Can Phone calls be traced with a VPN on
After reading stories about Edward Snowden, I understand that we are entering an era in which the authorities have the ability they never had in history to monitor all people who live under the regimes. I wonder if phone calls can be traced with a VPN. Then I spent much time searching and reading all articles and forum threads, this is what I have learned from my studying.
Your phone calls will be traced even if you are using a VPN. The reason is that your phone calls go through cellular networks or PSTN other than the internet. It’s nothing to do with VPN. And even if you make a call via VoIP with a VPN on, you still could be traced if you lack knowledge of how to seclude yourself or information about yourself.
Even though it is very hard for you to hide from the prying eyes of authorities while you make a call or send a text on the phone. If you equip yourself with the knowledge of privacy. And with proper technology and tools. It’s possible for you to be anonymous and avoid being traced. Reading on to find out:
Why are phone calls tracked even using a VPN?
A VPN only changes IP addresses and encrypts data between your device and a VPN server. If you made a call, you would be traced by totally different facts other than your IP address. And even the data between your device and a VPN server has been encrypted. It is unencrypted when leaving the server and then comes into UM center of the phone network.
Now I am going to explain why the phone call could be traced 100% for sure. Following is a diagram that will help you to understand.
As you can see in the diagram, whatever the form of a phone call you take, either smartphone, telephone, or the call application on a PC, they all need a user ID to work. The user ID would be a phone number or email address which will help to identify who you are, and where you live, except for the call application which you may not provide real information about you to register as a user.
Now let’s take a close look at either case:
In case you use a cellular phone to make a call, your precious place can be located by triangulation from cell towers, then the location information will be added to the data you made(voice or text, image, video). Then it enters the UM center(unified messaging-the ability to retrieve, and send, e-mail, voice mail, and fax transmission from both telephones and computers) to proceed.
In case you use a landline telephone, the information related to your identity and location are added to your call before it enters the UM center.
In case you make a call from a call application on PC, your IP address, device fingerprint, user id, e-mail address will go with your phone call.
All calls regardless of whatever devices make will enter the UM center where average users never imagine what is in there. In the UM center, all telephony signaling information(your voice is in there) will be converted into digital data. Next they will be processed by an analysis system for a match with some samples of words in order to identify something that is suspicious. Then they are recorded and stored. Finally, they come out of the UM center and are forwarded to their destination via cellular network, PSTN or internet.
Based on the overview of the process of a phone call, you know that much information that can expose your identity and geographic location, not just your IP address. They have been collected during the process a call has to go through. The information includes your phone number, e-mail address, device details, timestamp, dialogue, etc. So it is almost impossible for anyone to avoid being traced when make a phone call via cellular or landline.
How to make a call without being tracked
The tiny chance that you may make a call without being tracked is using a VoIP application with a VPN on a PC. VoIP initiates a phone call from internet, you can use a VPN to hide real IP address and use a anonymous email address to get a VoIP user ID.
There are a few VoIP services in the market. You can register as its user with an e-mail address. Then you get a phone number and can make a call via the VoIP application that VoIP service provides.
So if you want to make a call and avoid being traced. You can take the following steps to get the ball rolling:
You could register an email account free without giving out any of your personal information. Let’s take ProtonMail for example, you could choose another secure Email service in the market if you like.
- Go to ProtonMail’s website, it’s https://protonmail.com;
- Click the SIGN UP button on up right corner to begin process of register;
- Choose FREE tier;
- Provide Username and Password to create your Proton account;
- Click Skip to ignore Add a recovery method(you want to keep anonymous, do you? )
- Choose Free on Plan selection step;
- Done!
Next, starting a VPN on your PC, connect to the US location. Following is an example of using ExpressVPN to connect to Santa Monica in the US:
Then you will register an account on Textnow with the email address of ProtonMail you have just got.
First, get a phone that has no sim card and isn’t associated with your identity. You can buy and activate a prepaid cell phone that can be completely anonymous. While buying your phone at the store, ask the store clerk to activate the phone for you. This usually requires simple information such as the SIM card number, but doesn’t require any personal information from you.
When the phone gets ready, go to Google Play, search for textnow and then install it. After it installed, start TextNow app on your phone to begin the process of registration:
- Tap Sign Up button on the screen;
- Choose Sign Up with Email;
- Provide the email address you just got from above step and a password;
- Choose Add a second number to my… option;
- Then tap on Get a free number button on screen
- Tap Don’t use location in order to choose your favorite area code
- Provide a area code your favorite, such as 805;
- Then pick a free number in the list;
- Done;
- Remember verify your email by click the Verify Email button on the email sent by TextNow in your inbox;
Now you can use the TextNow app on your phone to make a call without worry about being traced to you. Though you are still traced if you use this phone as a daily drive phone since your identity can be tracked through call logs, data usage, approximate location, and text messages.
How can I tell if my phone is being monitored
Generally, you totally have no idea whether your phone is being monitored. As you have learned how a phone call is processed above, you should understand that if authority is watching you via your phone. They are able to do the job in the DM center, they have plenty of softwares and tools there to keep eyes on you without you acknowledging.
There may be another situation where your phone is being monitored by someone who is using malware or spyware. Then you may pay attention to the following signs:
- You have noticed a suddenly unexpected peak in data usage;
- Your phone suddenly stop response to any operations;
- Your phone is flashing of a blue or red screen;
- …
how to make your phone impossible to track
Bad news for you, I would say that is impossible if you talk about the smartphone. Either iPhone or Android phone both simply can’t provide what you want for this kind of security.
Smartphones are designed for tracking! It’s useless to avoid being tracked even if you Keep location services on your phone turned off, or turn off Wifi, GPS and turn on Fight mode. The phone still can be located by triangulation from cell towers and it’s indeed unavoidable while you want cellular connectivity.
All key components that consist of a smartphone would expose the important information about your identity and geographic location, they are as following:
- Bluetooth
- Accelerometer
- Gyroscope
- Magnetometer
- Cellular modem
- Wi-Fi
- Microphone
- Camera
- GPS/GNSS
So if you really want to make your phone impossible to track, you need to remove the sim card and battery. That’s the only way that works. Just like exactly what the actors did in Hollywood movies.
