Is Phone trackable without a SIM card?

traveller

Is Pixel normally periodically pinging cell towers if SIM card is out/(or disabled) but the device is not in airplane mode? or it contacts the tower only when emergency number is being called?

other8026

traveller I'd suggest reading this part of the website on cellular tracking: https://grapheneos.org/faq#cellular-tracking

akc3n

traveller Is Pixel normally periodically pinging cell towers if SIM card is out/(or disabled) but the device is not in airplane mode?

Even without a SIM card, it would still be pinging them. In order to stop pinging them, you'd need enable Airplane mode.

[deleted]

traveller

traveller Is Pixel normally periodically pinging cell towers if SIM card is out/(or disabled) but the device is not in airplane mode?

Yes. Your phone pings towers for things like time updates (even without a SIM card).

traveller

other8026
akc3n

Thanks. It would be nice if the cellular airplane toggle wouldn't be as easy to switch off by accident

peroxide7881

akc3n I am curious as to how this works when you have airplaine mode enabled but WiFi calling on so people can still call me. Assuming I am on my home wifi network or some other wifi network, would there still be any pings to cellular towers this way?

If airplane mode is on with only wifi enabled plus the wifi calling feature.

Would love some insight on this.

Thanks

[deleted]

There are many ways a phone can give up your location. This video by TheHatedOne goes over them.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/GMIY4J8jAUc/ The good news is GOS allows all of them to be disabled.

[deleted]

traveller

YW. You can remove the airplane toggle from the notification shade, a lot harder to change the setting if you have to go into settings.
If you have a sim that can be disabled in the settings as well.

traveller

[deleted] I did, it's just I still get offered to turn it back on every now and then (when enabling wifi for example)

[deleted]

traveller

Oh. I can see that being hit by mistake.

[deleted]

peroxide7881 wifi calling is done over the internet, as such has nothing to do with cellular towers, and the internet connectivity is provided by your wifi network. That is why you can do it in airplane mode.

treequell

peroxide7881 I am curious as to how this works when you have airplaine mode enabled but WiFi calling on so people can still call me. Assuming I am on my home wifi network or some other wifi network, would there still be any pings to cellular towers this way?

What do you mean by pinging? The WiFi call is still a regular phone call and is being routed through the cellular network, it just initially goes through the internet first. WiFi calling doesn't improve security or privacy.

treequell

[deleted] wifi calling is done over the internet, as such has nothing to do with cellular towers, and the internet connectivity is provided by your wifi network. That is why you can do it in airplane mode.

WiFi calling still involves connecting to the mobile network over cellular towers, just not directly from your device.

[deleted]

treequell can you please elaborate on that?

peroxide7881

treequell thanks for sharing your insights.

Let me rephrase the question based on this, if you are on airplane mode but you have wifi calling on just so you can still be called when someone calls you, is this showing my IP to my ISP continuously then or only during a wifi call?

treequell

[deleted]

Wi-Fi calling works through transmitting the same cellular data packets as Wi-Fi VoIP through a Wi-Fi connection and across the internet. From the internet, data is passed to the cellular network and then back to the answering party. Wi-Fi calling must be supported by the smartphone to work.

https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Wi-Fi-calling#:~:text=Wi%2DFi%20calling%20works%20through%20transmitting%20the%20same%20cellular%20data%20packets%20as%20Wi%2DFi%20VoIP%20through%20a%20Wi%2DFi%20connection%20and%20across%20the%20internet.%20From%20the%20internet%2C%20data%20is%20passed%20to%20the%20cellular%20network%20and%20then%20back%20to%20the%20answering%20party.%20Wi%2DFi%20calling%20must%20be%20supported%20by%20the%20smartphone%20to%20work.

treequell

Enabling airplane mode would prevent cell tower triangulation, but WiFi calling reveals your IP address to your mobile carrier, and it can't be routed through the VPN tunnel on your device.

[deleted]

treequell the title says "without a sim card" so which mobile carrier?

Bismark

treequell
This is interesting. I can see the wifi calling connection in my router, but not using PCAPdroid app in fdroid. It must be becuase the way PCAPdroid works is by simulating a vpn hence wifi calling does not use it.

I think the only way to use a vpn with wifi calling is to have the router take care of the vpn, like selective routing.

treequell

[deleted] the title says "without a sim card" so which mobile carrier?

I see, thanks for that. I was addressing the question about how WiFi calling works.

It's not possible to make WiFi calls without a SIM card inserted or eSIM enabled.

[deleted]

peroxide7881 I think you didn't rephrase correctly.

If you mean the WiFi calling as @treequell understands it, with the sim card available I believe it would, but not when it's missing. Which carrier would it notify, albeit indirectly when the radio is supposed to be off in airplane mode?

You can still use a regular messenger like Whatsapp or Signal over WiFi with airplane mode (my understanding of WiFi calling) and that has nothing to do with cellular networks.

Which case is on your mind?

Carlos-Anso

peroxide7881
With phone in airplane, connected to wifi and wifi calling turned on your phone will be constantly connecting, via wifi, to the carrier of your SIM card so that they know where to route the calls.

peroxide7881

[deleted] well I am using a eSIM. So I do not know if that changes things. And if it is 'disabled' in the same sense as removing the SIM when u use a eSIM and it is on airplane mode with wifi calling on.

If it is indeed the case that my phone is constantly sending my real ip to my carrier with this setup I am curious how others deal with this? As unfortunately despite using signal and Whatsapp etc a lot of ppl where I work still rely on calling me by my normal phone number like a regular phone call.

So I have to be able to be called pretty much to do my job. But having airplane mode off and constantly connected to the normal cellular network is also a massive battery drain and I figured eSIM plus wifi calling plus airplane mode would be a bit private and save a lot of battery too. But of course as it seems thst may have been a wrong assumption from me.