Hello and welcome to BestPhoneSpy. My name is Jack Gillman and I’ve been in the spy software industry for 12 years. Over the years, I’ve tested quite a few cell phone spy apps, including mSpy, SpyBubble, Highster Mobile, FlexiSPY and Hoverwatch. I even used my credit card to pay for them – so you know which ones are the best spy apps.
Spy apps can be used to track a person without their knowledge. Worried about what your kids are up to on the internet? You could install a spy app on their smartphones. These apps let you monitor their social media, read their text messages, track their location, and even record their calls. All recorded data is stored online, so you can access it from anywhere.
5 Best Spy Apps for iPhone and Android
There are a lot of spy apps available for Android and iOS, but only a few are worth your time. I’ve tested more than 50 apps to help you pick the right one for your needs. Without further ado, here are the five best spy apps available right now:
Important: All the apps listed below are completely undetectable – Once installed on a phone, the spy app hides its icon and runs in the background immediately.
#1 – mSpy (Best Spy App for iPhone)
mSpy is one of the most popular cell phone monitoring apps with over one million users. It’s very easy to use. All you have to do is install the mSpy app on the target phone (the phone you are monitoring), then activate it using your license code. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to monitor the phone’s activity remotely through the mSpy online portal.
Once mSpy is activated, you can log in to the online portal to access information collected from the target phone such as messages (texts, WhatsApp and other messaging apps), phone calls, browsing history, and GPS location. mSpy is easy to use but also has many advanced features including social media monitoring, keylogger, no-jaibreak version, parental controls and more.
- Social Media Monitoring: mSpy tracks your child’s activity on Facebook, Snapchat, Hangouts, WhatsApp, and Skype.
- Keylogger: It records every keystroke made by the user. If your child uses an instant messaging app that mSpy can’t track directly, you can still see every keystroke typed.
- No Jailbreak Solution: The mSpy iPhone spy software allows you to spy on your child’s iPhone without jailbreaking it. This technique works by pulling data from iCloud backups. You will need to know your child’s Apple ID and password.
- Parental Controls: mSpy can be used as a parental control software for mobile phone. It allows parents to block inappropriate websites and incoming calls. In addition, you can control which apps can be used and when on your child’s phone.
mSpy is my pick for the best spy app for the iPhone. It’s easy to use, has lots of great features, and provides good customer service. One of my favorite features of mSpy is its no-jailbreak feature, which allows you to spy on an iPhone without jailbreaking it. If you are not tech-savvy, don’t worry. Their trained technicians will help you every step of the way.
- Price: mSpy Basic costs $29.99 per month; mSpy Premium costs $69.99 per month or $199.99 per year.
- Developer: Altercon Group, a Czech-based company founded in 2010.
- Visit their website: https://www.mspy.com, or read my mSpy review.
#2 – SpyBubble (Best Spy App for Android)
Want to spy on an Android phone? The easiest way to do it is using SpyBubble — just download and install it onto the phone you want to spy on, log in with your credentials, and you’re good to go. Couldn’t be simpler. There is no need to root the phone to use this app. After installation, you can log into your account and start tracking.
SpyBubble is the most affordable spy app I’ve tested, at just $19.99 a month. It doesn’t have as many features as mSpy, but it’s a great app for those who want to spy on an Android phone without rooting or unlocking the phone. It has most of the features you’re likely to need.
- Real-time GPS Tracking: Know where they are at all times and know where they are going. Track their cell phone location history & current location. Locations are displayed on a map on the company’s website.
- Record Phone Calls: Record all incoming and outgoing calls on your monitored phone. You can download these recordings to your computer or listen directly from your web account.
- View Call Logs: View the phone’s call history, including calls made, calls received, calls missed, phone numbers, and the date, time, and duration of the calls.
- Spy on Text Messages: Read their text messages, even those that have been deleted.
- View Photos: All of the photos on their phone will be uploaded to your account.
