Best Spy App for 2024 - Top Android & iPhone Spy Apps Compared (2024)

The best spy apps are designed to give parents (and even spouses) peace of mind about their loved one’s online and offline activities. To help you find the best phone spy app, we’ve ranked, compared, and reviewed the 8 best free and paid options available today.

From mSpy, the best spy app, to the best free spy apps to location tracking software, we’ve included various options for varying needs and budgets. With one of these, you’ll be able to see everything happening on the target device. Read on to learn more.

The Best Spy Apps for 2024 Ranked

There are ample mobile spy apps on the market. Based on our research of the best monitoring apps available, mSpy is the best phone spy app you can buy, but here’s a quick overview of the market’s best spyware apps:

1. mSpy — The best phone spy app overall with its superb range of features, including the ability to remotely control the device, block sites, and implement geo-fenced tracking.
2. Spynger — A mobile spy app designed specifically to confirm or dispel suspicions you have about your partner. It lets you monitor 16+ social media and IM apps.
3. uMobix — A consistent and reliable phone spy with a comprehensive set of features, including the ability to view deleted messages and to remotely control the device.
4. Scannero — The best phone spy if you need GPS location tracking, as it requires no app installation and is dirt cheap. It’s 100% anonymous, too.
5. Spybubble Pro — The best phone spyware for seeing hidden/deleted/altered content on the target device. It even tells you if the user has changed SIM cards.
6. Phonsee — The best spyware for Android and iPhone if you’re on a budget, as it offers a keylogger and a screen recorder for less than $9/month.
7. EyeZy — A great option for budget-conscious customers and comes with detailed internet activity analytics and a powerful keylogger.
8. ClevGuard — Offers popular parental control monitoring solutions, like KidsGuard, and it boasts easily the most advanced tech you’d find among the best phone spy apps.

The Best Spy Software for Android and iPhone Devices Reviewed

Many of the best hidden spy apps have a number of features in common. However, there are also differences between them in regard to installation, ease of use, features, and pricing. Here’s reviews on each spy app provider to help you decide:

1. mSpy — The Best Phone Spy App Overall For Parents and Spouses

mSpy is a leading parental control app, and it’s a great place to start for ensuring your child’s safety both online and in the real world. It’s easy to use, despite offering a powerful range of features.

What’s more, it has a fairly staggering user base of over 1.5 million households, which is no surprise, as it takes just a couple of minutes to fully set up, syncing every 5 minutes thereafter.

mSpy monitors everything from the browser history to social media and SMS messages with ease. You can even see deleted messages thanks to the powerful screen recorder and keylogging capabilities. On top of this, the tool excels at giving you in-depth control over your monitoring experience. You can even access remote control features to record your loved one’s surroundings or phone calls.

This can help protect your child from real-world threats like bullying or help you find a cheating spouse. To top it off, mSpy does all of this in secret, staying completely undetectable on the target device. Naturally, as the best hidden spy app, mSpy has much more to offer — a whopping 36 features, to be exact.

2. Spynger — A Powerful Spouse Spy Phone Monitoring App

Spynger is easily one of the best spy apps for phones. Designed for spouse monitoring, it’s one of the best boyfriend spy apps (and girlfriend), for good reason.

For starters, it lets you secretly monitor your loved one’s social media activity, including on instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

It even lets you see if your partner is on any dating apps or sites. This is all thanks to the keylogger and hidden screen recorder.

Beyond all this, you can, of course, also monitor their texts (including deleted ones), call logs, browser history, and even the media files saved on the device.

It runs undetectable on the device and is surprisingly easy to set up on both iPhone and Android. That said, unlike ClevGuard, there’s unfortunately no call recording.

3. uMobix — Feature-Packed Spyware App for Android and iPhone

uMobix provides top-of-the-line real-time monitoring capabilities for Android and iOS devices. If you’re looking for a comprehensive, feature-rich hidden phone spy app, uMobix is perfect.

One of the app’s biggest USPs is its host of remote control features. Most apps won’t allow you to take control of the target device and access their microphone and camera, uMobix does.

Alongside having live insight into your loved one’s surroundings, uMobix allows you to record all calls to and from the target device- perfect for catching misbehaving teens, for example.

If you’re concerned about what they’re doing when you’re not monitoring them, uMobix will show you all messages, even if they’ve been deleted. You can even restrict or block certain apps or sites and set up keyword alerts. This means you won’t need to constantly monitor the activity for peace of mind, you’ll get alerted to anything suspicious.

