When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn This mSpy review will give you a thorough understanding of one of the most popular apps on the market. Whether you want to catch a cheating spouse, know your child’s whereabouts, or monitor your employees’ internet usage, this monitoring tool can do it all.
I fully tested this app and all its features to see if it lives up to the hype. I’ll cover everything you need to know about it, from its advanced features and pricing to the installation process, its pros and cons, and how it fares against the competition.
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What Is mSpy?
mSpy is a leading cell phone monitoring app known for its versatility. While it’s highly regarded as a top parental control tool, mSpy also serves other needs, such as monitoring a spouse’s activities or overseeing employee behavior.
mSpy’s key features include comprehensive call log monitoring, precise location tracking, and detailed social media app oversight. With competitive pricing, reliable performance, and responsive customer support, mSpy offers substantial value for those seeking effective and flexible monitoring solutions.
How Does mSpy Work?
Starting with mSpy is pretty simple. Once you buy a subscription and install mSpy on the phone you want to monitor, it’ll automatically track the phone’s logs, text messages (including deleted messages), social media apps, and location.
You’ll have your own mSpy control panel, where you’ll find the data categorized under separate tabs for each kind of data—calendar bookings, location history, messaging apps, social media apps, and more. I found it very easy to sift through the data and find exactly what I was looking for.
The best part is that mSpy works in stealth mode, so the app won’t be visible to the other person. It’ll run quietly in the background and capture everything they do on the device. Even when carrying out advanced features or commands like taking a screenshot or deleting an app, mSpy will do it discreetly.
How Much Does mSpy Cost? mSpy Pricing
mSpy’s pricing is straightforward, with long-term subscriptions bringing steep discounts.
| mSpy Plan Duration | Pricing |
|---|---|
| 1 month | $48.99/month |
| 3 months | $28/month |
| 12 months | $11.67/month |
While you get access to all of mSpy’s features regardless of the subscription duration, the one difference is priority support, which is only available with three-month or annual subscriptions.
That’s not to say that you won’t get any support with a monthly plan; it just might take longer. If you want additional support, you can also purchase the mAssistance add-on, a customer service portal where experts are available 24/7 via chat or phone.
In my experience, mSpy’s customer support has been excellent. Whenever I try to reach the support team via the site chat function, I am connected to an agent fairly quickly and have never had to wait too long. Speaking of mSpy’s chatbot, I’d also recommend chatting with it before signing up since you might get an additional discount. I was offered an extra 40% discount for the premium plan.
mSpy doesn’t offer a free trial, but there is a free demo that I found really useful for evaluating the service. The actual dashboard experience is practically identical, which you don’t often see with other demos. Depending on your circumstances, mSpy also offers a 14-day refund window.
An In-Depth Look at mSpy’s Key Features
While reviewing mSpy, I found it to be one of the most feature-rich cell phone trackers in the industry and one of the best parental control apps you can buy. Here’s a look at some of mSpy’s features and how they performed:
Access To All Text Messages
Messaging apps are the primary mode of communication these days. With mSpy, you can not only monitor text messages but also private conversations on apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, Snapchat, and Viber.
You’ll get a complete report on who the other person is texting, some basic information on the recipient (name, number, and other details saved in Contacts), and a peek into shared images and videos, making it one of the best parental control apps for text message monitoring.
Unlike most phone trackers, mSpy also lets you know if the other person is active on Tinder. In case they are, you’ll get constant updates about the messages from their matches.
Unlike other spy apps that rely on hundreds of screenshots to show you messages, mSpy accesses the apps themselves. Everything is laid out in an interface similar to the messaging app and it’s incredibly easy to quickly find and read through specific chats.
Keyword Alerts
Unless you plan to actively monitor someone 24/7, mSpy’s keyword alerts will save you a lot of time. You can mark certain words beforehand, and it’ll notify you if those words show up in conversation with handy keyword alerts. For example, if you’re worried that your underage kids are smoking, you can flag words like “smoking,” “cigarette,” or “weed.”
