How a GPS tracker works: location and mobile data

A GPS tracker determines its location using satellites and sends it to a tracking system over a mobile network. You open the system on your phone or computer and see your car on a map. This requires three parts to work together: the tracker, the mobile connection and the system that displays the data received.

The point on the map represents the last location received. If the car is already moving but the next record has not arrived, you will see the previous location for a while.

How your car’s location reaches your phone

The data takes three steps:

1. The tracker determines its coordinates. The device in the car or near the item being tracked uses satellite navigation. GPS is the familiar name for this; GNSS is the general term for satellite navigation systems. A tracker may use several of these systems.
2. The SIM card enables data transmission. The tracker sends stored records over mobile internet to a server — a computer that receives and stores the data.
3. The system displays the data received. Mugav Auto GPS lets you view the map, trip history and reports. You access the same system in a browser and in the phone app.

Determining a location and sending it to you are two separate tasks. Coordinates obtained using satellites appear on your phone once the tracker has sent them to the server. Your phone does not need to be near the car.

To find a suitable device, see our GPS tracker comparison.

Does a GPS tracker work without a SIM card?

Our trackers use the SIM card’s mobile internet connection to transmit data. Without a working mobile data connection, new locations do not reach our system. Being able to determine coordinates alone is not enough to update the car’s location on your phone.

If the location is not updating, the cause may be the mobile connection, even though the tracker is still determining its coordinates. The data may already be stored in the device but have yet to reach you.

The tracker’s internet connection and your phone’s internet connection are separate. Your phone or computer uses its own connection to display the map; the tracker’s SIM card provides internet access for the tracker. Read about the card’s terms and supported countries in “SIM card and coverage”.

For what is included in the price and what happens after three years, read “GPS tracker with no monthly fee”.

How far away can you track a car?

Tracking range is not determined by the number of kilometres between you and the car. The car can be in another town or country: the tracker needs suitable mobile coverage, and you need an internet connection to view the system.

For example, you can check your car’s last location in another town while you are at home. If the tracker has no mobile connection, new data will not reach the system even if you are standing beside the car.

Before travelling abroad, check two things: whether the country is within the tracker’s SIM card coverage and whether your model supports the mobile network available there. Coverage also depends on local conditions. Check coverage for your particular tracker model.

How often does the location update?

The tracker sends data at intervals determined by its model and settings. Updates are usually more frequent while driving and less frequent while parked. Sending data less often saves energy and mobile data, but also means fewer new points on the map.

The usual interval while driving is about one minute; models powered by the vehicle normally send data once an hour while parked, or once a day with the daily setting.

The ATC700’s standard setting is once every 5 minutes while moving and once a day while parked. The ATC700 user guide explains the options for more frequent updates and their effect on battery use.

Email alerts can also only be based on data that has reached the system. If the tracker sends data infrequently, both the point on the map and the message about a specified event may be delayed.

What happens when mobile coverage is lost?

Without mobile coverage, the tracker stores records in its memory and sends them to the server when the connection returns. Until the data arrives, you will not see new points. Previously collected records may be added to the trip history later.

For example, when driving through an area without coverage, the map may temporarily show the last location received before the connection was lost. Once the connection returns, the stored data reaches the system. You cannot follow the car’s ongoing movements during the connection gap itself.

Why power matters as much as coverage

The tracker needs electricity while parked too. Read about power sources, charging and long periods without driving in “The GPS tracker and your car battery”.

What to do if the point on the map is not moving

1. Check the time of the latest data. Compare it with your device’s interval and consider whether the car has moved since then.
2. Check power and mobile coverage. For a device with its own battery, check the charge; abroad, also check the SIM card’s coverage and your model’s network compatibility.
3. Allow for the parking mode. Offline while parked may mean a normal pause between transmissions. This status alone does not prove that the car is stationary or the device is faulty.
4. Ask for help if the pause remains unexplained. Use the contact page to send the car’s name, tracker model, time of the latest data and whether the car was moving.

The “Using the app” article explains how to interpret the connection status and read the map.

If you would like to explore the map and reports before buying, try the demo system.