Like it or not, we are well into the Digital Age, which means it’s getting harder to keep track of children, spouses, and employees.

Or is it?

If you start using an effective spy phone app to monitor someone – you’ll find that keeping tabs on someone is far easier than it was before.

You don’t have to physically check in on someone or call their associates and ask where they are. Instead, you can see and monitor everything from one simple app.

This list of the best phone spy apps for Android and iOS in 2022 will help you make the right decision when shopping for an app to monitor the activities of your partner, teenage child, or employee.

Let’s dive in!
10 Best Cell Phone Spy Apps: First Look

Best cell phone spy app for catching a cheating spouse – SPY24
Excellent customer service – Cocospy
Top cell phone spy software for tracking location – GEOfinder
Most dependable spying app – SpyBubble
Top iOS & Android spy app for parental control – mSpy
Best cell phone monitoring software for social media – Zetronix
Most reliable phone tracker app for social media tracking – Hoverwatch
One of the best spyware apps for businesses – XNSPY
Best monitoring app for value – FlexiSPY
Excellent features – Qustodio

1. SPY24 – Best Spy App for Android & iOS Overall

SPY24
Best Features:

Affordable with a 7-day FREE trial
User-friendly interface
Displays app usage in real-time
Virtually undetectable
Includes a screen recorder feature
Recover deleted messages

SPY24 is a software company that designs software for tablets and smartphones to empower parents to monitor children under 18.

It also offers a dedicated app for catching a cheating spouse or partner in the act with handy features like a GPS locator, message monitoring, and much more.

What We Like About SPY24:

SPY24 offers parents a much wider range of control than other phone spy apps. For example, it monitors online history, call history, text messages, and more!

This app is ideal for parents concerned about where their teen is at, who they are talking to, and what they are doing.

Additionally, SPY24 also has a dedicated spy app for catching a cheating boyfriend or girlfriend in the act!

The app, also dubbed as the infidelity investigation software, is straightforward to use and includes handy features like a GPS locator, the ability to pull all media from the target’s phone, allows you to monitor sent and received messages – and much more!

What We Don’t Like About SPY24

As far as cons go, you’ll need the iCloud credential required for iOS when installing it on an iPhone.

2. Cocospy – Best Customer Service

Cocosp

Best Features:

Round-the-clock assistance
Root or jailbreak is NOT required
Simple setup process
24/7 customer service
Check all incoming & outgoing calls

Cocospy is a business that creates software designed to help parents monitor their child’s activity on their phones by helping them view their messages and browsing history.

Overall, it’s an excellent app for parents to keep an eye on what their kids are up to, and it’s effortless to use – which is a great plus!

A unique feature Cocospy has is its ability to detect a SIM card change. This comes in very useful when you wish to keep your children’s data and contact information secure if another party attempts to remove the SIM card from their phone.

What We Like About Cocospy

Cocospy is a great choice for parents that are concerned about who their teenager is talking to. When a teen is talking to someone for long periods and won’t tell you who it is, you need an app like Cocospy.

This app makes it possible to see who your teen is calling, how long they talk to them, and at what times. You can also use this app to view text messages that your teen has been sending.

What We Don’t Like About Cocospy

This app doesn’t offer a free trial version and it cannot record audio content from the calls that your teen is making.

3. GEOfinder – Best Mobile Spy App for Tracking Physical Location

GEOfinder
Best Features:

No installation necessary
Supports ALL networks
Works on any phone model
Low monthly cost

GEOfinder’s mission is to help people access public record information that allows them to track virtually anyone at any time.

It’s super easy to use, all you need is the target device number, and you’re set!

Plus, it’s totally anonymous and supports all networks.

What We Like About Geofinder

If you’re constantly concerned about where your teenager is at and what they’re doing, you’ll want to give a phone spy app like GEOfinder a try. This app allows users to track their teen’s location very quickly.

What We Don’t Like About Geofinder

While GEOfinder is perfect for keeping track of where someone is at all times, it doesn’t collect much other information.

4. SpyBubble – One of the Top Dependable Spying Apps

SpyBubble
Best Features:

Real-time tracking
15% OFF for new users
Shows browser history
Check the target’s call log
Track deleted messages
Screenshot reporting

SpyBubble is an exceptionally handy cell phone spy app that’s marketed towards catching a cheating partner in the act.

Features like real-time tracking and screenshot reporting make it easy to keep tabs on the target’s phone, and its ultra-fast installation will get you set up and ready to go in no time!

What We Like About SpyBubble

As far as phone spy apps go, SpyBubble has a strong reputation for exceptional service.

It covers all the bases, and it does it well. This means that SpyBubble delivers all of the basic features of a phone spy app like SMS tracking, GPS locator, and more – all of which are highly effective.

The fact that so many other phone spy apps offer basic features that are poorly designed makes SpyBubble a cut above the rest.

What We Don’t Like About SpyBubble

SpyBubble lacks certain advanced features that some parents might want. However, in most cases, you will find that SpyBubble can provide all of the essential features you should need.

