Home
News
You are here

Some T-Mobile customers can track real-time location of other users and random kids without permission [UPDATED]

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Apr 02, 2025, 2:28 PM

1comment

Update from April 2, 2025:

It looks like the problem is not limited to SyncUP DRIVE. 404 Mediareports that another device, presumably the SyncUP KIDS - a smartwatch that lets parents keep track of their kids - was also showing the location of random kids.

I was probably shown more than eight children. I would log in and I couldn’t see my children but I could see a kid in California.

Jenna, T-Mobile user, April 2025

As with the SyncUP DRIVE glitch, this SyncUP KIDS error made the location of kids linked with accounts disappear, preventing parents from tracking them.

The bug allowed unauthorised people to not only view the real-time location of other people's kids but also details such as names and even their pictures.

T-Mobile has since fixed the problem with all SyncUP products.

Yesterday we fully resolved a temporary system issue with our SyncUP products that resulted from a planned technology update. We are in the process of understanding potential impacts to a small number of customers and will reach out to any as needed. We apologize for any inconvenience.

T-Mobile spokesperson, April 2025

The original story follows below:

T-Mobile offers a tracking service called SyncUP DRIVE that tracks your car's location. A glitch is causing the accompanying app to also show the location of other people's cars.

SyncUP DRIVE allows users to track the location of their cars in real time and also provides some performance metrics. Some users have complained that the app is also showing the location of cars that are not on their account.

It's showing me data from all kinds of random cars across the USA. But it won't show me the data from my vehicles.

Innovator-369, Reddit user, April 2025

It's not just the location of other cars that the app is displaying, which could be dismissed as a harmless error. The app also shows accompanying and identifiable information such as license plate, Vehicle Identification Number, and make and model of vehicles.

I am getting the same. I logged in twice and was getting what looked to be random people’s car data/location.

mgrde, Reddit user, April 2025

While anything can glitch out at any time, what's bizarre is that the only solution that was offered to a user was to quit the app and switch to T Life.

In T-Mobile's defense, the company notified users last month that it would shut down the legacy app on March 15. It's possible that the app started acting up after T-Mobile stopped actively supporting it last month.

However, such abrupt withdrawal of support for an app that's supposed to make people feel safe and secure and give them "peace of mind" in T-Mobile's own words doesn't make sense. Even more appalling is the fact that instead of offering a resolution, the company just asked the person reporting the problem to stop using the app. One person was also told that the problem would sort itself out.

T-Mobile is asking people to switch from the SyncUP DRIVE app to T Life.

Usually, companies give people time to wean themselves off the app instead of disclaiming responsibility.

Been on the phone with them for over 30 minutes now. The solution is to quit using the app!

Yes, that is their recommendation. It seems like they are too incompetent to recognize the security issue. "Have you tried the new T-life app? It can also track your devices! The SyncUp app is no longer going to be used so we recommend not using it. If you stopped using it, you wouldn't see other people's vehicles."

TrojanGal702, Reddit user, April 2025

Besides, some users say that the vehicle tracking feature app doesn't work on T Life, which might be why some people are still clinging to the dedicated app.

Fortunately for SyncUp Drive users, the company hasn't completely distanced itself from the issue, which has been fixed for many people.

It's one thing to not be able to upgrade a device due to app requirements, but it's a security issue if a tracking device lets other people keep tabs on your location. Hopefully, no one took advantage of the situation.

View Full Bio

Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

Read the latest from Anam Hamid