4. Scannero — Reliable Phone Spy App for Location Tracking

If you’re after the best phone spy app for location tracking in particular, then this is the best option. At $0.89, it’s as close to a reliable free spy as you’ll get.

It’s very similar to GeoFinder in the sense that the primary focus of the app is GPS location tracking and it’s done with just a phone number — no app installation is needed.

That said, Scannero has more under its hood that GeoFinder doesn’t. Beyond mobile location tracking, there are also reverse lookup services on offer.

For example, if you meet someone on a dating app, you can run the username through Scannero to confirm who they say they are.

You can do the same for someone you find your spouse is talking to online. If you don’t know who’s messaging or calling, for example, you can also get this information with Scannero.

In fact, Scannero even lets you send anonymous voice messages, which is a unique feature among the best phone spy apps. It’s all very easy to use as well and takes just minutes.

5. SpyBubble Pro — Dedicated Cell Phone Spyware to Monitor Your Spouse

SpyBubble Pro is one of the best hidden spy apps for seeing deleted calls and texts, hidden apps, and even renamed contacts. SpyBubble Pro is designed to give you peace of mind.

There’s a lot more beyond this that makes SpyBubble Pro so popular. For starters, it lets you monitor all popular social apps and even lesser-known ones, like Discord, for example.

You can also live stream the target user’s surroundings, thanks to SpyBubble Pro’s ability to remotely (and discreetly) access the phone’s camera and microphone.

Of course, you’ll also be able to see the usual activity, including all calls, texts, what they’re searching for online, and even their physical movements, thanks to the GPS tracker.

That said, unfortunately, there’s no call recording or GPS geofencing for alerts when your loved one crosses pre-determined boundaries you set on the app.

All things considered, though, SpyBubble Pro is immensely powerful for deep insight into the user’s live activity across both Android and iOS.

6. Phonsee — Budget-Friendly Spy App for Android and iOS Devices

Although Phonsee isn’t a free spy app, it’s well worth considering if you’re on a tight budget but need deep insight into the target’s phone activity.

Despite the price, Phonsee has a lot under the hood that you’d expect with a more expensive phone spy. For example, it has a keylogger and a screen recorder.

This combined means you’ll be able to see everything happening on the device. From passwords to every message and search to emails, and everything in between.

Of course, amongst everything you can see is also all the leading social media platforms, including Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, for example.

You can even block websites and applications, which makes it a popular choice among parents, as well. They won’t know these are blocked, just nothing will appear when they search for them.

Unlike some, Phonsee even offers GPS tracking with geofencing capabilities, which is rare and a definite USP considering the price point. It’s very easy to use, too.

7. EyeZy — Excellent Phone Spy App for Social Media Monitoring

EyeZy is perfect for you if you’re looking for a budget spy app. It’ll help ensure your loved ones are well-guarded against online threats and even give you some interesting analytics to keep you informed.

This is the perfect tool for parents worried about their child’s social media activity or concerned spouses trying to help their partner overcome social media addiction.

Not only do the social media monitoring features allow you to look at all messages — even if they’re deleted — but you can restrict your loved one’s time on social media remotely.

Besides this, EyeZy will alert you if your loved one installs a dating app like Tinder, which is perfect for parents worried their child is going to jump into the dating game too early.

On top of this, you can set up a list of phrases for EyeZy to notify you if they’re sent or received on the target device. There’s also no better tool to monitor the target’s internet activity.

It’ll give you detailed analytics on your loved one’s browsing habits, what they’re saying in chats, the Wi-Fi networks they connect to, and the time they spend on certain sites.

8. ClevGuard — Popular Spy App for Parental Control

ClevGuard has over 400,000 users. Its popularity among parents is very evident, but its functionality makes it suitable for every monitoring need.

In fact, unlike most, ClevGuard even offers a desktop monitoring product. Beyond this, it even offers call recording capabilities, which is incredibly rare.

The best part? No rooting is required, which makes it easily one of the best Android spy apps if you want powerful functionality without the hassle.

As far as phone spyware goes, there’s a lot more on offer that makes ClevGuard the go-to for many. Beyond standard keylogging, for example, you also get keyword alerts.

You can set custom keywords and get notified if they’re used on any app on the target device. In fact, you can even remotely activate the camera and mic for live insight into their surroundings.

There’s GPS tracking (with geo-fencing) and even WiFi tracking; plus, you can monitor all social apps, including YouTube and dating apps like Tinder.

