What types of location evidence may exist on a mobile device?¶

A mobile device may contain several different types of location evidence.

What this means¶

The obvious source is GPS, but that is only one part of the picture.

The device may also record Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth connections, cell-site activity, app location, photograph metadata, navigation history, map searches, fitness data, weather use, geofencing events and account location history.

Some records show where the device estimated it was.

Others show only that it connected to infrastructure associated with an area.

Some may be created automatically in the background.

This matters because not all location evidence has the same precision or meaning.

A GPS coordinate may be relatively precise.

A Wi-Fi record may show that the device was near a known access point.

A cell-site record may place it within a broader coverage area.

An app may record a location based on whatever source the operating system made available.

The record also identifies the device or account, not automatically the person.

A phone may be shared, left in a vehicle, carried by someone else or remotely accessed.

Then corroborate it with other evidence such as CCTV, travel, transactions, witnesses, vehicle data and communications.

What to check or do next¶

• Investigators should identify the source, timestamp, accuracy estimate, time zone and event that created the record.

Evidential limits¶

The operational takeaway is: mobile location evidence comes from several systems with different levels of precision. Identify the source and limitations before using it to place a device or person.