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Your laptop can be tracked in far more ways than you might think. Whether by authorities in the event of theft, by your employer on a work device, or by malicious actors, several technologies can determine where your machine is. Understanding these methods is essential to protect your privacy and know how to recover your device if it is lost or stolen.
Every time your laptop connects to the internet, it uses an IP address assigned by your internet service provider (ISP). This address makes it possible to determine your approximate geographic location: country, region and city.
IP geolocation is the most widespread and simplest method to implement. Any website you visit can see your IP address and therefore your approximate location. In the event of theft, authorities can obtain this information through a court order to the ISP.
Good to know: your IP address generally changes with each reconnection if you have a dynamic IP. This is why IP-based location gives an approximate position, not a precise address.
Many modern laptops, particularly ultrabooks and convertible models, have a built-in GPS chip. Unlike smartphones, this is not universal, but it is becoming increasingly common.
When GPS is present, it allows very precise location (to within a few metres), even without an internet connection. Tracking software like Absolute can use this chip to transmit the device's position as soon as it connects to the network.
Even without GPS, your laptop can be located using nearby Wi-Fi networks. This technique, known as Wi-Fi positioning, involves comparing the Wi-Fi networks detected by the device with a geographic database of known access points.
Google, Apple and Microsoft all maintain such databases. This is what allows Windows to locate you without GPS through its location service.
Several operating systems and manufacturers offer native location solutions:
Windows 10 and 11 include the Find My Device feature, accessible from your Microsoft account. It lets you see your computer's last known position on a map, provided location is enabled and the device is connected to the internet.
Macs come with the Find My feature, which uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi and Apple's Find My network (made up of hundreds of millions of Apple devices) to locate a Mac even when offline.
Solutions like Absolute or Prey offer advanced features: real-time location, remote screenshots, remote lock or data wipe.
Every network card (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) has a unique MAC address, a hardware identifier embedded in the chip. When your computer connects to a network, this address is recorded by the router.
In the event of theft, if the thief connects the device to a network whose operator cooperates with authorities, the MAC address can help trace the device's location. This method is used by law enforcement in certain investigations.
| Method | Accuracy | Internet required | Hardware needed | Bypassable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP address | City / neighbourhood | Yes | None | Yes (VPN, Tor) |
| GPS | A few metres | To transmit | GPS chip | Difficult |
| Wi-Fi positioning | Tens of metres | No (passive detection) | Wi-Fi card | Partially |
| Tracking software | Variable | Yes | Software installed | If reformatted |
| MAC address | Local network | No | Network card | Yes (MAC spoofing) |
If you want to limit the ways your laptop can be tracked, here are the most effective measures:
If your laptop is stolen, act quickly:
Good to know: enabling location services and tracking software before a theft is far more effective than trying to do so afterwards. Take a few minutes to configure these options on your device today.