- View Browsing History: Track which websites they’ve visited and what they’ve searched for.
- View Contacts, Calendar & Apps: View their contacts, calendar entries and installed apps.
- Social Media Monitoring: Monitor different social media apps they use and who they talk to, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and even Snapchat messages.
If you’re looking for a low-cost spy app for Android, SpyBubble should be at the top of your list. It’s competitively priced, offers many useful features, has a user-friendly web interface and it’s very easy to use, even for beginners.
SpyBubble works with devices running Android 5.0 and up. I tested it on a Samsung Galaxy S9 (Android 8.0), a Motorola Moto G7 (Android 9.0), and a OnePlus 7T (Android 10) and it worked fine on all of them.
- Price: It only costs $19.99 per month – making it one of the cheapest spy apps on the market today.
- Developer: SpyBubble Ltd., a Hong Kong-based company founded in 2009.
- Visit their website: https://www.prospybubble.com, or read my SpyBubble review.
#3 – Highster Mobile
Highster Mobile Spy, as the name suggests, is a mobile spying app that lets you spy on Android phones. It has all of the usual features you might expect from a cell phone spyware, including location tracking, remote locking, and the ability to record phone activities. It also comes with parental control features, which allow you to remotely control your child’s device usage. Other features of the Highster Mobile include:
- Live Control Panel: See the actual screen of the phone, updated every 90 seconds.
- Application Blocking: Block access to specific apps and websites.
- Alerts: Be alerted anytime the target device travels outside of a specific area you’ve designated on the map via the control panel.
- SMS Commands: You can send commands from the live control panel to control your child’s phone, such as lock and unlock the phone, wipe phone data, etc.
As with most Android spy apps, Highster Mobile is easy to install and configure. I downloaded the app, created an account, and followed the on-screen instructions to configure the app’s settings.
- Price: You can purchase the app for a one-time fee of $69.99 and there’s no monthly subscription fee.
- Developer: The Powerline Group, a US-based company founded in 2010.
- Visit their website: https://www.highstermobi.com, or read my Highster Mobile review.
#4 – FlexiSPY
FlexiSPY is one of the most feature-rich and powerful cell phone spy software I’ve tested. It’s one of the very few spy apps to offer something called Call Interception, which lets you secretly record and listen into phone calls. The only catch is that you’ll have to root or jailbreak the target phone in order to install it.
If you’ve jailbroken their iPhone, or rooted their Android phone, you can take advantage of the FlexiSPY spy app. Once installed and configured, it runs in the background and silently records all user activity, including call recordings, call history, GPS, texts, emails, photos, social media and instant messages (Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, etc.), and more. All the data collected can be viewed through a web-based portal or mobile app.
FlexiSPY has been around since 2006, and it’s still a popular spy app today. There are two versions: Premium and Extreme. FlexiSPY Premium offers everything you generally need from a phone spy app, but if you want more advanced features, the Extreme version might be what you need. Here’s what it does:
- Live Call Intercept: Intercept a phone call and listen in on the conversation.
- Record Phone Calls: Remotely record all phone calls they make and receive on their cell phone. All call recordings are uploaded to your FlexiSPY control panel as MP3s.
- Record Surroundings: Remotely activate the microphone on their phone and hear what’s really going on. You can also record their phone’s surroundings at any time. All recordings are uploaded to your FlexiSPY account.
- RemCam: Remotely activate the camera and take a secret picture to view the phone’s surroundings.
So should you use FlexiSPY? I would only recommend using it on a jailbroken iPhone or rooted Android. I tried to install it on a non-rooted Android phone, but it doesn’t work. If you’re new to cell phone tracking, and don’t want to root or jailbreak their phone, I highly recommend starting with Highster Mobile. In my opinion, FlexiSPY is the most feature-rich spy app available, but it’s also the most expensive. Make sure you NEED all the features before you spend the money.
- Price: FlexiSPY Premium version – $149, FlexiSPY Extreme version – $349 (1-Year License)
- Developer: Flexispy, Ltd. The company was founded in 2006, and is based in Thailand.
