What Is ADS-B Exchange?

ADS-B Exchange (globe.adsbexchange.com) is a live aircraft tracking map built on crowdsourced ADS-B and Mode S receiver data. It is best known for showing unfiltered traffic — including military, private, and non-ICAO aircraft that other tracking sites often hide or block. You can use it free to watch live flights, replay an aircraft's recent history, and inspect detailed Mode S fields; an optional Premium tier removes ads and adds a satellite layer.

How the data gets there

ADS-B Exchange does not rely on a single feed. It aggregates signals picked up by a network of volunteer and community receivers.

• ADS-B / Mode S: Aircraft broadcast position, altitude, speed, and identity over these protocols. A receiver within range decodes them.
• MLAT (multilateration): When an aircraft has a Mode S transponder but isn't broadcasting full ADS-B position, its location can be calculated by timing how long its signal takes to reach four or more receivers. The site notes MLAT requires the contact to have a Mode S transponder and reception by at least 4 receivers.
• Non-ICAO and anonymized targets: Some entries show a hex ID that is dynamic and can't be tied to a specific type or registration. You may see labels like "Non-ICAO hex," "Anonymized MLAT result," or "ATC contact broadcast." These appear because the site does not strip them out the way filtered trackers do.

Because coverage depends on where receivers are, a blank or "n/a" field usually means no receiver heard that data — not that the aircraft lacks it.

What you can actually do on the site

The interface is a map with a search and filter layer on top. Practical uses:

• Track live: Click any aircraft icon to open a detail panel with altitude, speed, track, squawk, vertical rate, and signal source.
• Replay history: Use the History controls (UTC day, previous/next, and speed multipliers from 1x to 40x) and click a trace line to start playback. If nothing shows, the panel reports "No history available for this aircraft."
• Filter the map: Narrow by altitude, source, DB flags, or an "interesting" flag, and toggle categories like Ground Vehicles and Non-ICAO Targets.
• Search and jump: Enter a callsign, or jump straight to an airport or a latitude/longitude pair.
• Export: Positions can be exported as KML, with a choice between geometric altitude (EGM96), barometric plus average, or uncorrected pressure altitude.
• Adjust display: Change text and icon size, icon multiplier, and units (Aeronautical, Metric, Imperial).

Free vs. Premium

The site references a "Premium Login: no ads / Sat. Layer" option. Pricing and payment details are not stated in the available page information, so check the site directly before assuming cost or terms. Nothing here should be read as confirming the service is free of login requirements beyond what the page shows.

Things to know before you rely on it

• "n/a" is normal. Fields like registration, type, and airline are frequently blank for military, anonymized, or non-ICAO contacts.
• Hex IDs aren't always fixed. A dynamic hex can't be connected to a type or registration, so don't treat it as a stable aircraft identity.
• UAV data shown is noted as Part 107, and the site invites UAV operators to contact them to register.
• Coverage is receiver-dependent. If a flight disappears, it likely left receiver range rather than landed.
• The map is protected by reCAPTCHA, and you may see "Problem fetching data from the server" during outages or rate limits.

If your goal is spotting aircraft that mainstream trackers omit, or replaying where a specific flight went, ADS-B Exchange is built for exactly that. If you need guaranteed, complete coverage of a given region, treat it as one source among several, since gaps follow the receiver network.