How a car GPS tracker works
A GPS tracker is a small device with a SIM card, hidden in the car. It receives the satellite signal and works out where the car is. It sends the location over the mobile network to an app on your phone.
In the app you see where the car is now, where it went and where it stopped.
Why a tracker: only one stolen car in two is found
According to the MUP, only one stolen car in two is found in Belgrade. The tracker tells you as soon as the car moves, while it is still close, and you show the police where it is.
A tracker does not stop the thief, so we fit it together with an immobiliser, an alarm or OBD protection. More about theft protection
Which GPS tracker to choose
For theft protection, take a tracker that has this:
- A SIM cardThe tracker sends its location over the mobile network by itself, wherever the car is.
Its own batteryWhen a thief removes the car battery or cuts the cable, the tracker keeps working and tells you straight away that it has lost power.
An alert when the car movesThe alert arrives as soon as someone starts, lifts or tows away the parked car.
Hidden fittingA tracker is worth as much as it is well hidden: under the trim, facing the glass, with no visible cables. Under metal the satellite signal gets weaker.
An engine block, if you want oneA lock can go with the tracker. When you send a command from the app, the engine cannot be started again after it is switched off.
A GPS tracker without a SIM card is not for a stolen car
A tracker without a SIM card, such as AirTag, does not send its location by itself. It sends a Bluetooth signal, and the location is reported by other people's phones that pass by. For a stolen car that is not reliable, because it depends on someone passing the car.
The thief's phone also warns them that someone else's tracker is moving with them, on both iPhone and Android. A tracker that has been away from its owner for some time also makes a sound when it is moved.
A thief quickly finds a tracker in the OBD port
Some trackers simply plug into the OBD port, the place under the steering wheel where diagnostics plug in. That port is in a well-known place, so the tracker is easy to find and pull out.
A thief who makes a new key through the OBD port first has to pull the tracker out of the port. That is why the tracker should be hidden, wired to the car’s power. More about OBD theft
GPS tracker or an alarm with GPS
An alarm with GPS is one device: a siren, alerts on your phone and the location. A separate tracker is a second, hidden device, so a thief who switches off the alarm does not know about it.
| Separate tracker | Alarm with GPS | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Location and alerts | Siren, alerts and location, and often an engine block |
| App | A separate one for the tracker | The same as for the alarm |
| When to choose it | The car already has an alarm | You are only now choosing protection |
For an expensive car or a model that is often stolen, take GPS together with an immobiliser. The engine does not start without the small immobiliser fob you carry in your pocket, and the GPS shows where the car is. More about the immobiliser
When a tracker cannot report its location
A thief with a jammer can block the satellite signal and the mobile network, so the location does not get through. That is why you should take an immobiliser with the tracker, which stops the engine from starting. More about the immobiliser
Jammers are sold online, and thieves across Europe use them. Better trackers detect jamming and tell you.
In an underground car park or a tunnel there is no satellite signal. The app then shows the last location before the car went in, and tracking resumes when the signal returns.
When the car battery is changed or someone works on the car’s wiring, the tracker may report that it has lost power. Then that is normal.
What the price of a GPS tracker depends on
The price has two parts: fitting the device and monthly tracking, which covers the SIM card and the app. With some offers the device is not paid for separately but is included in the monthly tracking.
The price of a GPS tracker depends on
- Which device. With its own battery, with an engine block or with fuel and mileage read from the car.
- How hidden the spot is. A hidden fitting takes more work.
- Which features you want. Zones on the map, reports or driving monitoring. You set a zone on the map, for example a city or the company yard, and a message arrives when the car leaves it or enters it.
- How many vehicles you track.
When you see where the stolen car is, call the police
Call the police on 192 straight away and say you have the location. Do not go alone, because you do not know who is with the car. Save screenshots with the location and time. The police and the insurer will need them. More about what to do when your car is stolen
GPS tracker for a motorbike and a trailer
A motorbike can be pushed away or carried off in a van, without starting it. A tracker with its own battery reports as soon as the bike leaves its spot. It keeps tracking it even with the battery removed or the cable cut. On a motorbike we fit the tracker under the plastic, away from metal and moving parts.
A trailer only gets power while it is hitched to the car. For it, take a tracker that runs on its own battery. When it reports its location once a day, the battery in some trackers lasts up to 3 years.
