Technology has made it possible to track cellphones and spy on text messages with much ease today. You can now monitor the conversations going on in your child, spouse or employee’s cell phone thanks to phone spying apps. Anyone with a tracking app installed can easily get information such as SMS and social media posts or messages from another device without necessarily having to touch the target phone.
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Who needs mobile spy apps? Well, just about everybody. As a parent, you’ll need a cell phone tracker to monitor the kind of people your children are associating with and to know exactly where they are when they aren’t at home or school. Employers can also use such spy tools to monitor their employees and prevent leakage of sensitive business data while ensuring that their employees don’t waste company resources and time chatting on social media during working hours. Phone trackers help to increase productivity while preventing data loss.
If you are suspicious of your spouse for any reason, you can use a cell phone tracker to spy on messages and confirm your suspicions. It will help you to know if your spouse is really unfaithful or not before you confront them with hard evidence.
There are many types and versions of mobile spy tools on the market today, which makes it difficult to know which one works best for your unique circumstances. In this article, we look at the top 7 apps as well as the major factors you need to consider when searching for the best spy app.
Factors to Consider in a Good Cell Phone Tracker App
Here are some of the key factors you’ll need to consider when looking for the best spy phone app:
- Reliability
Find a good spy tool that works reliably well. It should not create a noticeable lag on the other phone and should always send you accurate data, whether you are looking for location, text messages, photos, or call logs.
- Discretion
Your app should work in a stealth mode to keep tabs on the target phone without being found out. It should be completely undetectable by the owner of the phone being spied on.
- Features
It is quite easy to be overwhelmed by different features found in most of these cell phone trackers but since you are only interested in an app that provides the ability to track and read messages then focus your attention on features relevant to your needs.
- Ease of Use
Avoid complicated apps with complex user interfaces and other unnecessary features. Make sure it has all the features you need in an easy to use dashboard. Most apps offer free trials that you can use to test the app’s user interface as well as its key features.
- Price
If you want a spy tool with more than basic features expect to pay more. We recommend using the basic version which comes at a lower or free cost and then upgrade to the premium version once you are satisfied with the app’s performance.
- Customer Support
The last thing you need after paying a monthly subscription for a phone spying app is poor customer service and support. Find a company with a 24/7 active support staff ready to help you with any technical issue or question that you may have, especially if the app malfunctions in the middle of the night.
Top Spy Apps
Based on our tests and customer reviews, here are the best 7 phone tracker apps that you can use to spy on text messages and other activities in your target’s phone.
XNSPY
This is one of the best text message spying apps on the market today. It has a user-friendly interface and is packed with more advanced phone and social media spying features than most apps in similar categories. XNSPY allows you to track received and sent messages on both Android and iOS devices. You can even see the name and phone number of the sender of the message using this app as well as the time and date that each message was sent. Another great thing about this app is the ability to track messages using specific keywords used in the message to help you sort out messages that are relevant to your search from the rest.
XNSPY also allows you to see conversations that the target user has already deleted. The messages are available on the app’s control panel as long as you had created a backup.
Other key features of XNSPY include:
- Ability to monitor both calls and messages
- GPS location tracking
- Ability to read emails and other online activities
- Record calls as well as the surrounding sounds
- Ability to access instant message chats
- It allows you to view photos and videos as well as calendar entries
- Ability to set alerts when a specific action happens
- Remote control
How Much Does XNSPY Cost?
The Basic Edition of the app comes at a cost of $8.33 per month billed annually at $99.99. The app’s Premium Edition costs $12.49 per month billed $149.99 for the whole year.
Pros:
- It has a simple user-friendly interface
- It can be installed remotely
- Shows instant messaging chats and messages
- It can retrieve deleted messages
- Allows you to set alerts
Cons:
- It costs more than other cell phone tracker apps
- Some of its features only work on rooted Android devices
Spyzie
Spyzie is another popular phone tracker app that gives you access to all the received and sent messages in your target’s phone including names of the senders. You can even download reports of text messages on your phone and print them out if you want to have hard evidence. Another great feature of Spyzie is the ability to analyze the target’s phone message history to accurately judge who the most important contact on the phone is based on the frequency of communication.
Some of the app’s key features include:
- The app is compatible with both Android and iOS devices
- Ability to track and read the target phone’s messages
- Ability to check contacts as well as the calendar
- GPS location tracking
- The app can even monitor WhatsApp activities
- Provides you with the phone’s browser history
- Shows you all the apps installed on the phone
- Gives you access to notes and reminders
How Much Does Spyzie Cost?
Spyzie has different prices for Android and iOS devices. For Android phones, the Ultimate Edition that comes with full functionality costs $39.99 per month while the Premium Edition with limited functionality costs $29.99 per month. For iOS devices, the app costs $39.99 per month.
