What makes a GPS tracker private?
A private GPS tracker lets you see a location without handing a readable journey history to the company running the service. CipherGPS offers two approaches: Private encrypts each packet after brief in-memory processing; Ghost encrypts inside the tracker before transmission.
Privacy depends on where encryption begins.
Both CipherGPS options store location history encrypted to keys held by your authorised devices. The difference is what our servers can see before storage. Private lets the server process a live location briefly in memory, then encrypts it and discards the readable data. Ghost receives already encrypted location from our custom-firmware tracker. Neither option includes server-generated location alerts as standard.
Private and Ghost at a glance.
Flexible tracker choice
Private works with compatible GPS trackers, including supported third-party devices. Location and IMEI arrive over a secure connection. Our server processes each live packet in memory, immediately encrypts it with your devices' public keys and discards the plaintext. Saved history is unreadable to us.
Explore Private ↗Encryption at the source
Ghost requires our tracker and custom firmware. Bluetooth onboarding gives the tracker its encryption details locally. The tracker encrypts location before upload, using a pseudonym rather than its IMEI to route the encrypted data. Our servers cannot read live or stored location content.
Explore Ghost ↗Who holds the keys?
Your authorised devices hold the private decryption keys that turn saved records back into a viewable journey. A public key can encrypt records for those devices but cannot decrypt them. For Ghost, the encryption details reach the tracker during local Bluetooth setup; CipherGPS does not receive Ghost public or private keys.
What happens if keys are lost?
Key control carries responsibility. If every authorised device and decryption key is lost, neither you nor CipherGPS can recover encrypted location history. With Ghost, we also cannot restore access to that tracker. Keep a secure backup before relying on the service.
Questions people ask about private GPS tracking.
Can CipherGPS see where a tracker is?
For Private, our server sees each live location only during brief in-memory processing before it encrypts the record. For Ghost, location is encrypted inside the tracker before our servers receive it.
Do I need a tracking account?
No customer tracking account is required to use the tracking service. Your devices hold the decryption keys. Ordering hardware or asking for support is separate and may require contact details.
Does the tracker send geofence or motion alerts?
Neither tracker sends alerts as standard. The optional desktop companion can read your vault locally and check geofences, motion and low battery while your PC is on and the app is running. It can then send SMS, email or push notifications if you choose.
Is there a tracking subscription?
The listed tracker prices include five years of tracking service. Check the product page for the current price, availability and what is included.