- Visit their website: http://www.flexispyapp.com, or read my FlexiSPY review.
#5 – Hoverwatch
Hoverwatch is a spy app that tracks and records phone calls, texts, instant messages, locations and visited websites. If you are a parent who wishes to monitor the movements and communications of your child, Hoverwatch allows you to do so via a secure Web portal. The app’s interface is simple and intuitive. I tested it on my Android phone and it worked quite well.
Below are some of the key features and benefits you’ll get with Hoverwatch.
- Free Trial: Hoverwatch offers a free 3-day trial, so you can give the app a shot and see how it works yourself.
- Record Calls: Record and download phone calls from the monitored phone and listen to them anytime.
- Camera Tracker: Take photos of anyone trying to unlock the device.
- Capture screenshots: Remotely snap screenshots of the user’s device.
Hoverwatch costs $19.95 per month, but that’s a small cost to pay to remotely track your child’s location, monitor their social media, view their browsing history, read their instant messages, record their incoming and outgoing calls, and more.
The Hoverwatch app works on all Android devices running Android 4 and up. It also has desktop versions for Mac and PC.
- Price: Free to try; $19.95 per month or $99.95 per year.
- Developer: Refog Inc., a US-based company founded in 2002.
- Visit their website: https://www.hoverspyapp.com, or read my Hoverwatch review.
What You Need to Know Before You Buy
1. You must have access to the target phone. You’ll need to download and install the mobile spy app directly onto their phone, and you don’t need to install anything on your phone or computer. To install spyware app on an iPhone, the device must be jailbroken. Learn how to install the spy app on Android and iPhone.
2. You should also make sure that the spy app you’re interested in purchasing is compatible with the target phone and its operating system. Most hidden spy apps, like mSpy, Mobile Spy, FlexiSPY, and Highster Mobile are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. The list of compatible devices can be found on the app company’s website.
3. Make sure that the target phone has an internet connection (either cellular or Wi-Fi). Internet access is required to download, install and activate the spy app. You can read more about how the app works here.
4. You may need to root the target Android phone. Most spy apps work with both rooted and unrooted Android smartphones. However, some of the features, like instant messenger tracking and call interception, are only available on a rooted phone. If you want to spy on instant messages (like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp), you’ll need to root the phone. Learn how to root an Android phone.
5. Check state and local laws before using a spy phone app. In the US, it is legal for companies to monitor the activities of employees on company-owned devices. Parents also have the right to monitor their children’s phone usage. Know your state or country’s laws before attempting to spy on a cell phone. Please read our legal disclaimer for more information.
How To Get Started
Step 1: Buy a spy app
The first thing you need to do is buy a phone spy app. Always buy from a reputable company, and make sure the app you buy has the features you need. Once purchased, you will receive an email from the company with your login information and instructions on how to download the app.
Step 2: Download and install the spy app
Next, download and install the spy app on the phone you want to track. Once the app is installed, you can spy on the phone remotely through a web-based interface. It really is that simple.
Tip: In order to install the spy app on an iPhone, you must jailbreak the device. But if you can’t jailbreak (or don’t want to), you may try the mSpy no-jailbreak solution which allows you to monitor iOS activities without a jailbreak.
Best Phone Spy Software: Conclusion
If you’re looking for an easy to use cell phone monitoring software, then mSpy is among the best on the market. If you’re looking for something a little more advanced than mSpy, I’d recommend checking out the FlexiSPY Extreme (you’ll have to root or jailbreak the phone first though). Highster Mobile doesn’t have quite as many features as FlexiSPY or mSpy, but it’s one of the most affordable spy apps I’ve ever seen. Hoverwatch offers a 3-day free trial, so you can try out this spy software before you buy.
Thank you for visiting my website and I hope you find what you are looking for. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact me.
Jack Gillman | www.bestphonespy.com
Last updated August 27, 2024.