Are you worried about what the kids are doing online? Or maybe you are a business owner and just want to track how your employees use the company device? Spy apps are your solution.
You can download and install them on Android or iPhone and check the smartphone usage, including social media, text messages, phone calls, specific applications, etc. The app is hidden, and the person will not know that it is installed on the device.
Moreover, most spy apps keep their recorded data in the cloud, meaning that you can check information from anywhere.
However, selecting the best application can be quite difficult, as there are hundreds of products for both platforms. Are they worth your time and money?
We checked and tested a lot of spy apps and here is the list of the best 10 of them.
1 month — $48.99 per month ($69.99 per month after renewal)
3 months — $27.99 per month ($39.99 per month after renewal)
12 months — $11.66 per month ($16.66 per month after renewal)
Compatibility
iOS — iOS 7-9.1 (jailbreak), all versions (no jailbreak)
Android 4 and newer
The powerful multi-functional mSpy app is a well-deserved leader on the market. Its simple usage algorithm, intuitive interface, and wide range of monitoring capabilities make the program simply indispensable, especially in the field of parental control. The software has not only basic features like listening, reading chats, and GPS positioning, but also completely unique, innovative features. The list includes blocking suspicious content, unwanted contacts, geo-limiting, and much more.
The basic monitoring options require no jailbreak or root, and it’s one of the best options for those who aren’t tech-savvy and would rather skip the more complicated procedure. However, for unlimited access to everything that happens on the phone, you may need to jailbreak or root it. The app hides its icon and does not alert the target.
No matter what phone your target uses (Android or iPhone), mSpy will work seamlessly on both operating systems. This phone spying app has all the features such as text message monitoring, instant messaging, contact list, call log, and location tracking.
For those who struggle with technology but want full access to another device, mSpy has reliable tech support that will quickly provide you with the information you need and walk you through installing the app on your target device.
Using the mSpy app, you can be sure that all your information is completely protected. You remain 100% invisible. The information is updated every 5 minutes, allowing you to control all events and not to miss anything important.
Features
Manage calls
Track text messages
Read most messaging apps and emails
GPS location tracking and geo-fencing
Control apps on your target device
Screen recording
View photos and videos
Monitor online activity
Access contact list and calendar
Detailed reports
Pros
Competitive pricing
Compatible with Android and iOS devices
Easy installation
Hidden app icon
Activity tracker to track screen time
Geo-fence capabilities
Ability to view media files
Family pack for monitoring multiple targets
Fast tech support
Cons
Pricing could be more clearly displayed with a pricing page
Premium — $68 a month, $99 for 3 months, $149 for 12 months
Extreme — $199 for 3 months, $349 for 12 months
Compatibility
iOS 6.0 and newer, Android 4 and newer
FlexiSPY is one of the most powerful Android spy apps out there. And it’s undetectable because it has some unique and incredibly useful features that no other phone spy software offers.
This is one of the best mobile spy apps on the market for those who are more familiar with technology and are willing to spend a little more on advanced features. This powerful cell phone monitoring software allows you to stay up-to-date and remotely monitor everything that happens on your target device. The FlexiSPY Extreme version offers unbeatable spy phone capabilities and includes an app for computers.
FlexiSPY not only gives you access to call logs but even allows you to listen to the phone calls. Another great feature is the ability to order a smartphone with the pre-installed FlexiSPY app on the target phone. You will not even have to spend time setting everything up.
The app works seamlessly both on Android and iOS phones and tablets. FlexiSPY offers informative and friendly technical support to help with installation, hacking, and any ongoing maintenance for those who need technical assistance.
Features
Call logs
Access to the contact list, calendar, audio, and video files
Remote recording, activation, and deactivation
Tracking text messages, emails, and messaging apps
Geolocation
Remote restart
Battery level control
Informative dashboard to control every parameter in any browser
Pros
The most powerful hidden spy app for Android and iOS
Full access to all phone features
Listen to live calls and record calls
Hidden spy apps on your phone
Surround listening feature
Great user experience and ease of use
Phone with pre-installed spy apps
Free installation service for those who are not tech-savvy
This app is known as one of the most reliable solutions for phone spying. You can monitor any data on your Android or iOS devices without having to get root rights or jailbreak them. Moreover, the app is 100% undetectable — it has a hidden icon and doesn’t display its process in the process manager.
