Being a parent can be overwhelming. The last thing you need is extra stress when trying to keep tabs on your kids. But when it comes to iPhone monitoring apps, there’s almost too much choice — so much so that it can be hard to separate the good from the bad.
That’s where we come in. We’ve taken a look at the best iPhone monitoring apps — or at least those that claim to be. What we discovered is that a lot of the popular iPhone monitoring apps are just basic versions of their Android counterparts.
But don’t panic. There are some gems too. Read on to find out which iPhone tracker apps should be on your shortlist.
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Can You Monitor iPhone Without Their Apple ID and Password?
If you’ve got kids, you should have access to their iCloud credentials. But what if you don’t? What if they’ve changed their password? Well, depending on the iPhone monitoring app you go with, you might still be all set to monitor their iPhone.
Some solutions let you install their apps without knowing their credentials. Just be sure to stay away from free monitoring apps for iPhone. They tend to be loaded with spyware, and they’re often designed to steal your personal information. You know what they say… if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.
The 6 Best iPhone Monitoring Apps on the Market
mSpy
If you’re looking for a great iPhone tracker that’s loaded with monitoring features, mSpy should be at the top of your list. The monitoring app is designed for parents who love the simplicity of the iPhone and want the same type of experience from their iPhone monitoring apps.
But don’t confuse simplicity with weakness. mSpy is one of the most powerful iPhone tracker apps on the market. And it starts with exceptional GPS tracking capabilities.
With mSpy installed, you’ll have a powerful way to find their current location. And while the Find My app lets you also see their location on a map, mSpy lets you see their past locations. That means you’ll be able to paint a clear picture of where they’ve been. It’s especially handy when you can’t check their location right now but need to review their activity later.
And it’s not just about what they’re doing in the real world. The mSpy iPhone monitoring software gives you access to their iMessage conversations, plus the private chats they’re having on all kinds of social media apps.
The best part? mSpy is really easy to install. You can choose from Wi-Fi Sync or Local Sync, and there’s support for both jailbroken and non-jailbroken iPhones.
Spynger
Spynger is a full-fledged monitoring app designed for concerned men and women who think their partner might be cheating on them. While we don’t condone the use of monitoring apps on people without informing them, we’re reviewing this app because a lot of parents use Spynger to keep tabs on their kids, completely legally.
If that’s you, you’ll like what Spynger has to offer. The powerful iPhone monitoring solution includes several features to help you feel good about whatever they’re doing on their phone.
With mobile messaging app support, you’ll have the power to read their Facebook Messenger messages, WhatsApp conversations, iMessage chats, and so much more.
You’ll also have a powerful GPS tracker at your disposal, so you won’t need to rely on the Find My app, which often proves to be less accurate (if you’ve seen those giant 3-mile zones, you know what we’re talking about).
Spynger is also one of the few iPhone monitoring apps that’s really easy to set up. You can choose from a few different installation options, depending on what information you have about the phone and your level of access.
CocoSpy
CocoSpy sounds a lot like a delicious cereal for kids. And at first glance, the features are pretty sweet. But if you dig a little deeper, there’s more to the story.
The parental monitoring app includes a host of features to help parents monitor their kids, but if you’re looking for a phone monitoring app for iPhone, you need to know that the features are more limited than its Android counterpart, especially when it comes to messenger app monitoring.
If you want to monitor your kid’s Google phone, you can read their conversations on Messenger, Snapchat, Instagram, Tumblr, Kik, Telegram, WeChat, Line, and more. There’s even support for Tinder.
But if you’re looking to monitor an iPhone, you’re more limited. When it comes to social apps, you’re limited to WhatsApp and Line. Seriously, that’s it. Thankfully, there’s full support for iMessage, so you can read their conversations with other iPhone users, plus any SMS texts that come through.
Xnspy
Xnspy is another popular monitoring app with a lot of advanced features, including screen recording, call recording, and the ability to record their surroundings. Unfortunately, most of these popular features aren’t available on this iPhone monitoring software.
And if you’re here just for social media monitoring, you might be disappointed. Much like CocoSpy, messenger monitoring support feels a bit neutered on Xnspy. As of publication time, the only social media conversations you can take a look at with this iPhone monitoring software are those that happen on WhatsApp.
Xnspy says that Viber, Skype, and Facebook messenger support are coming soon, though this isn’t that reassuring considering Microsoft is shutting down Skype.
But there are some features that parents of iPhone users will love. That includes the ability to read emails and text messages, the ability to see the photos saved on their iPhone, and the ability to export data into a CSV file so you can review everything later.
Flexispy
We really like Flexispy. But it’s really expensive. We’re talking $49.95 a month for the Lite version, $79 for the Premium version, and $119 for the Extreme version.
On the surface, it looks like you get a decent number of features with the Lite version. But dig deeper into their feature checklist and you’ll see that most of the features aren’t really tools you’d care about at all. Things like “Renew anytime”, “Free Updates”, and “Easy to Install” shouldn’t be on their feature list—but they are.
Still, there are some features in the Lite version that parents will appreciate, like being able to read SMS and MMS messages, view photos, and see their browsing activity.
Upgrade to Premium and you’ll have access to call logs on Facebook, Skype, FaceTime, and other iPhone apps. You can read some of their messages on apps like Instagram, Facebook Messenger, LINE, and Tinder.
But if you’re looking for one of the best iPhone monitoring apps, you’ll need to upgrade to the Extreme option. If you do, you’ll have Facebook Call Recording, Environment Recording, Call Notification Alert, Spycall, and so much more.
SpyX
If you’re in search of the top iPhone tracker apps, you’re going to like SpyX. It lets you track their location on the fly and gives you date & time stamps, so you’ll know exactly when they were there. You’ll also have a detailed view of their visit frequency, so you’ll instantly know if the location they’re visiting should be on your radar.
There’s also full support for social app monitoring. You can check out their posts, private messages, friend list, activities, and interests. And any photos or videos that they’ve received through those social media platforms and saved to their phone are in full view too. Just fire up the Photos and Videos section to see everything.
SpyX is also an undetectable app, which means that once you install the iPhone monitoring app on their phone, they won’t know you’re using it. There’s no visible app to give you away, so you can monitor them with confidence.
How Do You Monitor Them Without Them Knowing?
All of the above iPhone tracker apps are designed to let you see their stuff without being seen. Once you install one of the best iPhone monitoring apps on their phone, you’ll be able to view their activity completely undetected.
The process varies based on the solution you go with, but it’s roughly the same. Once you install the iPhone monitoring solution on their iPhone, simply log into your private account from any computer, tablet, or phone. There’s no separate app to install on your own device, making it extra convenient if you’re bouncing from one device to another.
Once you’re logged in, you’ll have access to your own personal dashboard where you can view the contents of their phone.
We like some dashboards better than others, but many of the above solutions offer a live demo so you can find out what you’re getting into before you pay for the service.
Choose the App That Feels Right for Your Family
There are pros and cons to every app on our list. And while some apps might be missing some features, it might not matter to you. If an app delivers what you need, you can confidently take the plunge. No matter which app you go with, you’re in good hands.
But if you want the most powerful iPhone monitoring app at a fair price, mSpy is a solid choice. And with customer support that really cares, you can monitor them knowing that the mSpy team has your family’s back.
