Index
Use messaging apps
Thanks to the use of instant messaging apps, such as WhatsApp o Facebook Messenger, you can know if a cell phone is on without making a call. This solution that I propose to you, however, is not infallible, as it is an essential requirement that the user you want to call has the Internet active on their smartphone, with the Wi-Fi or mobile network of the SIM. Having clarified that, let's roll up our sleeves and take action.
WhatsApp (Android / iOS)
WhatsApp is a messaging app (now owned by Facebook) that allows you to send messages and attachments, make calls and much more, free of charge, among users subscribed to the service. It is available on both Android and iOS: in case you are not using it yet, I suggest you read my dedicated guide.
WhatsApp has some features that allow you to see if a user is online and, moreover, it delivery status and reading of sent messages. These characteristics are precisely the ones I will tell you about in detail, as they are useful to understand if a mobile phone is on.
The first thing to consider is the icon with the double check mark in gray color, which indicates that a message you sent has been received on the recipient's smartphone. This means that your device is currently connected to the internet and is therefore turned on.
Same thing happens if you were to display an icon with a double blue check mark: in this case, it means that the user has received the message and has also read it, with the probability that he is near the smartphone to answer messages or calls.
An icon with only one gray check markinstead, it only indicates that the message has been sent from your smartphone, but has not yet been delivered. The reasons for this can be many: the recipient has the mobile phone turned off or without reception or simply has the Internet network disabled.
Another feature that can help you is the one that tells you when un contact can be found online. If you open the conversation with a user and the wording appears under his name Online, it means that he too is using the WhatsApp application.
In addition to this functionality, WhatsApp also shows theclockwise in which the last access was made, with a specific wording under the name of the user, within the conversation. This information, however, is not reliable to understand if a smartphone is switched on: if it is reported that it has been online several minutes before, it does not guarantee that, at the time this status is displayed, the mobile phone is still switched on, even if they have passed. only a few minutes.
In general, therefore, considering the suggestions that I have given you in the previous paragraphs, you can cross the different data to understand if a contact's mobile phone is on. However, take into account that WhatsApp features can also be used on a PC, via Web WhatsAppor WhatsApp client for Windows and macOS, and that, although all the signs may be favorable to making you understand that a smartphone can be turned on, it does not mean that it really is.
Messenger (Android/iOS)
Messenger is another Facebook app - in this case integrated directly into the social network - that connects users of this very popular platform. It can be installed on both Android and iOS, but can also be used via the dedicated website accessible from the browser.
Having made these considerations, it can be easily understood that the indications on a user's online status are related to both use on smartphones and on PCs. Using the suggestions that I will indicate to you in the next lines, formulate the appropriate assessments, if you are sure that the user accesses Facebook only from a mobile phone or that, at that specific moment, he is away from home such that he cannot use a computer.
Having made this necessary premise, it is time to come to the point of the question: to understand if a mobile phone is switched on via Messenger. First, you can check it activity status of a Facebook contact.
After starting the Messenger, by tapping onicon with a little house, you can see recent conversations with friends and other Facebook contacts. Next to the miniature, a green ball if the user is currently active on the Messenger app. A wording will also be shown Active now under his name, within the conversation. By tapping on the tab active, you can view all Facebook contacts who are currently using the Messenger app or who have used it a few minutes before.
Another important element that can help you understand if a user has their smartphone on is the checkmark on the sending status of a message. When you send a message to a contact, an icon with a will appear empty ball with a check mark inside it, which establishes the actual sending. If the user has the Internet network active on the smartphone, the dot with the check mark will turn dark. If, finally, his is shown miniature, it means that the user has just read the message and is therefore using Messenger.
Use localization apps
There are smartphone applications that allow you to monitor the location of a contact in real time. If the user's smartphone is turned on with GPS and the Internet network is active, its location can be seen to show that the device is turned on. I remind you that it is not possible to spy on a person, unless it is the same to enable sharing of his position with his own contacts.
In the next chapters, I'll show you some apps on Android and iOS that allow real-time location sharing. I warn you that there are also native features both on Android (Find my device) and on iOS (Find my iPhone) to locate a phone, but they require that you have the login details of the account configured on the contact's device and that some options are enabled. In this regard, I refer you to reading my guide on how to locate a phone.
Find my friends (iOS)
Su iOS you can use the free app Find my friends, with which you can share your position in real time with contacts also equipped with an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. If you want to know if your contact's iPhone is turned on, he or she must have enabled GPS sharing with you. If not, you will not be able to know via this app if the smartphone is on.
Your contact must have enabled this feature on the app Find my friends: after starting the app and pressing the button Add at the top right, on the main screen, will have to add yours nominative between users to share the location with. He will then have to select whether to share it for one hour, until the end of the day or forever.
In case, it is possible to request the sharing of the position of a contact, but the user must accept it to show you where he is in real time and, therefore, to understand if his smartphone is on. To do this, launch the app Find my friends, do tap sul contact name, which you find on the main screen, and presses on the item Ask to follow.
If you want to know more about how to use this app, I recommend that you read my guide on how to locate a friend's iPhone.
Google Maps (Android / iOS)
Both Android and iOS users can use the app Google Maps, available for free on Android and iOS, to share the location with your contacts, regardless of the device in their possession. The requirement to use this app is to have a Google account (free). If you still don't have one, I suggest you read this guide of mine, in which I'll explain how to create one.
Having said that, if your contact has shared their position with you, you will be able to know at any time if their smartphone is on, as well as where they are. To do this, just launch the app Google Maps, tap on the icon ☰ I will select the voice Location sharing. In the screen that is shown, it is necessary to press the button Start and choose the number of hours so keep sharing active or the option Until deactivation, that is, forever. Once this is done, just click on the icon Contacts below and choose your name from those listed.
If your contact has done this, they will have successfully shared the position with you. If so, you can request sharing of a contact's location, which will require their acceptance. Reach the section Location sharing in Google Maps and presses on miniature of a contact at the top; then press on Request, to send the request.
How to know if a cell phone is on without calling
