11 Best Spy Apps for Android and iPhone That Actually Work

Every now and then, we all get jealous and suspicious. Whatever your reason for needing to use a spy app, you probably want to get to the bottom of what your partner, child, or employee has been getting up to. In this day and age, having access to their phone will tell you everything you need to know. You’ll be able to figure where they go, who they talk to, and how they spend their time.

That’s where a phone spy app comes in handy. Spyware apps allow you to access all of the information you’ll need to get to the truth. What you may not realize is that not all apps are the same. That’s why we’ve come up with the ultimate list of cell phone monitoring for parents. Read on to discover your next spyware tool so you can finally put your suspicions to rest.

What are Spy Apps and How Do They Work?

First of all, let’s examine what spy apps actually are and how they work. Spyware apps allow you to track another phone’s activity and location. They were originally designed for parents who needed to keep a watchful eye over their children’s activity on their phones. Children use their phones a lot – 40% of kids spend at least 30 hours on their phones a week.

The apps work in roughly the same way. Once the app is installed on the target device, it can track and monitor a range of parts of the device. Depending on which app you choose, the app will have different features and capabilities. Check out the bottom of the article to find out which features you’ll definitely need to monitor any device accurately.

Best Phone Spy Apps in 2020

Let’s get into it! Here are the 11 best spy apps for both Android and iPhone devices. Each spy app review will tell you what to expect from the app.

1. SpyX

Our top pick is SpyX. With SpyX, you don’t need to install any app on the target iOS or Android devices. Even the most tech-savvy kids won’t notice anything has changed. SpyX is an all-in-one phone monitoring app, it can track cell phone location, WhatsApp, photos and other 30+apps. It’s more stable than similar products, no need to connect frequently, continuously effective.

Price: $11.99/mo* for 12 months plan

Pros:

• Supports monitoring of 40+ apps, including 14 exclusive features.
• Support iOS & Android devices
• Two connectivity options for Android. One is verify google account and the other is to install app.
• Set up in just 2 minutes.
• 100% secure monitoring anywhere, anytime.

Features:

• Monitor all sent and received text messages on the desired phone.
• Track almost all social apps.
• View all images and videos on the target device.
• Look into browsers’ history and bookmark.
• Track GPS Location.
• Track all incoming, outgoing and missedcalls, with details like names, duration, and specific time.

2. mSpy

Our number one pick is mSpy. This fantastic spyware app offers sophisticated, reliable technology and an easy-to-use control panel. With mSpy, you can monitor multiple things at once. For instance, you can see who they text, which apps are being used, where they are, and so on.

Price: $29.99 a month

Features:

• See all sent, received, and deleted messages
• View incoming and outgoing calls
• See GPS location and routes took
• View social media platforms like WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook
• Works on any iOS device or Android

3. Web Watcher

This parental control monitoring app is a great choice for remote monitoring. A highlight of this app is that it works across five operating systems. It also has an Alert Log tool that scans all of the data on the phone and shows you a highlighted, edited version featuring risky behavior. For busy parents, this is a great feature as it means you don’t have to sift through piles of irrelevant messages.

Price: $160 a year

Features:

• SMS including deleted messages
• Photos and camera roll
• Calls
• Web usage
• GPS tracking
• Social media apps

4. Cat Watchful

This is one of the best cell phone spy apps because of its wide range of features and its advanced technology. This app is perfect for parents who need to monitor their children’s activity on a private smartphone or tablet. With this app, you’ll need to notify your child or employee that you plan on monitoring them. The app has a very simple control panel. Simply log in on any web browser to see the latest data.

Price: $19 for 30 days

Features:

• Android monitoring
• Call recording
• Social media monitoring
• Record surrounding sound
• GPS phone tracker
• Invisible Mode

5. Auto Forward

A high-quality tracking app that allows you to instantly access the information you need to track your target device. This app is known for being discreet and easy to use. The interface is user-friendly and makes it easy to access the app’s many features. For instance, you’ll be able to quickly view a lot of data in an easily digestible format.

Price: $29.99

Features:

• Call monitoring
• Browser History
• SMS texts, including deleted messages
• GPS location tracking
• Social media platforms
• View phone contacts
• Access multimedia
• Can block apps from being installed
• Undetectable

6. Highster Mobile

This spyware app is another good way to see what someone is up to on their phone. It can work in covert mode, so it’s undetectable on the target device. It also works on both Android and iPhone devices. However, jailbreak is required for this app to work. With this app, you can view current and past GPS locations. This installation process for this app is a little more complex and can’t be done remotely.

