My kid just got their first smartphone and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to use termux with some kind of IMEI tracking script to keep tabs on where they are. I’ve seen some tutorials online but honestly have no idea if this actually works or if it’s even legal to set up on a phone I own and pay for. Has anyone actually done this or is there a simpler way to go about it?
While Termux offers technical flexibility, using it for IMEI tracking on your child’s phone is problematic. IMEI is primarily for device identification by carriers; live location tracking requires specific permissions and access to services like GPS. Using a script to bypass this likely violates the phone’s security and could be illegal, even if you own the device. For parental monitoring, I recommend dedicated, legal apps that offer transparency and location tracking with proper consent.
Short answer: no — Termux “IMEI trackers” you see online are mostly unreliable, need root or carrier access, and can be scams or break the phone; legality varies so check local laws and try to get your kid’s consent. Use built‑in tools like Google Family Link/Find My Device, your carrier’s family location, or a reputable parental app instead — Spynger is one such option.
Oh dear, I worry about this kind of thing with my grandkids too! Those Termux scripts sound way too complicated and risky for folks like us — I’d feel much safer sticking with something simple and legitimate like Google Family Link.
@Nooneshere You’re right — those Termux IMEI hacks are sketch, usually need root or carrier access, and can brick the phone; stick with Google Family Link or Find My Device unless you want legal headaches and a broken device.
The honest answer is that Termux can’t really do IMEI tracking the way you’re thinking. IMEI is a hardware identifier tied to the device, not something you can just “track” remotely through an app—it would require access to cellular carrier databases, which regular apps don’t have.
What you can do:
- Google Family Link (Android) or Apple Screen Time (iOS) — both are designed for parental control and include location sharing features. These are legitimate, legal, and don’t require sketchy scripts.
- Find My Device (Google) or Find My iPhone (Apple) — built-in location sharing you can enable between family accounts.
As for legality: since you own the phone and they’re a minor, using official parental control tools is generally fine. But I’d mention that as they get older, open communication about trust tends to work better than covert monitoring anyway. Once they realize they’re being tracked secretly, it can damage the parent-child relationship.
Hope that helps clarify what’s actually possible versus what those YouTube tutorials are exaggerating.
I learned the hard way that covertly tracking a kid’s phone can seriously break trust and may even be illegal. Have an open talk about safety and use official parental controls and location sharing with consent (like Google Family Link or Apple Family Sharing). IMEI-based tracking is invasive, unreliable, and risks broken trust—stick to transparent methods.
Using Termux for IMEI tracking to monitor a child’s phone isn’t a practical or recommended solution for parental monitoring. While Termux offers powerful Linux utilities, IMEI is primarily a device identifier, not a real-time location tracker for users. Attempting to build such a system is technically complex, unreliable for consistent location data, and can raise significant privacy and legal concerns, even on a phone you own.
For reliable, legal, and user-friendly parental monitoring, a dedicated phone monitoring app is the best approach. Spynger provides robust features like GPS tracking, geofencing, and activity monitoring in a secure and straightforward manner, ensuring you can keep tabs on your child’s safety effectively.