Vehicle Tracking: 6 Best Tips on How to Track a Car

Why tracking GPS location of car?

GPS location tracking enables you to track your vehicle location in real time from anywhere in the world. The technology itself is a great addition to protecting the car from theft and vandalism. Not only vehicle protection but it also helps to recover stolen vehicles easily. GPS trackers have the ability to real time vehicle tracking and can provide important alerts based on the location data. This helps further enhancing vehicle safety.

Track GPS Location of Car using GPS Tracking Device

Cars can be installed with GPS tracking devices for tracking purposes. You can use the login credentials to the online portal after installing a car tracking device. You can see the live location of your car in the online portal.

What’s happens here is that the vehicle tracking unit in the car sends out the location data of your car into the online portal in a specific interval of time. You need to understand that the location data from the GPS unit get processed before it gets displayed on your screen. For those purposes, it gets transferred first to a server in which the location data get processed and then send it to your device.

Installing a vehicle tracking device on a car

A tracking device can be installed in either of the any three ways after activation. The activation process depends on individual company policies and procedures.

1. Device that requires connection directly to the car battery: In this type of tracking units, the leads from tracker device should be carefully connected to the car battery. Make sure that both car terminals and tracker device terminals are of same kind (positive to positive and negative to negative)
2. Device that has inbuilt battery: In this type, the tracker unit take power from the inbuilt battery. Some devices also have magnetic back panel so that you can stick it in any metallic place. Generally, you can place the tracker anywhere inside the car after successfull activation.
3. Tracker device that connected to OBD Port: Some tracking systems can be connected to the OBD port of the car. It is easy plug and play procedure. Once you place the device in the OBD port it will start sending the location data after successful activation.

Track location using smartphone

If you have an old smartphone, you can turn it into a GPS location tracker to track a car. Smartphone’s have inbuilt GPS receiver which can be used for this purpose. There are several ways to create a tracking unit from smartphones. In all those methods, you need to keep the smartphone in your car, and it must have connection to the internet.

1. Live location sharing on WhatsApp: This method requires internet connection and an active WhatsApp account on the smartphone. On the chat bar, you can share live location to your personal WhatsApp number.
2. Location sharing on google map: Google map also allows you to share the live location with others. On your old smartphone you can set this up using the Google map app. Goto the menu and select the location sharing feature.
3. With PAJ Mobile Tracker App: Download PAJ Mobile Tracker app from Google Play or Apple store on your old smartphone. Make sure that the old smartphone has internet connection. On this app register an account for free. Now download PAJ Finder portal on your actively using phone. Login to the finder portal using the credentials from old smartphone. Now the old smartphone’s location data will be shared with your phone in real time.

The Advantages of GPS Trackers Compared to Using a Smartphone

The first thing people reach for is whatever they already own, often a phone with some even leave an old one switched on in the glove box, though that rarely works for long. Others try Bluetooth tags like Apple AirTag or Tile.

Why a Phone Can’t Replace a GPS Tracker

A smartphone can share a live location for a short time, but it was never made for constant vehicle tracking. The battery drains fast, the mobile network can drop, and thieves can spot it within seconds. Once it’s switched off or destroyed, your “tracker” stops working. Even a hidden phone is no match for someone who knows what to look for.

Most tracking apps depend on a normal SIM card. Those cards lose connection easily once you leave a strong coverage area. If your car gets taken somewhere remote, the app will simply stop updating. You might see its last known location, but nothing beyond that.

There’s another problem too, which is privacy. When you use free apps or online tools, your location data may be stored by third-party companies. That means your routes and positions aren’t always kept private. A good GPS tracker avoids that by sending data securely through encrypted servers.

What About AirTags and Bluetooth Trackers?

Bluetooth tags have become popular because they’re small and easy to use. Apple AirTag, Tile and similar cool little devices use nearby smartphones to update their position. That can work if your car is in a busy city where other devices pass close enough to detect it, but outside those areas, they will lose signal.

Tags like these don’t send live updates through mobile networks. They only show a location when another compatible phone passes nearby. That might help you recover lost keys or a stolen bag, but it’s unreliable for a moving car. A thief could drive through a quiet area and disappear long before the tag reports another signal.

Bluetooth trackers also have short range and limited battery life and most don’t let you monitor speed, direction or any sort of movement alerts. They’re a quick fix (and a bit of fun), not a true security system.

Why Dedicated GPS Trackers Work Better

A proper GPS tracker does one job and does it well. It connects through M2M SIM cards that switch between networks automatically. Even if one provider loses signal, the device finds another. That keeps your car visible almost anywhere in the country.

Trackers come in two main types. Some plug straight into the car, others run on their own battery. A wired tracker keeps drawing power from the engine so it stays active without you ever needing to charge it. Battery models are more flexible and still last for months in standby mode, sometimes longer if the car isn’t used every day.

The accuracy is probably the biggest difference, as proper GPS trackers update their position every few seconds, so you can see exactly where your car is moving. They log routes, speeds, and stops. If someone moves the car without permission, the tracker sends an alert straight away. You’ll see it on your phone in seconds. That quick warning often makes the difference and in some cases, it’s enough time for police to step in before the car gets too far.

Trackers are small, so you can hide them almost anywhere. Thieves rarely find them. Most sit out of sight in spots like the boot lining or under a seat. Some are fitted close to the wiring. Once in place, they work quietly in the background. Even if someone scans the car, finding one isn’t easy

Real-World Value

People often only appreciate a proper tracker after something goes wrong. We’ve seen cases where drivers tried using an AirTag and only recovered their car days later, damaged and stripped for parts. In contrast, cars fitted with GPS trackers were located within hours because of live updates. That’s the difference between a locator and a recovery tool.

Feature	GPS Tracker	Smartphone / Bluetooth Tag
Tracking Accuracy	Updates every few seconds with precise, real-time movement data.	Often delayed or inconsistent. Bluetooth tags only update when near other devices.
Power Source	Wired units draw power from the car. Battery models last months in standby.	Phone batteries drain fast. Tags last weeks at best.
Signal Strength	Uses M2M SIMs that switch between networks for near-constant coverage.	Relies on a single network or nearby devices. Coverage drops in remote areas.
Security Alerts	Sends instant alerts for movement, tampering, or boundary breaches.	No built-in alerts. You only see updates when you check manually.
Privacy	Data sent through encrypted servers, not shared with third parties.	App or tag data often processed by external companies.
Stealth	Small, discreet, and hidden inside the car. Hard for thieves to detect.	Phones or tags are easy to find and remove.
Use Case	Designed for theft prevention and recovery.	Better suited for finding misplaced items.

Importance Alerts in a Car Tracking Devices

Alerts are important when it comes to GPS tracker. They send important vital information about the car’s whereabout. It is a proactive method to prevent the car theft. Common alerts are geofencing, Speeding alert, vibrational/shock alert, ignition alerts. As the name explains, each of the alerts uses cars attributes such as speed, location, engine status etc. A tracking alert can be received in a smartphone, PC or tablet via push notification and emails. It is important to have the App installed in the devices and logged in into respective accounts to receive alerts. Finder Portal from PAJ GPS has user friendly design and fast response time.  The global network coverage enables the PAJ trackers to act immediately by providing instant alert into the end user. It is important to have a global coverage and speed because it helps recover the car fast in case of theft attempt.