. If it is your own device and you want precision, switch the app to precise location.
The time won't change
The phone is not reporting. Read the page on live versus last-known location and treat the point as historical.
No website can produce a GPS point for a phone just from its number. Location services run on the device and send a point only to apps and accounts the device allows. This page explains how to read points from your own finder or from people who share their location with you openly.
Official sources (checked October 2026)
- Apple — About privacy and Location Services
- Apple — Turn Location Services and GPS on or off
- Google — Location Accuracy (Google Location Services) on Android
- Google — Manage your Android device's location settings
- Google Maps — the blue dot and location accuracy
- Apple — Use Find My to locate your lost device
Questions people ask
Is phone location just GPS?
No. iPhone uses cellular, Wi-Fi, GPS networks and Bluetooth. Android, with Location Accuracy on, uses GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks and sensors such as the accelerometer, barometer and gyroscope.
What does the light-blue circle mean?
It shows uncertainty. Google Maps draws it when it is not sure of the location; the smaller the circle, the more certain the app is, and the phone could be anywhere within it.
How accurate is GPS on a phone, in metres?
The official pages we checked do not publish a single accuracy number. They describe the circle instead, so use the size of the circle as your accuracy guide.
Why is the location wrong in a garage or between tall buildings?
Google says that if there is something between you and cell towers, like a parking garage or tall buildings, your blue dot might not be accurate. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning can help apps get better location info.
What does approximate location mean?
On Android it means the app only knows the device is in an area of about 3 square kilometres. On iPhone, with Precise Location off, the app gets an approximate location instead of your exact one.
Why is the blue dot grey?
Google's help says a grey or missing blue dot means Maps cannot find your current location. Check that location is on, the app has permission and you have a connection.
Is an old point still useful?
As history, yes. Find My can show a last known location for up to seven days. Treat it as where the phone last reported, not where it is now.
Can a GPS point prove who was there?
No. It shows where a phone probably was. It cannot tell you who was carrying it.