Science & nature6–8 · 9+
How Does a Phone Know Where You Are?
Your phone finds you using signals from satellites in space!
Why?
High above Earth, more than 30 navigation satellites are flying around our planet. They are part of a system called GPS, and they send signals down to Earth all the time.
Your phone doesn’t talk to the satellites. It just listens! It works out how far away it is from four or more satellites, and then it can figure out exactly where you are and show you as a pin on the map.
Try it
Play a clue game 🧭! Hide a toy, then give your friend clues: "It's 3 steps from the door and 2 steps from the bed." Your friend can only find the spot where both clues meet, just like a phone using distances from satellites!
Ask Mum & Dad
How did people find their way before phones and maps?