It takes only several megabytes on the target device and consumes very few battery resources. It works in complete secrecy, and you can delete the app with a single click. It takes 5 minutes or less to complete the setup on the target device. However, compared to other products, Cocospy is quite limited.
Features
Track calls, text messages, location, social media, website history, and messaging apps
Geofence alert
Stealth mode to hide any app activity on the target device
Pros
It can secretly monitor any compatible device
Geofence alert
Stealth mode
Location history
No need for root or jailbreak to use the app features
No need to install the app on iOS
24/7 customer support
60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
A limited set of features compared to top apps in the category
Basic — $39.99 for 1 month, $59.99 for 3 months, $99.99 for 12 months
Premium — $49.99 for 1 month, $69.99 for 3 months, $119.99 for 12 months
Family (3 devices) — $69.99 for 1 month, $99.99 for 3 months, $199.99 for 12 months
iOS pricing
Premium (1 device) — $49.99 for 1 month, $79.99 for 3 months, $129.99 for 12 months
Family (5 devices) — $99.99 for 1 month, $199.99 for 3 months, $399.99 for 12 months
Business (25 devices) — $399.99 for 1 month, $699.99 for 3 months, $999.99 for 12 months
Compatibility
Android 4.0 and newer, all versions of iOS
Spyzie app very intelligently monitors all the activities on the target device. This monitoring tool works well with both iOS and Android smartphones.
On Spyzie, the data is tracked and updated in real time. This way, you get real-time updates about the target device remotely. It tracks everything on the target device, from Instagram posts to call logs.
Spyzie offers many features to track smartphones: keylogger, screen capture, call recording, surround sound recording, and many others. What’s more, it claims to track the location of the target device, contacts, call logs, text messages, and many other traditional spy app features.
The app is very easy to use. If you have any questions on how to set up and configure the application, feel free to contact customer support.
Features
Online Control Panel where you access every app feature
Call and text messages monitoring — check the time, duration, and identify numbers
Access contacts, calendar, GPS location, website history, and messaging apps
View audio and video files made on the camera and stored on the target device
Keylogger that tracks all the input text in every app
Check the list of installed applications end block all the inappropriate ones
Geofence alert
Invisible mode and hidden app
Pros
Most de-facto spy apps standard features
Scheduled restriction
Detailed reports and full remote control
No need for root or jailbreak
No need to install the app on iOS — just approve the iCloud credentials of the target device
Friendly customer support
Money-back guarantee
Cons
The service does not provide all the advanced features compared to others
Spyera is another all-in-one spy app that does not require a complicated rooting procedure. The app offers many common features such as text message monitoring, keylogger, social media tracking, app tracking, and even some more advanced features like call recording.
In addition, the app also offers you the ability to listen and record your phone’s surroundings. It will help you keep track of what is being said around.
In addition to this, Spyera also gives users remote control to enable or disable Wi-Fi or Internet connectivity. This is a useful feature, as you can monitor when your child or employee goes online.
Moreover, Spyera is also a great anti-theft solution because it can send you alerts when there are any SIM card changes and has a GPS tracking feature that helps you locate the device without the thief knowing.
Family — basic free version + paid add-ons from $16.66 per month
Business (self-hosted) — $9.9 per month for 1 device (not less than 20 devices), add-ons included
Compatibility
Android3 and newer
iOS 9.x-14.x (no jailbreak), any version (jailbreak)
This is another simple and easy-to-use smartphone monitoring application. It provides an informative online dashboard that allows you to view data collected from the target device. On top of that, you can even remotely control the target phone with SMS commands and set a screen time limit.
The limitation of this free hidden spy app is that it requires you to root or jailbreak your smartphone to actually be able to use all its features. So, if you don’t really like the procedure, iKeyMonitor is not your choice.
Although the iKeyMonitor app is a bit more technical and the installation process is a bit complicated, it’s a pretty robust package that includes all the advertised spy features at a very reasonable price per month.
The basic features are available for free. Additional ones are available as paid addons.