5. mSpy – Top Spy App for Parental Control

mSpy

Best Features:

Different plans to choose from
Undetectable & easy to use.
Helps to protect kids from cyberbullying
No need to root or jailbreak

mSpy is a feature-rich spy phone app that’s especially popular for parents who want to keep track of their kids.

The spy app makes this accessible by offering great functions such as cell phone monitoring, location tracking, online activity tracking, and much more.

Additionally, the app itself is super easy to use and very user-friendly.

What We Like About mSpy:

mSpy monitors all forms of online activity.

This includes every website the user has been on and app usage. With a strong arsenal of customer support options, mSpy is great for parents that aren’t particularly tech-savvy.

Plus, the app runs on jailbreak Android phones and iPhones – which eliminates any extra hassle when setting it up.

What We Don’t Like About mSpy:

The biggest con of note here is that teens can potentially delete the app if they see it on their phones.

6. Zetronix – Best for Monitoring Social Media Activity

Zetronix

Best Features:

Great offers on spy gear
Free shipping for orders over $99
100% money-back guarantee
Parent-friendly

Zetronix is a spy gear company that focuses on producing and selling high-tech spy equipment for the casual consumer.

A little different from mobile spy apps – Zetronix offers a ton of great products worth checking out like nanny cams, outdoor solar-powered security cameras, video recording spy sunglasses, and so much more to make anyone feel like a real-life spy!

7. Hoverwatch – Best for Monitoring Phone Calls

Hoverwatch

Best Features:

Makes it easy to monitor SMS activity
Features recordings of phone calls
Reports audio & camera usage
Monitors chat apps

Founded in 2002, the Hoverwatch hidden spy app effectively monitors someone’s phone or computer.

It offers various affordable price plans to choose from and excellent features such as SMS tracker, Geolocation tracking, and even Facebook & Viber & WhatsApp Tracking.

What We Like About Hoverwatch

Hoverwatch does an amazing job of giving you a complete look at what the target user has been up to.

It does this by taking screenshots of user activity and delivering them to the dashboard, where you can see everything that’s been going on.

While you can definitely use this app to keep track of your teen, it’s also a great choice for keeping tabs on your spouse or significant other.

What We Don’t Like About Hoverwatch

Does not support multiple tabs for individual features.

8. XNSPY – Best for Employers & Businesses
   XNSPY

Best Features:

Keeps track of emails
Tracks the user’s location
Record calls & phone surroundings
Effective for Android and iOS devices

The XNSPY spy app is designed with businesses in mind.

While a little pricey, this app is a smart choice for businesses that need to monitor their employees. It reports calendar entries, browsing history, app usage, and more. It even features location tracking capabilities.

Although this app is engineered for businesses, it can be effective when concerned parents want to make sure their child is safe.

9. FlexiSPY – One of the Best Value Cell Phone Spying Apps

FlexiSPY

Best Features:

Great value for the price
FREE Mobile Viewer App
Simple user interface
The FlexiSPY spy app is mostly used by parents, corporations, and governments.

Once installed, FlexiSPY is easy to use; it’s also highly effective. With around 150 spying features, you’ll find everything you need in a phone spying app.

With so many features like the ability to view media, track target device location & digital communications -, this app makes it easy to keep track of your teen, spouse, etc.

However, the only downside is that jailbreak must be performed to use it for spying on an iPhone. This step can be difficult for folks that are not especially tech-savvy.

10. Qustodio – Best Features

Qustodio
Best Features:

You can use it to block SMS messages.
Offers multiplatform support
Features a Panic Tab on Android devices.

Qustodio has built a reputation for effective online safety and device management software that’s commonly used by parents, schools, and businesses.

This incredible app gives parents the ability to filter undesirable content and monitor social media activity. It’s also an excellent tool for blocking specific apps and games that you don’t want your child to use.

While a little pricey, we think it’s worth it.

Qustodio allows parents to track their child’s location, restrict screen time, and block calls. You can even monitor phone calls and SMS messaging.
What Is the Best App for Spying on Another Phone? – FAQs

Now that you have been introduced to the best phone spy apps on the market, you’ll probably have some questions. The following FAQ section can provide you with answers to the kinds of questions that most potential users would have at this point.

What Is a Phone Spy App?
A phone spy app is a specialized application that makes it possible for people to monitor each other’s activity.

These apps have been widely embraced by concerned parents, wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, and of course, employers.

The capabilities that these apps deliver can help you gain peace of mind. Why sit there constantly worrying about where your teenager is and who they are talking to when you can see it all from one simple app?

Concerned that your partner has been cheating on you or otherwise dishonest? Then keep them in check with a phone spy app.

You can use the app to monitor their activity and see who they have been talking to. But, more importantly, you can review the nature of their conversations to see if they are being flirtatious or unfaithful.

Employers value phone spy apps for their ability to keep employees in line and prevent them from doing unproductive or inappropriate things on their phones while they are at work.

