What does it mean when we talk about tracking a WhatsApp number? It means checking the chats and the online/last seen status of someone’s WhatsApp remotely. From parental controls to relationship accountability, there are several reasons why people search for how to track a WhatsApp number.
So today, we will show you 3 easy methods to track someone’s WhatsApp remotely. Two of these methods utilize the WhatsApp built-in tools, while the last one is a free-to-download app that offers more comprehensive WhatsApp tracking.
Part 1: The Need for Tracking WhatsApp Number
The key reason to track WhatsApp number is to gain visibility into someone’s activity & availability. Especially if the situation involves safety, supervision, or transparency, it becomes very important to monitor the WhatsApp activity.
It’s also worth noting that tracking a number on WhatsApp doesn’t automatically mean breaking the end-to-end encryption. Instead, it just means looking at the usage patterns, activity status, messages, and so on.
Here’s a quick list of the main reasons why people search how to track a number on WhatsApp:
Find Someone’s Exact Location
One reason why people find the need to track a number on WhatsApp is to find someone’s exact location. For example, parents may want to confirm that their child has reached the destination. Similarly, families may need to locate an elderly member in case of an emergency.
Last but not least, a partner may need to find their significant other’s exact location. In all of these cases, the location information can bring clarity and peace of mind.
Check Last Seen Status and Online Activity
People also track WhatsApp number to check the online or the last seen status. This may look unimportant at first, but it helps to understand communication patterns. Also, this information can be used to find out if someone’s online at unusual times or just to know the best time to reach someone.
For parents, it can be useful to know how much time their child spends on WhatsApp. Similarly, partners can also find out if their significant other is online at odd times or not. So, the last seen status and the online activity can highlight sudden changes in the behavior.
Monitor WhatsApp Messages
Monitoring the WhatsApp messages can give clarity in a lot of situations. For example, parents can monitor the WhatsApp messages to protect the child from harmful conversations.
Similarly, businesses may also need to access the chats for productivity or any other company policy. Last but not least, partners can also resort to monitoring the WhatsApp messages to make sure no one’s cheating.
Part 2: How to Track a WhatsApp Number?
You can use both built-in and third-party tools to track a WhatsApp number. Without wasting any time, let’s jump straight into how to track WhatsApp number easily:
- Way 1. Manually Check Last Seen Status
- Way 2. Monitor Messages via WhatsApp Web
- Way 3. Use WhatsApp Number Track App
Way 1. Manually Check Last Seen Status
One of the most useful features of WhatsApp is that you can see when someone is online. And even if they are offline, you can still see their “last seen” status. But there are some situations where you can’t seen the last seen and online status. For example, they have hidden the last seen status, or you have been blocked by the WhatsApp contact.
These are the steps to find someone’s online or last seen status manually:
- Launch the WhatsApp app and then tap on the Chat. You need to open your chat with the person you want to track.
- After opening the chat, you will see the status just below their contact name. If that person is actively using WhatsApp, you will see “Online” status. But if they are offline, you will instead see “last seen” status with exact time and date.
Way 2. Monitor Messages via WhatsApp Web
What if you could access someone’s WhatsApp chats straight from your browser? That’s possible via the WhatsApp Web, which is actually an official feature from Meta!
You just need to link the WhatsApp app on the device to the browser. Once the link is made, WhatsApp messages from the target phone will start to show up in the browser in real time.
This is how you can track WhatsApp number via the browser:
- Open Chrome/Safari or any other browser on your computer. Once the browser is open, you need to open web.whatsapp.com.
- You will see a QR code on your computer’s screen with some instructions.
- Now, take the phone of the person you want to track and open the WhatsApp app. Once the app is open, tap on options (3 dots) and then Linked Devices. Next, tap on “Link a device,” and this will open the camera app on the device.
- Point the smartphone’s camera towards the screen to scan the QR code. After that, you will need to wait for a few minutes for the chats to sync between the computer and the target’s device.
- Once the sync is complete, you can view all the chats (text, photos, voice notes, & videos). Also, any new messages that are being sent or received will also show up right away on the browser.
Note: This method involves being on a computer, and this can be a big hindrance. Especially, the users who can’t stay on the computer all the time may find it difficult to monitor someone’s WhatsApp status & messages.
Way 3. Use WhatsApp Number Track App
WaTracker is a dedicated WhatsApp number track app. This app gives you online/last seen status & access to someone’s WhatsApp chats in real time right on your mobile. The best part about it is that you can track multiple WhatsApp contacts and get detailed reports on their usage history.
WaTracker comes with these features:
- Add unlimited WhatsApp numbers to track their activities.
- Receive a timely notification when a contact is online/offline.
- Check WhatsApp last seen status without opening the chat.
- Track WhatsApp messages/chats without them knowing.
- Get a detailed report to analyze WhatsApp usage.
Now, let’s look at how you can track WhatsApp number via WaTracker:
Step 1 Launch WaTracker on your phone and select “View Chat” (it’s at the bottom menu). After that, press the Start button to proceed.
Step 2 You will now see a QR code on your device along with some instructions. Now, pick the mobile phone of the person you want to track. Then scan the QR code.
Step 3 Wait for a few minutes for WaTracker to load all the chats (including the media). Once it is loaded, you can access all the past and current chats of the target’s WhatsApp.
Part 3: FAQs About Tracking WhatsApp Number
Q1. Is there any WhatsApp number tracker online?
Yes, WaLastseen is a tool that allows you to track the last seen activity of WhatsApp contacts. But the tool is not free to use, and you can only add 3 contacts.
Also, the WaLastseen is not easy to use, and even the reports are not accurate. For example, the tool might show someone’s online status when they are offline and vice versa.
In fact, many users have complained that the WaLastseen tool doesn’t work at all. The users reported that WaLastseen fails to fetch any status data, and when it does, it is mostly inaccurate.
Q2. Can police track WhatsApp?
Yes, it is possible for law enforcement to track certain parts of WhatsApp activity. Generally, they cannot read the chats as they are end-to-end encrypted. However, they can still access the messages if they seize a device or access the unencrypted cloud backups of the chats.
However, police can receive metadata which includes:
- Contact number.
- Time and duration of contact.
- IP addresses.
It’s worth mentioning that WhatsApp doesn’t automatically give this info after receiving a request from the police. The law enforcement agencies must get subpoenas or court orders to get metadata info from WhatsApp.
Conclusion
Tracking WhatsApp number gives you details about online activity, last seen status, and chats. This information can be used for safety, supervision, or to establish trust.
The WhatsApp built-in features, like the WhatsApp Web and Last Seen status, only offer limited visibility. So if you want a more comprehensive solution, then use WaTracker. With this app, you can get online/last seen status and chats of multiple contacts in one place.
And since WaTracker works directly from your mobile device, you don’t have to stay tied to a computer.