This paper introduces two recursive realizations of the phase transform (PHAT) processor for time‐delay estimation (TDE), using a simple one‐pole low‐pass filter and the least‐mean‐square (LMS) adaptive filter, respectively. It is shown that these adaptive methods are capable of tracking time‐varying delay functions which correspond to moving sources or receivers, and are very effective in reducing the effect of interfering tonals which must be generated by the target as jamming signals to mask its movement. The performances of these methods are compared with those of other existing adaptive TDE algorithms via computer simulations.