Features
Track text messages and messaging apps
Call recording and history logs
GPS tracking and geo-fencing
Take screenshots
Check installed apps, block inappropriate ones
Access clipboard
View media files
Full remote control and phone info
Pros
Basic but powerful spy app for iPhone and Android
Invisible Mode
Basics features are available for free
Powerful keylogger to monitor chat apps
Take screenshots to check the target phone screen
Parental controls to limit screen time
Cons
Advanced monitoring features require jailbreak or rooting
XLite — $25 for 1 month, $45 for 3 months, $75 for a year
Premium — $55 for 1 month, $105 for 3 months, $165 for a year
iOS pricing
Premier — $55 for 1 month, $105 for 3 months, $125 for 6 months
Compatibility
Android 5-11
iOS 11-14.1
TheOneSpy has many remote features that provide you with full information about the target device. The app is easy to install and has an intuitive menu. It works smoothly and gives you control over your smartphone’s target environment. For example, you can control the microphone, front and rear cameras, and record audio and video.
You can take screenshots and perform live screen recordings remotely, even if you don’t have physical access to your target smartphone soon after you installed the software. You can also track social networking and messaging apps, browsers, YouTube, application passwords, SMS, emails, and other possible activities. You can track cell phone logs virtually and also have access to a complete list of downloaded apps on the device.
Features
Call logs including social networks and messaging apps
Real-time call recording
GPS location tracking
Data backup of all lost or stolen data
User-friendly interface, complete accuracy, and efficiency
Geo-fencing
Hidden app icon and secret mode
Pros
Easy installation
Full remote control
Reliable and secure work
Affordable pricing
24/7 customer support
Cons
iOS app requires a jailbreak, many Android features are available only on rooted devices
Basic — $39.99 for 1 month, $59.99 for 3 months, $99.99 for 12 months
Premium — $49.99 for 1 month, $69.99 for 3 months, $119.99 for 12 months
Family (3 devices) — $69.99 for 1 month, $99.99 for 3 months, $199.99 for 12 months
iOS pricing
Premium (1 device) — $49.99 for 1 month, $79.99 for 3 months, $129.99 for 12 months
Family (5 devices) — $99.99 for 1 month, $199.99 for 3 months, $399.99 for 12 months
Business (25 devices) — $399.99 for 1 month, $699.99 for 3 months, $999.99 for 12 months
Compatibility
Android 4 and newer, all iOS devices
Minspy is among the most popular and reliable spy apps for Android and iOS. It will help you to track any data on your target device. You do not need jailbreak or root to access all the all features. In addition, it is absolutely undetectable. After installation, it hides its icon and it’s impossible to track its processes in the process manager.
The product does not require a lot of device resources and consumes very few battery resources. It will take you several minutes to complete the setup. However, some features can seem a bit limited compared to more advanced products.
Features
View incoming and outgoing calls remotely, including timestamps, duration, the most frequent callers, etc.
Access text messages, including attached media files, contact info, time, and even deleted messages
Check location via GPS, Geofence alert
Track messaging apps and web browser activity
Invisible Mode to hide any app activity on the target device
Pros
Easy tracking of any compatible device
Geofence alert
Invisible Mode
Full location history
Key logger and call records
No need to jailbreak or root to access all the app features
No need to install the app on iOS — just approve your iCloud credentials
24/7 customer support
Money-back guarantee
Cons
A set of available features can seem a bit limited compared to top apps on the market
Basic — $29.99 for 1 month, $41.99 for 3 months, $59.99 for a year
Premium — $35.99 for 1 month, $59.99 for 3 months, $89.99 for a year
Compatibility
Android 4-11, iOS 6.x-15.0.1
XNSPY is another innovative spy app to track Android and iOS devices activity. Using the service, you can read your target’s text messages, track their current phone location, and hiddenly monitor their phone activity.
Designed to allow parents and employers to track everything that happens on a cell phone, XNSPY provides some additional spying features such as social media monitoring (for example, instant messaging on WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, Twitter), access to photos and videos, and GPS location-tracking features.
All data is uploaded to the app’s real-time dashboard, which you can access at any time to monitor multiple devices. You can quickly switch between each device.
