How to Check for Hidden Trackers on Your Car, Bag or Belongings
Short answer: Small Bluetooth tags and GPS trackers are cheap and easy to hide. Phones can warn about some unknown tags travelling with you, and a careful physical check of your car and bags finds many others. If you find one, keep it as evidence and think about your safety before removing it, and contact the police.
Use your phone first
iPhones alert users to unknown AirTags moving with them, and Android phones include unknown-tracker alerts. Many tag makers support these alerts, but not every GPS tracker does.
Physical checks on a car
- Wheel arches and under bumpers.
- Under seats and in boot compartments.
- The OBD port under the dashboard.
- Behind number plates and inside spare wheel wells.
If you find one
Photograph it where it is. Think about safety before removing it, because removal may tell the person you have found it. Report it to the police, especially if you are also being harassed.
Professional sweeps
Technical surveillance counter-measures (TSCM) specialists can check vehicles, homes and offices more thoroughly.
Checking a provider
Check any officer on the SIA public register before appointing them. Ask for a written risk assessment, clear confidentiality terms and the names of the officers who will attend.
Next step
VIP Protection Services provides discreet, SIA-licensed close protection across London, the UK and internationally, with every arrangement subject to risk assessment and officer availability. See our close protection services, bug sweeping services or executive protection across the UK. You can call 020 3488 5714, WhatsApp us or send your requirements. Written quotations are usually provided the same working day.
Where anyone is in immediate danger, call 999. Private security never replaces the police or legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Security Services
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About the Author
Roy
Director, VIP Protection Services
Roy is a Director of VIP Protection Services, overseeing SIA-licensed close protection, executive protection, corporate security and residential security across the UK. He personally writes and reviews every guide, checking each against current SIA licensing rules and BS 7858:2019 screening standards before publication.
- SIA Close Protection licensed officers
- BS 7858:2019 screened (5-year vetting)
- Documented assignment planning
“Discreet, impeccably presented and completely reliable. They planned the detail properly rather than simply putting people on the ground — which is exactly what we needed.”
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