The ability to track and locate a person is no longer as difficult as it is in movies. To a certain extent, wiretaps and bugs can be replaced with something simpler than a smartphone. We live in such a digital age that it has become easier to locate a person with just a chat app.
Do you need to convey information that cannot be shared over the phone? Just log into Facebook Messenger to locate them and travel in person.
As long as you and the target are using Facebook Messenger, location tracking is possible. This means that any parent who thinks their child might sneak off to a party rather than a study group can use Facebook Messenger to “check in” and locate them.
Now imagine that you are at the other end of this scenario. Someone might be tracking your location right now, and you didn’t know it. Creepy, huh?
The Facebook Messenger app actually poses more risks than you might imagine. This is especially true for those with hundreds of friends, not all of whom are people you may have ever met. We probably share too much about ourselves on social media, providing more information than we think. Understanding how you can track others can give you an idea of ??how easy it is for someone to do the same to you.
Track Location Using Facebook Messenger
You don’t even need to be tech savvy to track someone with Messenger. You don’t have to be an elite-level hacker to log into Facebook and see someone share their location.
Geodata transfer
Share location
This feature provides a more consistent approach to tracking. Facebook Messenger makes it easy for people who want to meet by allowing friends to share their location.
- You or someone on your friend list can open the Facebook Messenger chat dialog by clicking on the four dots at the bottom left of the screen.
- Click Location.
- From there, simply select “Share Current Location†and your friend will see your current location. They, in turn, can share their location with you.
Location tags and # hashtags
Site Tags & Hashtags
Find the location tag of someone on your friends list and their location is just a few clicks away. The most common way to detect location tag is to check Facebook Stories.
- If a location tag has been left on one of the images, you can simply tap on it, select Show Location and display it on your smartphone screen.
- Click on the tag text and you will be redirected to Google Maps showing the target’s location.
This is not the most reliable detection method since the location is not necessarily actual, but rather indicates the date the image was published. There is also a problem with the location tag indicating the wrong location, as the publisher can publish any location of their choice. But it’s still worth a try.
Third Party Applications
Third-party applications
This is where location tracking becomes less consistent and more privacy-violating. While there are location tracking applications that can be useful on the positive side, most often this method is written as a “cybercriminal”.
Using a free online service like IPLogger can help you find a friend’s exact location at the time of posting.
- All you have to do is go to the website and select a tracking option from the list.
- Enter the URL of the site you are tracking. from and copy the provided IPLogger code.
- Here’s everything on how to get your friend to click the generated url that you can send via Facebook Messenger. Once that happens, you can use the second generated URL, which will allow you to view location statistics right in your browser.
Nearby Friends
Close Friends
This feature requires you to have the actual Facebook app installed. You can then turn it on by going to the More Options menu and choosing Friends Nearby. Then just tap an option to turn it on.
You will now be able to see all of your friends who are currently using this feature. Each of them will be listed by location with their physical distance between you. Your closest friends will be shown first and will be accompanied by a Facebook Messenger button that you can use to start chatting with them.
By simply using this feature, you consent to anyone who also uses this feature and ends up on your friend list, an open invitation to you. This feature is mainly used for meetings between friends and colleagues in real life, but it can also be used by those who are not friends that you mistakenly included in your friends list.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As you can imagine, finding someone you want is not difficult at all if they are on your friends list. With a little sharing of information from both sides, you can pinpoint the whereabouts of any friend and they can do the same.
Be careful with who you share information with, especially on the Internet, as not everyone is as friendly as you might think.
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