So, instead of going through all messages, you can rest easy knowing that the mSpy online monitoring alerts will notify you if any concerning words are used. Plus, this feature isn’t only for text messages. You can also use it to know when your kids look up inappropriate things online.
Keylogger Tracking
As one of the best keylogger software solutions, mSpy tells you everything the person you are monitoring types on their phone. It doesn’t even have to be a proper message. It could be a message they typed but didn’t send, a small note on their notes app, or a search query they left midway. mSpy’s keylogger tracks every character, letter, or digit that’s typed, no matter the app.
You can even use this feature to read the captions they add on one-time snaps on Snapchat or disappearing messages on Instagram.
Since keyloggers track such a wide variety of information, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll get overwhelmed juggling them manually. Thankfully, you can use the keyword alerts feature to highlight areas of peak interest.
Real-Time GPS Tracking and Geo-Fencing
Many users consider mSpy to be one of the best GPS trackers available. In addition to the current location, you’ll also get location history, with information about the address, time, and date the other person has been. While I didn’t need the latitude and longitude, what is useful is a link that will show you the location on Google Maps.
Geo-fencing also helps with passive monitoring. This feature allows you to create virtual boundaries and know if someone leaves these areas. You can monitor if your kids are at school when they’re supposed to be and know when your partner leaves work and is on their way home.
The one catch is that you will have to install a separate app on an iPhone for location tracking. You can hide the app icon if you’ve jailbroken the phone, though.
Automated Screenshot and Screen Recorder
mSpy’s screen recorder feature sends you snapshots of chats, notifications, and other similar activities. It’s ideal to track disappearing messages on apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Instagram so you don’t miss anything.
Automated screenshots are triggered by phone activity (such as getting a new message). mSpy a quiet screenshot as soon as the new message hits the screen, ensuring you see it before the user or the app can delete it.
What I really liked is that mSpy identifies the app it’s taking screenshots of, and you can filter the results accordingly. It was a huge time-saver since I didn’t have to scroll through hundreds of screenshots to find what I was looking for.
Wi-Fi Network Monitoring
Location tracking isn’t the only way to know where the target user is and what they’re up to. You can also track the Wi-Fi networks they connect to. With mSpy, you’ll get:
- The name of the Wi-Fi network
- A report on how long the device was connected to the network
- And the date of connection
This is a great way to find out where your child is hanging out. For instance, if they say they’re at a friend’s house, you can use the Wi-Fi network tracker to check if they’re telling the truth.
One feature that makes mSpy one of the best parental control apps compared to some other parental control apps, is that you can remotely control your child’s device to disconnect it from Wi-Fi. If your kids are up way past their bedtime, you can simply disable access to the internet on their phones.
Device Usage and App Management
Many other parental control apps include the ability to monitor and block apps and websites, and mSpy doesn’t fail here, either. mSpy gives you a list of all the apps the other person has downloaded, including their names, logos, and version numbers.
If you see them playing too many games or using dating apps, you can remotely block the app at the click of a button. The same goes for websites.
The internet is riddled with malware and malicious users and is therefore not really privacy-friendly, especially for young kids who don’t know better. As a robust parental control app, you can check what websites your kids visit by accessing their browsing history.
The “Views” column on the dashboard will show you how many times and how long your child spends on a website, giving you great insight into your child’s phone usage. If you don’t approve the sites they visit, you can easily block access to them. Overall, mSpy is a great parental control app for its robust feature set that works across the many apps your child might be using.
Instant Call Monitoring
With mSpy, you’ll get instant access to the device’s list of incoming and outgoing phone calls. You can find who initiated the call and how often phone calls have been made to and from that number. You’ll also get detailed timestamps of all incoming and outgoing calls, including the duration and time of the call.
mSpy will also provide details on callers, such as their names and phone numbers. If nothing suspicious pops up in their recent call history, you can check their contacts.
