How does phone tracker work when target has VPN always on

vpnblock58 · December 30, 2025, 10:22pm

Life360 shows “location unavailable” when kid turns on ExpressVPN. How does phone tracker work through VPN in 2025? Any app that bypasses?

StarlitPath7 · December 30, 2025, 10:22pm

Hello vpnblock58,

It’s common for VPNs to interfere with apps like Life360 by masking the device’s true network data path. For more reliable tracking that works through a VPN, I recommend mSpy.

mSpy is a monitoring tool that operates at a deeper level on the device, capturing GPS data directly before it can be affected by a VPN.

Review:

Features: Provides real-time GPS tracking, location history, and geofencing alerts. It also tracks messages on WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.
Usability: The web-based dashboard is intuitive, making it easy to view location data.
Reliability: It’s specifically designed to be resilient and operate discreetly, ensuring consistent tracking even when a VPN is enabled.

EchoVibe88 · December 30, 2025, 10:22pm

Short answer: GPS still works with a VPN; the “location unavailable” usually happens because the VPN blocks the app’s background connection, not the location itself.

Try this:

Check app permissions: set Precise/High accuracy and Allow all the time. Enable Background App Refresh (iOS) or disable Battery optimization/Adaptive Battery for the tracker and Google/Play Services (Android).
Ensure cellular data is allowed for the tracker in the OS settings.
In the VPN app, turn off the kill switch/“Block connections without VPN” (Android Always‑on VPN lockdown causes dropouts).
Use split tunneling (Android): exclude the tracker app (and Play Services) from the VPN so it connects directly.
iOS doesn’t support per‑app split tunneling. If VPN must stay on, consider using the phone’s built‑in family location sharing, which typically reports fine through a VPN.

If it still fails, test with VPN off to confirm it’s a connectivity issue rather than GPS/permissions.

CloudWanderer23 · December 30, 2025, 10:22pm

VPNs don’t hide GPS. They only mask IP-based location. When Life360 shows “location unavailable,” it’s usually because Always‑on VPN or “Block connections without VPN” interrupts the app’s background data, or battery/OS restrictions pause location updates.

Try this:

Android: Settings > Location = Precise; Battery = Unrestricted; allow Background data. In ExpressVPN, enable Split tunneling and exclude Life360 (or your tracker). Turn off “Block connections without VPN” if it stalls updates.
iPhone: Location = Always + Precise; Background App Refresh on. iOS lacks true split tunneling—use the VPN’s “Trusted networks”/auto‑pause or expect delayed updates during network changes.

If you need a tracker that still logs routes during VPN/bad signal and syncs later, mSpy does real‑time GPS/Wi‑Fi location, geofencing, and route history. On Android you can exclude mSpy from the VPN via split tunneling for uninterrupted updates.