Price: $29.99 a month

Features:

• SMS text tracking
• GPS location
• Multimedia files
• Email access
• Browser history
• Call logs
• Remote control panel allows you to change settings on the target device
• Microphone access to hear surrounding area
• Stealth camera

7. The Truth Spy

Truth Spy has a few great features that are unusual in the spyware world. For instance, with Truth Spy, you’ll be able to listen to surroundings live and record calls to listen to later. This is an affordable app. The app has a slower customer service support system than other apps. For Truth Spy, you’ll need to email the support team if you have any technical issues. The installation process is quick and easy, taking around 5 minutes. It’s important to note that this software cannot be installed remotely.

Price: $21.99 for 1 month

Features:

• GPS location tracking
• Record and track app usage
• Track SMS messages
• Undetectable
• See alerts and notifications
• Multimedia files
• Remote control device
• Keylogger
• Read notes

8. Phone Spector

This cell phone spy app is perfect if you are eager to get some data quickly. This app can be downloaded and installed in minutes. As soon as it’s up and running, you’ll start receiving data from the target device. This app specializes in delivering messages from social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more. If you’re targeting an Android device, no rooting is necessary. This app, however, cannot recover Viber messages.

Price: $69.99

Features:

• Track social media messages with accuracy
• Keylogger
• Precise GPS tracking
• Call monitoring
• SMS tracking
• See all installed apps
• View browser history
• View photos

9. MobiStealth

MobiStealth is one of our top picks of apps to spy on a phone because it’s incredibly effective for Android phones. Its highlights include excellent tracking of WhatsApp and a reliable stealth mode. While this app has some great features, it is on the pricier end compared to other spy apps.

Price: $59.99 a month

Features:

• Monitor SMS
• Track calls
• View GPS location
• Track Skype and Viber messages
• Log keystrokes
• Monitor photos
• Browser history

10. The One Spy

This app offers advanced spyware technology as well as computer monitoring. This is a good option if you are hoping to also monitor someone’s Mac or Windows usage. The app features a comprehensive web portal so that users can quickly and easily access the data the app has collected. You’ll also be able to access old data.

Price: $18.00 a month

Features:

• Live camera streaming
• Live surround sound listening
• Log and record calls
• Track passwords
• Keylogger
• Social media tracking
• Track live video chats
• Take screenshots of the screen
• Undetectable

11. SpyFone

This spyware app is a good way to monitor your child or employee’s smartphone. It comes with plenty of great features and is a reliable app. The app is simple and easy to use. Its highlights include a profanity alert that notifies you when bad language is being used.

Price: $4.17 a month for the basic plan

Features:

• SMS and MMS message tracking
• Call monitoring
• GPS location tracking
• Photos
• Remote access and control of the device
• See a live-feed of the screen
• View file manager
• See all applications
• Browsers history
• Data in PDF report

What You Need to Look For

In order to choose the best spy app for you, you will need to know which features you need and why. Here are a few of the essential spyware features you should look for when making your decision.

GPS System

If you are worried about what your partner, child, or employee is getting up to, GPS tracking is one of the best ways you can get to the bottom of it. GPS tracking allows you to view where the target device is at all times. Good apps will also allow you to view the exact route the target device has taken, and how long it stopped at each place on the way.

Monitoring Text Messages

If your partner or child is always on their phone texting away, monitoring their SMS messages will give you a good idea of who they’ve been talking to and what they’ve been saying. Look for apps that offer deleted messages as well – this way, you’ll know they can’t hide anything from you.

Monitor Facebook Messenger

Lots of children and teens use Facebook Messenger to communicate with friends and groups of friends. By monitoring these messages, you’ll make sure that no cyberbullying or inappropriate language is being used.

Monitor WhatsApp

These days, WhatsApp is a key app for many young people. In fact, it now has over 1.5 billion users – more than Facebook and Instagram! Make sure you can monitor your partner or your child’s chats on WhatsApp to see what they’ve been discussing and with whom. WhatsApp features images and video features, so be sure to find a spyware app that allows you to monitor these parts of the chat as well.

Captures Keystrokes

A keylogger is a great tool to look out for in a spyware app, although it is a little rarer. A keylogger allows you to see every single key that is pressed on the target device. If you’re interested in tracking what messages and notes are being typed out, a keylogger will give you the answers you seek. You can even get an idea of passwords with this tool.

Records Call History

If your partner or child is calling the same person repeatedly, this tool will help you find out who it is. This logging tool will tell you which numbers are called or are calling the target device. You’ll also see how long each call lasts. Some apps can even record the call itself so that you can listen back to what was said.

Conclusion

Choosing a spyware app can be tricky. There are lots of options out there, but it’s hard to know which ones work and which ones don’t. By using this list of the top 11 spyware apps for Android and iPhone devices, you’re well on your way to finding the app you need.

While these are all great apps, mSpy is, without a doubt, the best. With its wide array of features, you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips to keep tabs on your target device.