Gecko Finder for Consumers Gecko Finder for Mobile Operators
Employee Finder Landmark API Textor

Gecko Finder for Consumers

available in South Africa for MTN and Vodacom Subscribers

Finding another person has never been this easy! All Vodafone and MTN subscribers can be located with the permission of the phone owner.

This will give families peace of mind and ability to enhance safety. For friends Gecko Finder is a cool tool for finding each other with convenience and being able to do more things together.

You only pay R3 for each message sent and nothing else. No subscription fees.

How to use Gecko Finder


Three commands to remember:

  • Send FIND PHONENUMBER to 35955 (R3) e.g. FIND 0212345678
  • Alternatively nickname can be assigned: send FIND PHONENUMBER NICKNAME to 35955 (R3) e.g. FIND 0212345678 Pete. Second time request FIND Pete is sufficient
  • Send LIST to 35955 (R3) to see who can track me and who I can track
  • Send STOP to 35955 (R3) to stop others being able to locate me

Easy to use and powerful Gecko Finder application for families and friends


How it works:

Gecko Finder Intro


Detailed Gecko Finder Instructions

  1. FIND

    Send FIND PHONENUMBER to 35955 (R3) e.g. FIND 0212345678 to locate requested person.

    Alternatively nickname can be assigned: send PHONENUMBER NICKNAME to 35955 (R3) e.g. FIND 0212345678 Pete. Second time request FIND Pete is sufficient making frequent use easier.

    The person requested to be located receives an SMS informing that by responding “YES” will enable the requesting person to locate him or her. If no response or other response, FIND rights are not given.

    When FIND rights are given FIND NICKNAME or FIND PHONENUMBER will return a well-known place nearby (landmark) where the person who is being located resides. Well-known places are approximately 200 meters apart in urban areas and in rural areas further apart.

  2. LIST

    Send LIST to 35955 (R3) to see who can track me and who I can track. Once a month you will also receive a list of phonenumbers who can locate you. Gecko Finder is fully transparent.

  3. STOP

    Send STOP to 35955 (R3) to stop other people being able to locate me and my FIND rights to other people.

    If you want to stop one specific person from locating you, please send STOP PHONENUMBER to 35955 (R3) e.g. STOP 0212345678. The person holding the phone number cannot locate you after that and you do not have FIND rights to that number.

  4. AFRIKAANS AND ZULU

    To use the service in Zulu, replace FIND and LIST with THOLA and HLELA. For Afrikaans, use VIND and LYS.

Full Terms and Conditions for Gecko Finder messages


Send FIND PHONENUMBER to 35955 (R3) receive a SMS telling the location where your friends or family members are. Asks permission on the first FIND. Send STOP to 35955 (R3) to remove all FIND rights and to stop SMS messages sent. Learn about more features: Send HELP to 35955 (R3) or www.geckolandmarks.com/za/. This service can be used by the subscribers of the Vodacom and MTN Networks to locate other subscribers in the Vodacom and MTN Networks in South Africa.

VAS rates: all messages sent to 35955 R3 per SMS. Premium rates apply. Free SMS's do not apply. SMS access bearer charges apply. All prices Include VAT. Errors billed. Bill payers permission required. Gecko Landmarks is a member of WASPA and complies with the Code of Conduct of WASPA www.waspa.org.za.

Frequency Asked Questions

Why do I not receive the message back after having sent FIND PHONENUMBER?

The other person has not permitted you to locate him or her by responding “YES”. “YES” is only required when requesting to FIND for the first time. The other person could have switched off the phone or the other person is traveling abroad and is not able to use shortcode 35955 when abroad.

Or the other person may have stopped your FIND rights to him or her. Please send LIST to 35955 (R3) to see your FIND rights. If you have FIND rights but have not received response, the other phone might be switched off.

I think this other person is able track me. How do I stop that?

Please send LIST to 35955 (R3) and you can see if you have given FIND rights of your location to other people. If you want to stop others from locating you, please STOP to 35955 (R3) that will stop others from being able to FIND you and you cannot FIND others.

I received message indicating that my daughter is near hotel and not near the school even though I know she is at school. What is the reason for that?

The given location is based on the mobile operator’s network tower that you daughter’s mobile phone is using. We provide the closest well-known place (or landmark) to the mobile operator’s tower. Our well-known places (landmarks) are approximately 200 meters apart in urban areas and further apart in rural areas. The hotel must be close to the school where your daughter is. When she moves within the school her mobile network tower might change and location could be expressed as another near-by place from the school itself or school if it is a locally well-known place.

Can I use my contact list in the phone with FIND command?

Gecko Finder is not integrated with your contact list in the phone. You need to type FIND PHONUMBER NICKNAME (e.g. FIND 0212345678 Laura) when requesting for the location. Second time request allows the use of nicknames (e.g. FIND Laura). This approach was selected to optimize transparent and clear authorizations.

How do I register for the service?

You don’t need to register to the service separately. You just start using the service with the three commands: FIND, STOP and LIST.