Here, you’ll see their complete contact list, along with the names and numbers of each contact. If additional information, such as email ID or home address, has been stored alongside the contact’s name, you’ll be able to access that, too.
Social Media Monitoring
mSpy’s social media monitoring features provide comprehensive tracking across popular platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tinder. It allows users to view messages, shared media, and other interactions within these apps, offering a detailed view of the target’s social media activity.
For example, on WhatsApp, mSpy can monitor both sent and received messages, including those that are deleted. On Snapchat, it captures screenshots of chats before they disappear, ensuring nothing is missed.
This robust social media monitoring capability makes mSpy a powerful tool and one of the best parental control apps for monitoring online interactions across multiple platforms.
Remote Camera Access
mSpy’s remote camera access feature allows users to discreetly control the target device’s camera to capture images or video without the user’s knowledge. This feature is particularly useful for parents or employers who need to monitor the surroundings of the device for safety or security reasons.
Like other advanced features of mSpy, the images or videos captured can then be viewed directly from the mSpy dashboard, giving you real-time insights into the device’s environment.
Email and Calendar Monitoring
If your kid or spouse has the habit of maintaining a personal calendar for upcoming events, you’ll be able to check the name of the event, its venue/location, timestamps (i.e., when it starts and ends), and, sometimes, even a detailed description of what’s going to happen there.
Remember, this feature will only work if they actually maintain a calendar marking all their upcoming events. This means it might not be the most effective for kids who aren’t the most organized, but you can surely use it to keep an eye on your partner or older kids.
Access to All Media Files
Accessing inappropriate content has become easier than ever. That’s why it’s important to monitor your kids’ media files, such as images and videos, to ensure they’re not interacting with dangerous or inappropriate content.
Growing curiosity during puberty, mingled with limitless access to the internet, has made adult content a go-to place for most teenagers. These are common concerns for every parent. With mSpy, you can end your fears by monitoring the media files your child saves on their device.
You’ll also get timestamps showing when the files were originally downloaded, which can help you determine whether it’s a one-off or something they’ve been doing for a while.
mSpy Alternatives – How it Compares
For our mSpy review we tested how the best parental control app compared to similar apps on the market. Not every product will offer the same thing, but if you’re looking for mSpy alternatives, these are the best of the bunch.
| Provider | Best For | Free Demo/Trial | Cheapest Price | Devices Tracked | Money-Back Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mSpy | The Best All-In-One Spy App Designed for Parental Control | Free Demo | $11.67/month | 1 | 14-day refund |
| Spynger | Great for Social Media Monitoring | ❌ | $9.28/month | 1 | 30-day guarantee |
| uMobix | Excellent Cell Phone Tracker | Free Demo | $12.49/month | 1 | 14-day guarantee |
| Cocospy | Solid Choice for Monitoring Texts | Free Demo | $12.49/month | 1 | 14-day guarantee |
| iKeyMonitor | Great Customizable App | $9.99 for a 3-day trial | Free plan $16.66/month |
1 | 30-day guarantee |
Is mSpy Legit? A Quick Look at mSpy Reviews
To see if the app is just as good as it claims to be, I looked at mSpy reviews from customers to see what people have to say about it. Unsurprisingly, mSpy boasts pretty good reviews overall.
On Trustpilot, more than 5,800 people have shared their opinions on mSpy, of which 63% of the users gave it 5 stars while 5% gave it 4 stars.
Looking at customer feedback more closely, most reviews indicated that most people are really impressed by mSpy’s customer service. It’s safe to say that the company has created a customer-centric environment where your needs are generally put first. The interface is also praised, and it’s evident that families and businesses use mSpy for tracking their loved ones’ mobile devices.
