Top five mobile phone spy apps for Android and iOS

Mobile phone spying apps have been around since Symbian devices were introduced. Most spy apps available at the time were rudimentary at best because the phones did not have much computing power or sensors. However, things began to change with the advent of the smartphone. Android and iOS mated better software with improved computing power. Smartphones also had a larger list of better sensors. In this article, we will review the top five mobile phone spy apps for both Android and iOS devices. We will rank the apps by taking into account the list of features, flexibility, ease of use, affordability, and how well they function.

1) XNSPY

XNSPY is a sophisticated smartphone spying app that offers the largest number of features out of all the apps on our list. You can use the app to monitor all incoming, outgoing, and missed calls, as well as listen to recorded conversations. A complete call log can be accessed remotely on the app’s control panel, with all calls marked with date, time, and duration. Similarly, you track all sent and received messages as well, including those exchanged via third-party apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber, Skype, Tinder, Kik, and others. For online behavior tracking, you can read all emails and access the complete browsing history and bookmarks too. Also, all multimedia files stored on the device, such as images, videos, and audio files, can be downloaded and viewed remotely. Location tracking is another valuable feature that offers real-time updates, as well as complete location history. You can use the geofencing feature to keep a check on their specific check-ins. The remote control feature is particularly useful. You can remotely turn on the phone’s microphone, take screenshots, view and block installed apps, lock the phone, monitor keystrokes with a key logger, and wipe off all data from the device. Furthermore, the instant alert functionality is more comprehensive than other apps on the list. For example, you can add a specific word, phrase, location, or contact to the app’s watch list, and XNSPY will immediately notify you if there is any relevant activity. You can toggle on or off any of the above features on the app’s control panel.

The basic version of the app costs USD 4.99 per month, while subscription for the premium versions comes in at USD 7.49 a month. These features, coupled with the flexibility and affordability make XNSPY the top mobile phone spy app on our list.

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2) Spyera

Spyera is another smartphone monitoring app that is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. One advantage it has over other apps on this list is that it is available for Windows and Mac OS as well. Like many other spying apps, Spyera is also quite good at phone call monitoring though it offers the ability for the user to listen in to a live call as well. You will receive an SMS when they are speaking to someone and all you have to do is to make a call from a predesignated number and you will be added as a third party to the call where you can listen to everything. Recorded calls can also be accessed via the Spyera web account. You can read all messages as well, including those exchanged via instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, Skype, Tinder Viber, and others. All messages are organized by date and time. Additionally, you can add specific keywords to Spyera, and the app will delete messages containing that keyword, so the user will not be able to read them. The camera control feature is particularly unique as most other spying apps do not offer it. Multimedia content such as images and audio files are also accessible. While you can track the device location with the GPS tracker, Spyera does not offer a geofencing feature. Other features include a keylogger, contact list access, internet browsing history, and device user data.

The subscriber has the option of enabling or disabling whether the app works in stealth mode. Spyera currently offers two subscription versions, both of which are compatible with Android and iOS. The premium version costs USD 13.99 per month for the yearly subscription, while the Premium Plus version costs USD 31.99 a month. While Spyera has many interesting features, the premium plus version is not easy on the wallet, landing the app at number two on our list.

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3) Spyzie

Spyzie is a smartphone spying app that offers a range of features for monitoring both Android and iOS devices. For call monitoring, you can access the complete log, along with date, time, and duration. However, Spyzie does not offer a call recording feature. Text message monitoring works like the other apps on this list, though you can download and view any attachments with Spyzie. Messages exchanged via third-party apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram are all monitored by Spyzie round the clock, so you can remotely access them anytime. When it comes to multimedia access, Spyzie lets you go through all the photos on the device, but you can only view previews of the videos. This is supposedly done to prevent excessive data use. The GPS location tracking feature is also effective, allowing you the ability to track their location in real-time which helps to build a picture of where they went, and when. As an extension, Spyzie includes a geofencing feature and the tracking feature is well-integrated with Google Maps. Other features include app blocking, access to web browsing history, Wi-Fi logger, the ability to take screenshots, and a key logger. Like XNSPY, Spyzie also offers an instant alert feature that keeps you updated on the go.

The app offers three different subscription packages with the basic version costing USD 29.99 a month. The pro version comes in at USD 39.99 per month, while the ultimate version costs USD 49.99/month. Bear in mind though, that the app developers do not currently offer a full year’s subscription.

4) mSpy

mSpy is a smartphone monitoring app that is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. With regards to call monitoring features, mSpy can monitor all incoming and outgoing calls, which are marked by date, time, and duration. You can block specific callers from reaching the phone, though you cannot record phone conversations. You can also access all text messages on the device. Messages exchanged via apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, Snapchat, Tinder, and others are also accessible. The GPS location tracking feature works similarly to other apps on the list by providing real-time tracking. Furthermore, mSpy offers a geofencing feature too. For multimedia access, the app will automatically upload all photos or videos recorded on the device. One interesting feature offered by mSpy in terms of online monitoring is that you can block specific websites. Access to web browsing history, a list of Wi-Fi networks, and bookmarks can be viewed too. Other features include calendar access, emails, key logger, app monitoring, and app blocking. Immediate alert feature is also interesting as it can notify you immediately if, for example, the user enters or leaves a pre-specified geographic location. The basic version of mSpy costs USD 16.66/ month for the yearly subscription, while the monthly subscription for the premium version of the app costs USD 69.99.

5) Flexispy

Flexispy is compatible with both Android and iOS devices; however, the developers have also introduced versions for Windows and Mac as well. Flexispy offers a large number of features and is an advanced app to suit your monitoring needs. For example, you can record all phone calls made to and from the device and access a complete call log too. You can also listen to live calls with the call interception feature. Text message monitoring works similarly to other apps on the list, with access available to instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Skype, Facebook, and others. There is an additional spoof messaging feature through which you can remotely send a text message to any contact number saved on the device. With Flexispy, you can remotely turn on the camera to take pictures or record videos. You can monitor emails, web browsing history, bookmarks, and installed apps too. The location tracking feature works in real-time, with an added geofencing tool as well. The app can run silently in the background, and can also prevent the user from uninstalling it. While these are highly useful features, Flexispy lands at number five on our list due to its price.

 The Lite version costs USD 29.95/month, while the premium version comes in at USD 68/month. The extreme version costs a whopping USD 349 for a year of subscription. Take note that all features are only available in the Extreme version of the app. Flexispy’s poor score on affordability means that it ranks at number five on our list of top smartphone spying apps.