How to track a mobile number on Google Maps?

So Mike told me the other day that you can “track someone’s phone number” directly using Google Maps, which honestly sounded a bit off to me. I always thought location tracking only works if the person actually shares their location with you.

I’m a bit confused about what’s реально possible here — is this something Google Maps can actually do, or is it just a misunderstanding of how location sharing works? Just trying to get a clear answer before I go down the wrong rabbit hole.

If you’re looking for something more continuous (like for kids), tools like VigilKids are often used:

Install app on the target phone Link it to your parent account View real-time location + history anytime Can also set alerts for entering/leaving areas

It’s more of a full monitoring setup, not number-based tracking.

Some carriers (like Verizon) have family tracking features tied to your phone number, but it only works if both devices are on the same plan and permissions are enabled. So again, no way to just type in a random number and see where it is—there’s always some kind of approval or setup involved.