The weakest XNSPY point is that the free customer support provides replies after a very long time. In any case, the company has listed solutions to frequently asked questions online so you can search their website before contacting their team. Nonetheless, XNSPY is still a good choice with all the standard features you expect from a spy app.
Basic — $39.99 for 1 month, $59.99 for 3 months, $99.99 for 12 months
Premium — $49.99 for 1 month, $69.99 for 3 months, $119.99 for 12 months
Family (3 devices) — $69.99 for 1 month, $99.99 for 3 months, $199.99 for 12 months
iOS pricing
Premium (1 device) — $49.99 for 1 month, $79.99 for 3 months, $129.99 for 12 months
Family (5 devices) — $99.99 for 1 month, $199.99 for 3 months, $399.99 for 12 months
Business (25 devices) — $399.99 for 1 month, $699.99 for 3 months, $999.99 for 12 months
Compatibility
Android 4 and newer, all iOS devices
Spyic is another great iPhone and Android monitoring app. Customers from over 190 countries widely use the program for parental control and employee monitoring.
With the Spyic app, you can monitor the Android and iOS devices of your loved ones, children, and employees. The service tracks the location in real-time, remotely reads text messages, and records calls. Additionally, you can easily control all the games and applications installed on the target device.
Features
Text messages tracking — view received and sent SMS with date and time, as well as get sender and recipient contact information
GPS location in real-time, notifications when the person leaves the safe zone
Contact list and call log
Track all the popular messaging apps
Web browser history including Internet searches and bookmarks
Track the SIM activity on your target device and get notifications if the information is changed
Pros
100% invisibility
No need to root or jailbreak the monitored phone
Remote installation on iOS devices
Affordable prices
Cons
Compared to top apps, Spyic may lack some advanced features
All spy apps work in the same way. You have to install and activate the app on the target device. Usually, it takes minutes. Once the spy app is set up, it collects hidden and invisible personal data and sends it to a server. You can access the server through a web interface and check all kinds of information, depending on the app and tariff plan.
Typically, smartphone or tablet owners usually have no way of recognizing that an app is installed on their device. This is possible because the spy apps hide their icon.
2.2 What can spy apps track?
Spy apps can track a wide variety of data:
emails
SMS and messaging apps data
photos and videos
phone and messaging apps calls
GPS location data
cell phone camera
calendar events
web browser history, etc.
2.3 Can you install a spy app on any smartphone?
Generally, you can install a spy app on any smartphone. In most cases, you need physical access to your target device.
To use the basic features, you will not need root or jailbreak. However, you still need to root or jailbreak your device for some premium features.
Until recently, it was only possible to install spy apps on an iPhone or iPad with jailbreak. Meanwhile, there are iPhone spy apps that work without jailbreaking. Some services do not even require installing an application. To start working, it is enough to approve the iCloud login and password.
2.4 Why do you need a spy app?
There are many reasons to use a spy app. The top three are:
Parents who want to monitor their children
Employers who want to monitor their employees
Life partners who suspect their significant other of infidelity
A spy app can be very useful, for example, for tracking your children’s online behavior. It will help to protect them from danger. For employers, on the other hand, it can be useful to make sure that employees work during working hours or that they are not using their cell phones for personal use.
2.5 Are spy apps legal?
Before you install a spy app, you should know that it is only allowed with the prior consent of the target device owner. Thus, secretly spying on partners or employees is illegal in many countries. The only exception to this rule applies to parents who want to monitor their children in which case, the use of smartphone spy apps is legal without their knowledge.
3. Conclusion
It is very important to select the right app for your needs. While almost all the spy apps provide the same basic features, not all of them provide advanced ones.
All the applications in our review are reliable and safe. You can use them without any risk.
Learn how to stay safe online in this free 34-page eBook.
Marcus is a cybersecurity analyst with a focus on VPN and proxy services. As the founder and driving force behind a prominent VPN and proxy website, Private Proxy Guide, Marcus has emerged as a trusted authority in the digital realm. With a passion for staying ahead of evolving cyber threats, he has played a pivotal role in educating and empowering individuals and businesses to safeguard their online presence.