The Top Cell Phone Spyware Apps Compared

The comparison table below provides all the information you need to quickly compare the best phone spy apps and their features, functionality, and pricing and find the ideal tracking tool:

How We Review and Rate Spy Apps

To provide you with accurate and well-informed recommendations, we test the most popular spy apps on the market to find the best options for you. Our methodology consists of the following criteria:

• Value for Money —We assess each spy app’s pricing structure in relation to its features and functionalities, aiming to determine its overall value proposition.
• General Features — We evaluate features such as App Management, Time Management, Call Monitoring, Device Control and GPS Tracking.
• Ease of Use — We gauge the user-friendliness, considering factors such as installation process complexity, the necessity of jailbreaking (for iOS) or rooting (for Android) the target device.
• Compatibility — We examine the compatibility of each spy app with different devices and operating systems, including iOS and Android. We also assess whether the app offers a dashboard accessible from both desktop and mobile devices.
• Customer Support — We test the responsiveness and effectiveness of customer support provided by each spy app developer.

Why Do I Need a Spy Phone App?

There are a number of good reasons why you might want to make use of a spy phone app to track or monitor the usage and location of a smartphone. Some of the most common of these include:

How Do Phone Spy Apps Work?

Once a phone spy app is installed on the target device, it’ll begin collecting data silently in the background. You won’t have to physically interact with the device again or enter any passwords.

Most good spy apps will then begin to send you activity logs so you can monitor the use of the device as it is used in real-time, and depending on the capabilities of the app, you can potentially track the device’s location or even remotely control it.

Do I Need Physical Access to the Target Phone?

Most phone spy apps require that you have access to the target device to set it up. That said, the process typically only takes a few minutes with the best spyware apps for iPhone and Android.

And if you are planning to monitor an adult, then you should, of course, have their permission to track their usage of the device – so the installation process is fairly quick and easy.

Of course, employees using business hardware can be contractually bound to accept tracking, and people in trusting relationships should have few issues with letting their partner use their smartphone.

With iOS monitoring, you also have the option to remotely access the device’s data if you have the user’s iCloud credentials. However, even with this method, you’ll need to complete the Two-Factor Authentication, which will require device access.

What Devices Can I Track With Spyware Apps?

There is a range of excellent free spyware apps for whatever platform you want to track. Here are some devices you can track.

Are Spy Apps Legal?

Whether a spy app is legal depends on where you’re based, the app you’re using, and what you’re using it for.

Laws in places like the US, the UK, and Canada, are often stricter when it comes to using spy apps to monitor spouses and other adults than using them to help keep your children safe online.

The spy apps we’ve reviewed are all legitimate and safe, but we advise reading up on the laws in your specific country and/or state, such as the US spyware legislation, to ensure that you’re safe when it comes to using spy software on target phones.

Generally speaking, if you are the parent or guardian of a child, you are allowed to track them, and you can monitor adults as long as you have their informed consent.

Free Spy Apps vs. Premium Tools

Free spy apps present a tempting yet problematic offer. In fact, most free spy apps on the market either don’t work at all or are outright scams. Some of these apps from disreputable vendors will sell your data, while others might mine cryptocurrency in the background.

Remember, if a service is free, it’s likely that you’re the product – and with a phone tracking tool, you may be handing over enormously sensitive and valuable information.

Freemium versions with premium offerings are a reliable alternative, and these are the best free spy apps to opt for. However, these apps use free versions to encourage you to sign up for a paid plan.

That said, you’ll get fewer features, and they’ll likely be far less reliable. This is especially apparent when compared to the best phone spy apps overall, like mSpy.

Because of this, the best way to get a free Android or iPhone spy app is by taking advantage of paid tools’ free trials or money-back guarantees. This way, you get all the functionality of paid apps while not having to risk a dime if they don’t work out for you.

Conclusion – What’s The Best Spy App of 2024?

After looking at all of the many options on the market, we’re confident that mSpy is the best spy app for 2024.

It’s an extremely reliable product with an enormous amount of functionality. It’s also a great fit across a range of different use cases, whether you’re a parent, spouse, or employer looking to track your family members or staff.

mSpy’s feature set offers you extensive visibility and control when tracking and monitoring devices – and it comes at a great price for cell phone spy software.

What’s more, it comes with a 10-day money-back guarantee, so you can test and check out everything it does before you’re committed. Follow the link below to take mSpy for a test drive.

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