Pros:
- It gives you multiple spying options
- You don’t need to jailbreak or root the phone to start spying
- Easy to install and use the app
- It has app blocker
- You can set alerts
- It comes with Volume Pricing for more than two devices
Cons:
- The app does not have as many options for iOS devices as those provided for Android devices
- It sometimes makes the phone laggy
- It does not display Group Chat
- You’ll need access to the target phone to install the app
mSpy
mSpy is another popular tool used by parents that need to monitor their kids’ safety from the dangers posed by social media and other online activities. The app helps you to monitor both incoming and outgoing messages as well as the sender’s information. You can even view each message’s time and date stamp.
Key features of mSpy include:
- The ability to monitor call logs and spy on SMS texts
- Ability to track location by GPS
- It shows you photos and videos of the target phone
- View chats on popular social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat and WhatsApp.
The app is compatible with all iOS and Android devices.
How Much Does mSpy Cost?
The Basic Package costs $29.99 per month while the Premium Package costs $69.99 per month.
Pros:
- It comes with filtering features that you can use to block specific websites in your child’s phone
- It is compatible with both Android and iOS devices
- You can remotely monitor the phone’s Internet usage
Cons:
- Requires jailbreaking the target phone before you can use the app
iKeyMonitor
This is another parental control and creatively designed Android and iPhone phone monitoring app. The app records keystrokes done on the target’s phone as well as calls, chat messages, SMS, website visits, screenshots and much more. You can use it to view text messages, instant messaging chats, and other apps on the target phone.
Key features of iKeyMonitor include:
- Full compatibility with Android and iOS devices
- Keylogger feature which records keystrokes done on the phone
- Ability to take screenshots remotely
- It can be installed on the target phone and run discreetly in stealth mode
How Much Does iKeyMonitor Cost?
iKeyMonitor is available at a cost of $49.99 per month or $299.88 per year.
Pros:
- Comes with a keylogger feature
- Runs in stealth mode without alerting the phone owner
- Compatible with both iOS and Android devices
Cons:
- Limited use in the free trial
- Cannot work without Internet connection
- Comparatively more expensive
Auto Forward Spy
This is an inexpensive and easy to use text app that works on both Android and iOS phones. You can use it to track all types of text messages, GPS location, browser history, and even see photos and videos on your target’s phone. It is one of the most affordable phone spying apps on the market today with all the relevant features that you will need.
Some of its key features include:
- It is compatible with both iOS and Android phones
- Has a clean easy-to-use interface
- It gives you real-time location via GPS
How Much Does Auto Forward Spy Cost?
The price for auto forward spy starts from $61.20 for each device.
Pros:
- The app has a clean easy-to-use interface
- It can record voice calls remotely
- Comes with GPS real-time location tracking
- It has an affordable pricing plan
- Provides a wide range of remote functions to monitor your kids, spouse, or employees
Cons:
- Not suitable for those who want flexible monthly plans
- Cannot limit your child’s phone usage time
TrackMyPhone
This is an easy-to-use app that allows you to track and read text messages on both Android and iOS phones. It gives you remote access to all the messages sent and received in your target’s cell phone from a convenient online control panel without necessarily touching the phone. Besides reading messages, the app also shows you the sender’s name and contact numbers as well as the time and date stamp for each message.
- Other features of TrackMyPhone include:
- Ability to monitor calls as well as messages
- It allows you to view photos saved in the target’s phone
- It can add watchlist alerts
- Monitors chats in popular social media sites such as WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook, Line, and Skype
- The app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices and doesn’t require phone jailbreak
How Much Does TrackMyPhone Cost?
TrackMyPhone is available in two versions – Android and iPhone No Jailbreak. The Android Premium version costs $5.83 per month while the iPhone No Jailbreak version comes at a cost of $6.25 per month. The app has 3 and 12 months plans that come with a discount too.
Pros:
- Shows you the Internet browsing history
- You can use the app to track the location of the phone and even apply geo-fencing restrictions
- Compatible with iOS and Android devices
- It has a cheaper monthly subscription price
Cons:
- A few users claim the app has some bugs that need to be addressed
PhoneSpector
PhoneSpector is a great app for monitoring cell phone messages. It works like the high-end pricier spy apps but is available at a cheaper price. It can even extract messages and files that your target has already deleted. PhoneSpector is considered as the best phone spy app of 2019.
Some of its key features include:
- A user-friendly interface
- Quick and easy remote installation
- Compatible with Android and iOS operating systems as well as with most telephone service carriers
How Much Does PhoneSpector Cost?
Compared to other cell phone tracker apps, Phone Spector is more affordable as it comes with a one-time fee of $69.99. There are no monthly subscription payments with this app.
Pros:
- It’s quite easy to use
- Quick installation process
- Can extract deleted files and messages
- Great customer service
- Comes with all the basic features of a phone spy app and more
Cons:
- It cannot retrieve Viber messages and videos
Conclusion
Message spying apps are some of the best security assets you can have when it comes to protecting yourself and your family, safeguarding your business interests, and ensuring your partner’s faithfulness. The apps discussed above are among some of the best on the market today. Check the advantages and disadvantages of each app to find out which one suits your needs and budget.