Some users have discussed one snag: mSpy’s price. mSpy charges $48.99 for a one-month subscription, higher than many other parental control apps. However, it does offer substantial savings for those who purchase longer subscriptions, so this might be a situation where some people are just looking for a spy app for the short term and want the cheapest one-month price available.
Other negative feedback concerns customers not getting a refund that they feel they were owed or those who were upset that it didn’t work as expected on an iPhone.
That said, mSpy’s refund policy is known to be somewhat strict. Refunds are generally only given if the software fails to meet its advertised capabilities or is unable to function as promised. Issues related to compatibility, installation problems, or user error might not qualify for a refund, which is something to keep in mind.
Read all customer reviews on Trustpilot
How to Install mSpy – A Step-By-Step Guide
If this is your first time using mSpy, here’s a quick guide that’ll help you set it up:
Installing mSpy on Android Devices
Step 1 — Go to the mSpy Website and Make An Account
Make sure you accept the terms and conditions and use a valid email address because that’s where the installation instructions will be sent.
Next, choose the type of device you want to track — Android device or iOS. Make sure you choose the correct device type because the installation process is different for both operating systems.
Step 2 — Choose a Subscription
You can now choose between one-month, three-month, and 12-month packages. Add the chosen package to the cart and complete the payment.
Step 3 — Disable Play Protect
Before you install mSpy, you’ll have to disable Play Protect on the device. Make sure the phone is unlocked and connected to the internet. Next, go to the Google Play Store.
You can either click on the profile picture at the top-right corner of the screen or on the three lines that should appear in the same place (different profiles have different interfaces).
In the menu that pops up, tap on Play Protect. In the top-right corner, click the settings gear. You’ll see an option named “Scan Apps With Play Protect”—disable that to download mSpy. 
Step 4 — Open Google Chrome on the Target Device
mSpy will provide a link. Paste that link into the address bar. In the next step, pass the captcha security test and click “Download mSpy.”
If you get a pop-up at the bottom of the screen asking for permission, click on Open > Settings > Allow From The Source and then go back. Then “Next”. Once the download is complete, tap on “Open.”
Step 5 — Setting Up the App
This is the final part of the process. Open the app and click “Allow” on all the pop-ups that show up to grant mSpy access to all the data on the target device.
The mSpy app will also provide you with an installation wizard — basically an automated set of instructions. Once you’ve allowed access to everything, enter the Registration code provided by the Wizard and tap on Complete Installation — And that’s it.
Your mSpy account is ready to track the target device. You can access the monitored data from the control panel on your mSpy account.
Installing mSpy on iPhone & iOS Devices
If you want to know how mSpy works on iPhone or other iOS devices without getting help from the mSpy team to jailbreak it, I have two options for you. If you are trying to track your kids or spouse, you’ll probably have access to their iCloud credentials. This is the easiest way to use mSpy with an iPhone. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Step 1 — Head to mSpy’s Website
The first few steps are the same as those for Android: go to mSpy’s official website, create an account, and choose a subscription. After purchasing the subscription, choose iOS devices as the target device and click on the iCloud Sync installation method.
Step 2 — mSpy Login and Authentication
Once you’re redirected to a new page, log into your mSpy account again and enter the iCloud credentials of the target device.
Once you enter the code in the set-up window, mSpy will complete the rest of the installation process within about 10-20 minutes, depending on the amount of data that needs to be imported from the target phone to your control panel. Once that’s done, you’re good to go.
If you want to install mSpy iOS devices tracker through Wi-Fi sync, you’ll need physical access to the target phone, but here are the steps to follow after downloading the monitoring app from its website:
- Step 1 — You’ll get an extra Wi-Fi sync app with your subscription; install that on your PC or Mac
- Step 2 — Connect the target iPhone to your PC using a USB cable. It’ll take some time for the app to back up the data on your device.
Once that’s done, you’ll see a copy of all activity that’s happened on that phone (such as emails, browsing history, notes, and more) on your PC. To back up the data next time, you won’t need to connect it to your PC anymore. Just make sure you’re connected to the same WiFi.
