Spy apps have found a market in the parental and employee monitoring niche. You can monitor the location, messages, call logs, contact history, and much more. To use a spy app, you need to comply with your local surveillance laws. The most common aspect of these surveillance laws in most US states is that using a spy app to monitor someone without their permission is illegal. In the case of children below the age of 18, using a spy app as a parental monitoring tool is reasonable. However, an employer requires written consent from the employee to monitor the device provided to them by the company.
When selecting an app, there are various factors that you should consider but it’s the features that matter the most. In addition to this, the app’s device compatibility is another important factor to consider. Not all apps are compatible with the latest OS of Android and iPhone. Moreover, many spy apps affect the performance of the mobile phone. Hence, when subscribing to an app, you must consider their performance as well.
Most spy apps function in the same way. Spy apps run in hidden mode (some apps run in the visible mode as well) and record activity. When the phone connects to the internet, the app uploads the data to the cloud/server. The user receives live updates on an app or a web-based user account.
Below are the top 4 spy apps currently available in the US market.
Best 4 spy apps for Android and iOS devices
Xnspy
Xnspy is the best spy app because it has everything that one could ask for with regards to the features it offers and its performance. The app has been available for a while now. Over the years, with regular updates, the app has improved significantly. Users can monitor the device through a web-based user account. Once you log into the account, you can see the dashboard which provides details, such as the battery status level and the location of the device. On the left-hand side, you can navigate the features.
Xnspy has two subscription plans: Basic Edition and Premium Edition. The Premium Edition offers more features and is slightly expensive than the Basic Edition. However, if you want more updates regarding the activity on the monitored device, the Premium Edition is recommended.
Features
The main features of the app are as follows:
- Call logs: View the list of incoming, outgoing, and missed calls
- Contact list: View the list of contacts (with details of the contact, including phone number, name, etc.) saved on the phone
- Text messages: Records text conversations, including sent and received messages
- Instant messaging apps: Records the conversation on IM apps, such as Facebook Messenger, Skype, WhatsApp, Instagram Direct messages, LINE, Kik, Viber, and others
- Multimedia files: Accesses the photos and videos saved on the device
- Emails: Records incoming and outgoing emails, with details of the sender
- Internet browser history: Monitors the websites visited, with the URL, time, and date
- Location tracking: Monitors the live location as well as the previous location of the device
In addition to recording the activity on the device, users can also control the device remotely. The remote control features that Xnspy offer are as follows:
- Call recording: Records calls for up to 30 minutes
- Environment listening: Records the surroundings of the phone when it is in idle mode
- Application blocking: Allows the user to block applications remotely
- Locking device: Allows the user to lock the phone
Compatibility
Xnspy is compatible with the latest Android OS and iOS devices.
- Android: Android 4.x to 9.x
- iOS: 6.x to 13.1.3
Installation
The installation procedure is straight-forward. To install the app on an Android device, you need physical access to the device. When you subscribe to the app, you receive a link on your email account. You can download the app through the link. To install the app on an iOS device, you only need the iCloud credentials (Apple ID and password). You can set up the app on an iPhone by logging into your Xnspy account. Provide the iCloud credentials and select the device that you want to monitor.
Pros:
- Affordable subscription plans
- Does not drain the battery of the device
- Does not slow down the performance of the cellphone
- Excellent 24/7 customer support
- Provides live updates
Cons:
- Does not have a mobile-based app that provides details on the monitored device.
TheWiSpy
TheWiSpy is the most demanding mobile spy app in the present times. It offers winning monitoring features to help parents record and monitor the cyberspace of their children. Not only parents but businesses as well find TheWiSpy the best tool for employee surveillance. TheWiSpy has over a million satisfied clients around the world. The app was first launched in 2018. Today, it has upgraded its functionality and performance with high-end spying and monitoring features. TheWiSpy online dashboard is an ultimate way that provides its users with remote access to their target devices. Moreover, TheWiSpy’s dashboard enables its users to control the target device with remote commands. To eliminate the dangers of the online world, TWS delivers app blocking and web filtering features that help parents to create a protected cyber environment for their kids.
TheWiSpy comes in three different editions; starter, basic, and premium. The starter edition is a 15-days subscription that offers only standard mobile monitoring features; its price is $9.99. The basic edition of the TWS app comes in one to six months license subscriptions. The cost of the TWS basic edition starts from $19.99. TheWiSpy’s premium edition is one of a kind. Its price starts from $29.99, offering high-end monitoring tools that can track your target device completely.
Features:
Here are the details of TheWiSpy extensive cell phone spying features;
- Call Recording: TWS can record phone calls (dialed or received) and delivers high-quality recorded audio files with call details like call duration, contact information, and timestamps.
- Call Logs History: It allows you to spy on the call history of your target device. Monitor call logs details and discovers frequent callers who call your kids or employees.
