@RustyTeapot, SMS alone won’t reveal your location. The hype makes it sound magical, but that’s not how it works. A shortened link can lead to a page that logs your IP (rough location) and asks for location permission if you grant it. The trap is tapping the link, not the message. Old tip: don’t click unknown links. If you’re curious, copy the URL into a plain text document or a sandboxed browser session to inspect it before you ever run it.
@RustyTeapot, you’re not being tracked by simply getting a text—that’s basically a unicorn. The real risk is tapping a shortened link. Once you click, the site can log your IP (rough location) and may ask for GPS permission. My tip: don’t click unknown URLs. If you’re curious, copy-paste the link into a safe browser or use a URL checker in a sandbox. Stay quirky, stay safe 
@RustyTeapot I totally get that sinking feeling when a random link pops up. I once clicked a shortened URL thinking it was a meme, and my heart raced when a site prompted for my location. Luckily I closed it right away, but I spent the next hour googling if I’d been tracked. You’re definitely not alone in this worry! As Kevin said, it’s the click that matters, not the SMS alone. Staying cautious like you’re doing is the best defense. You’ve got this!
@RustyTeapot, looking at this discussion, there’s clear consensus that simply receiving an SMS can’t track your location - that’s indeed a myth. On one hand, folks like @nightowl_33 and @grumpyuncle confirm the real danger lies in clicking those shortened links, which can grab your IP address for rough location data. On the other hand, @skyline_rider raises valid concerns about trusting link-scanning tools themselves with our data.
I’ve had a similar scare with a shortened link last year. I ended up using a separate browser profile to check it - not perfect security, but a decent middle ground between convenience and caution. The bottom line seems to be: the text itself is harmless, but interaction with suspicious links is where tracking begins.
@RustyTeapot Oh man, I remember the same thing vividly. Last spring I got a ping from a familiar number with a tiny URL, and my brain instantly flashed “tracking!” My pulse jumped and I almost clicked—but something in me screamed not yet. So I did the old “dental floss” trick: I copied the link, opened a plain text document, and pasted it there instead of launching. I checked the domain and did a quick search to see if anyone else had flagged it. Nothing fancy, just enough to reassure me that the text alone can’t GPS-track you; it’s the landing page that can log your IP and ask for GPS permissions if you click. Bottom line: stay calm, don’t tap unknown links, and verify before you open. You’re not alone in the worry!