How to Jailbreak iOS Before Installing mSpy
Jailbreaking is the most challenging method of breaking into the target phone, so I don’t recommend it for beginners. However, if you still want to give it a go, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Step 1 — Download the app that mSpy provides for jailbreaking and extract the downloaded file.
- Step 2 — Click on the file to find a folder named “Check1n Jailbreak iOS 14.” Open it to find an ISO file with the same name.
- Step 3 — To open this file, you’ll need an app called Rufus. Once you download it, insert a USB and choose the Checkra1n ISO file.
- Step 4 — Hit “Start,” followed by “OK.” Make sure you make a copy of the files on your USB because they’ll be lost in the process.
- Step 5 — Restart your PC and go to BIOS > Boot Manager. Then, select the USB in the BIOS Boot Manager.
- Step 6 — Connect the target phone to your device using a cable. Then press “Start” followed by “Next”.
- Step 7 — Click “Done” and open the “checkra1n” app. On the next page that loads, click on “Cydia” to start the installation.
- Step 8 — Get back on your device and log into mSpy. Now, click “Get Started”, followed by “Apple, iOS”, followed by “Jailbreak”.
Follow the instructions displayed on the screen to complete jailbreaking the target device. Once done, mSpy will automatically hide the app. However, to hide the “checkra1n” and “Cydia” apps, you’ll need to follow the steps outlined on mSpy’s support page.
How We Review And Test Spyware Apps
Important Note: Spy software is not legal to use without the device owner’s permission in many countries and states. When we test spy software, we do so only with the explicit consent of the device owner and in compliance with local laws and regulations.
To provide our readers with accurate and well-informed recommendations, we test the most popular spy applications on the market to find the best options for you. Our methodology consists of the following criteria:
- General Features: We evaluate the comprehensive feature set of each spy app, including but not limited to features such as App Management, Time Management, Call Monitoring, Device Control and GPS Tracking.
- Ease of Use: We gauge the user-friendliness of each app, considering factors such as installation process complexity, the necessity of jailbreaking (for iOS) or rooting (for Android) the target device, and more.
- Device Support and Compatibility: We thoroughly examine the compatibility of each spyware app with different devices and operating systems, including iOS and Android. We also assess whether the app offers a unified dashboard accessible from both desktop and mobile devices.
- Customer Support: We test the responsiveness and effectiveness of customer support provided by each app developer. We evaluate the availability of support channels, such as live chat, email, or phone support, as well as the satisfaction ratings of customer assistance.
- Price and Value for Money: We assess each spyware app’s pricing structure in relation to its features and functionalities, aiming to determine its overall value proposition. We analyze whether the app offers different subscription tiers, flexible payment options, and discounts for long-term commitments. Additionally, we check whether the app provides free trials or demos for users to test its capabilities before making a purchase.
- Privacy and Security: We prioritize the privacy and security of user data in our evaluation. We scrutinize the app’s data encryption measures, adherence to privacy regulations, and commitment to regular security updates to safeguard user information from unauthorized access or breaches.
Can You Track Someone Using mSpy Without Them Knowing?
Technically, yes. mSpy app allows you to monitor a phone’s actions without detection. Like Spynger mSpy operates in stealth mode, which means it runs in the background without appearing in the list of installed apps or sending notifications or alerts to the target phone, ensuring discreet operation.
With this said, it’s important to remember that spying on someone through their phone or device is illegal in many countries. These apps are a great way to monitor your child’s safety or your partner’s with consent when they are traveling or in a situation where their safety may be compromised or to keep track of each other’s whereabouts.
mSpy Review FAQs
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References
- How To Recognize, Remove, and Avoid Malware (Federal Trade Commission – Consumer Advice)
- Number of data records exposed worldwide from 1st quarter 2020 to 1st quarter 2023 (Statista)