- Text Message Spy: TWS records all text chats and uploads the sent and received text messages on an online dashboard. You can remotely access the text messages and read everything with no suspicion.
- GPS Tracking: It can track the GPS location of your target Android device. TheWiSpy can trace location history, track pin location, and extract visited places of the target device.
- Screen Recording: You can monitor all the mobile activities by recording the screen of your target device. Spy on social media activities, read IMs chats, and monitor other details with such a feature.
- App Monitoring: It can help you track all the installed apps of the device you wish to monitor. Spy on the app drawer and monitor frequently used apps without letting the target user know.
- Ambient Listening: TheWiSpy allows you to listen to ambient sounds with a surround recording feature. Now, you can turn on your target device’s mic remotely and listen to background sounds like a pro.
Compatibility:
- TheWiSpy is an Android spy app that can track the following Android-powered devices;
- Supported Android OS Versions: 4.x to the latest.
Installation:
TheWiSpy installation process is straightforward. There are no preconditions of having technical knowledge, as anyone can install the TWS app. All you need to do is get TheWiSpy subscription from the authorized website www.thewispy.com. Follow the instructional manual provided upon registration and install the spyware app on your target device. Remember that to install TheWiSpy app; there is a prerequisite of having physical access to your target device. Once you install the TWS app, you can simply monitor your target devices from a web-based control panel.
Pros:
- TheWiSpy is an affordable spy app.
- It offers advanced features like camera spy, surround recording, call recording, screen recording, and many others.
- The customer support of the TWS app is very active. They answer all customer queries within a few minutes.
- It is effortless to operate TheWiSpy app. The user interface is user-friendly.
- TheWiSpy is a legal monitoring app that secures all your details from hacking and data breach attempts.
Cons:
- Only Android devices are compatible with this app.
- Features like social media monitoring are not yet available.
mSpy
mSpy is among the reputed and trusted spy apps available online. The app’s target audience is parents who want to monitor the daily activity on their child’s phone. Although the app gives many features, it offers fewer features than the best apps. What it lacks is the number of features but makes up for it performance-wise. Similar to other spy apps, users can view the activity on the monitored device through a web-based user account. The app provides live updates to the user.
Features
The features that mSpy offers are as follows:
- Call logs: View the incoming and outgoing call, with the time and date associated with each call
- Instant Messaging apps: Monitor messages on IM apps, such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and others
- Text messages: View SMS and iMessages received on the phone
- Location tracking: Tracks the current location of the monitored device
- Multimedia files: View the photos and videos saved on the device
- Internet usage: Monitor the list of websites visited on the device
- Emails: Read incoming and outgoing emails
- Application blocking: Allows the user to block applications
Compatibility
mSpy is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
- Android: 4 and above
- iOS: All iOS versions
Installation
To install mSpy on an Android phone, you need physical access to the device. Once you download the app on your child’s phone, the installation process takes a couple of minutes. You can install mSpy remotely. However, you have to manually access the device if the 2fa code is enabled on iCloud.
Pros:
- 24/7 customer support
- Good performance
Cons:
- Does not offer a lot of features for remotely controlling the device
- A limited number of features for iOS and Android devices
- Expensive subscription plans
Spyzie
Spyzie is another spy app that has been on the market for several years. Spyzie is popular for its parental monitoring features. The app is compatible with Android as well as iOS devices. Hence, users can use it on almost all mobile phones. Since the app doesn’t offer too many features, it’s light nature does not affect the performance of the device. In addition to monitoring the activity on the device using the web-based user account, users can also download the data from the account to review it at a later time.
Features
The main features that the app offers are as follows:
- Messages: Accesses the text messages sent and received on the target device
- Location: Monitors the live location of the device
- Browser history: Provides access to the user to view the visited websites
- Call logs: Monitors the incoming and outgoing calls in detail
- Photos: Access pictures saved on the monitored device
- Contacts: View the contacts on the device
- Instant messaging apps: View messages sent on the app, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Snapchat
- Timeline: Allows the user to view the activities in a chronological manner
Compatibility
The OS version compatible with the device are as follows:
- Android: OS versions up to 8
- iOS: Up to iOS 12
Installation
You need to register an account on Spyzie to install the app. The installation process for Android and iOS devices is the same. To install the app on a mobile phone, you need physical access to the device. Once you install the app, you can begin monitoring the device remotely.
Pros:
- Provides alerts if abnormal activity is detected on the device
Cons:
- A limited number of features
- Expensive than most spy apps
Concluding remark
Users of spy apps must be cautious about installing a spy app. Not all spy apps are legitimate; some may spy on personal information. Also, if a particular spy app is available for free, you should be wary since the app is malware that will likely infect and hijack your mobile device.