These apps can help businesses save millions of dollars in lost productivity by preventing it from happening in the first place.
How To Check Your Phone for Spy Apps?

How To Check Your Phone for Spy Apps?

Wondering if someone has installed a phone spy app on your phone? Then you’ll need to know how to look for it and find out if an app has been installed on your phone to spy on you.

While some phone spy apps are easy to spot because the word spy or monitor is in the name, other apps are much more subtle and more difficult to detect. But, for the most part, you can find virtually any type of phone spy app on your phone if you know how to look for it.

The only caveat is that you will have to do so manually.

This means pulling up your list of apps and programs under settings and taking a detailed look at the list. Once you have the list of apps currently installed on your phone in front of you, write down every app that you are unfamiliar with and look it up one at a time.

When you look up what each individual app does and what it’s designed to do, you can easily detect a phone spy app.

For example, if you look up an app you don’t remember installing, and it comes up as a spy phone app in the search results – you’ll know that someone has installed the app on your phone.

Apps like GEOfinder are more challenging to detect because they are not directly installed on the target device.
What Features To Consider Before Buying a Mobile Spying App?

Seeing as some phone spy apps can be somewhat expensive, it makes sense to make a list of criteria to consider before purchasing.

Here’s a detailed list of the most important things to consider before paying for a mobile spying app for your target device.

Reputation
One of the most important things to evaluate when shopping for hidden spy apps is the developer’s reputation.

This includes their reputation for customer service as well as the efficacy of the app itself.

If a phone spying app comes with terrible customer service and dysfunctional features, you don’t want to get stuck paying a monthly subscription for it.

Also, look into the contracts that come with the app to make sure it doesn’t have any provisions that could effectively trap you into a lengthy subscription that’s hard to get out of.

The app should also have a good reputation in terms of functionality.

No one wants to spend money on a phone spying app that doesn’t work. Think of how devastated you would be if your teen was abducted because the phone spying app you installed didn’t do a good job of monitoring their activity when talking to strangers online, via text, or on the phone.

Stealth Mode
Some of the best phone spy apps come with stealth mode functionality. Stealth mode is essential for parents or partners that don’t want the user to know that they have installed an app on their phone to monitor their activity.

High-quality phone spy apps use stealth mode to hide the icon of the app on the screen. It ensures that the app runs silently and secretly in the background without leaving any obvious signs that a phone spy software has been installed on someone’s phone.

When phone spying apps are discovered by the person you have been monitoring, it can lead to an uncomfortable confrontation over their perceived violation of privacy.

Explaining your reasons as a parent for installing an app to monitor your teenage child can be challenging, which is why it’s best to avoid such a conversation altogether by choosing an app that features stealth mode.

Price
Finally, you should also take the app’s price into account, as it can help you narrow down your selection.

Ideally, you shouldn’t have to pay much more than around $50/month; however, some phone spying apps can be considerably more expensive.
Do Spying Apps Really Work?

The most honest answer to this question is that some phone spy apps work, and some of them don’t work.

All of the apps covered on this list work, and that’s why they made it on the list of the best phone spy apps.

When a phone spy app doesn’t work, tragedy ensues.

Partners can cheat on each other with impunity and you won’t find out until even more damage has been done. Teens can be abducted because their parents had no idea that they were talking to a stranger and planning to meet up with them.

In summary, if you want a phone spy app that works, then you should pick one from this list. They work, they’re effective, and they’re easy to use.
Is There an App I Can Use to Spy on a Phone for Free?

At this point, you might be wondering if there are any free spy apps available. While free spy apps like SpyZee certainly exist, you must ask yourself if the features and capabilities would be on par with apps featuring paid subscriptions.

While some free phone spy apps come with some decent features, most of them don’t include the kind of features that you would need to get a complete accounting of someone’s activity on their phone.

However, it’s definitely worth mentioning that SPY24 offers a free 7-day trial for you to try it out!
Can You Turn a Cell Phone Into a Listening Device?

Yes, you can! With the right app, you can turn virtually any phone into a listening device by using it to monitor phone calls.

Some apps even give you the ability to control the phone remotely which unlocks a whole new range of monitoring capabilities.
Top Spy Phone Apps: The Takeaway

There you have it, the best phone spy apps and all of the info you need to get started.

As a parent, spouse, and employer, you have a responsibility to ensure that nothing is going amiss. The best way to do that is to start using one of the cell phone spy apps from this list.

In conclusion, you have learned that a spy app can work and it can save lives. You have also learned which apps to use which will make your experience with phone spy apps a good one.

We recommend SPY24 due to the fact it’s proven to be very effective, has a multitude of useful features, and has a free 7-day trial!

Whereas Cocospy has excellent customer service and is great for monitoring SMS and calls on a target device.

We hope these best spy apps are the ones you’re looking for.

Thanks for reading!

The news and editorial staff of the Bay Area News Group had no role in this post’s preparation.