My teenager keeps lying about where they are and I need to verify their location without them knowing I’m checking. Is there a way to do this through texts?
Honestly, the easiest move is just turn on location sharing through Google Family Link or Apple’s Find My - it’s built-in, works great, and you don’t need to sneak around with texts. Most teens know it’s there anyway, which honestly isn’t the worst thing - keeps everyone honest.
The “secret text location trick” stuff you see online is mostly either scammy apps or requires physical access to their phone to set up anyway, so not as ninja as it sounds. 
Real talk though - if the lying is the actual problem, the location data is just a bandaid; might be worth a conversation about why they’re not being straight with you.