WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging apps around the world, is constantly updating itself to improve its experience for its more than two billion active users.
Person sending messages on Whatsapp Photo Pixabay
Have you ever wondered if it is possible to determine the location of a WhatsApp contact without them sending you their real-time location? It seems the answer is yes. Here’s an ingenious trick that can be quite useful in your everyday digital interactions, wecb.fm writes.
How it works
The process involves identifying the IP address of the person you are interested in. This method requires access to a Windows PC. Follow these steps to discreetly find out someone’s location on WhatsApp:
Prepare your PC: Close all unnecessary programs on your computer to minimize clutter and avoid confusion with multiple IP addresses.
Go to WhatsApp Web: Instead of using the downloadable app on Windows 10, go to the WhatsApp Web page and let it run in the background. This ensures that the connection is maintained without interruptions.
Start a chat: Start a chat with the contact whose location you want to discover. It is essential that you only open a conversation with that particular person to ensure the accuracy of the following steps.
Open Command Prompt: On a Windows PC, press the Windows key (located to the left of the spacebar) and the “R” key at the same time to open the Run function. Type “cmd” and press Enter. If you’re using a Mac, you’ll need to open the “Terminal“.
Locate the IP address: In the command line, enter “netstat -year” and press Enter. This command will display all IP addresses connected to your computer. With other applications closed, the list will be much shorter, making it easier to identify the contact’s IP address.
Check IP address location: Visit https://www.ipinfo.io/ and enter the IP address you found. The site will immediately show you the approximate location of your contact, usually narrowed down to region and city.
Ethical considerations
While this trick is undoubtedly useful, it is essential to consider the ethical implications. Using such techniques to discover a person’s location without their consent can be invasive and violate expectations of privacy.
It is always best to ensure that your actions respect the privacy of others and comply with applicable laws and regulations.
This method is useful for checking if a contact is where they usually are, but remember that the accuracy is limited to the region or city. It is therefore not suitable for precise tracking, which in many cases is a relief given privacy concerns.
In conclusion, technology often gives us the tools to access information that was once thought impossible to access. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Always use these techniques judiciously and ethically.
