mSpy is a phone monitoring app that has been around for a few years now and it’s one of the most popular apps in this category. It comprises a wide range of features that are meant to appeal to all sorts of users—from employers who want to monitor their employees’ activities to parents who want to keep track of their children’s online lives. But does mSpy really deliver what it promises? I decided to find out by trying it out for myself. Here’s my mSpy review.
mSpy Review – The App at A Glance
mSpy is a phone monitoring app that can track various activities on the target device, from text messages and calls to internet usage and social media activity. The app also has features for tracking location, email accounts, and even keystrokes. It’s available for both Android and iOS devices.
How Does It Work?
mSpy works by installing a small tracking software on the target device. Once it’s installed, it will start collecting data from the phone and sending it back to your mSpy account, which you can then access online. You can also set up alerts so that you get notifications whenever certain activities occur.
mSpy Monitoring App Features
I found that mSpy offers a wide range of monitoring features that are exceptionally helpful. Let me walk you through these features.
mSpy Dashboard
The mSpy dashboard is your central control center for monitoring activities on the target device. You can access it from any computer or mobile device through an internet connection. It gives you detailed reports about activities such as calls, text messages, emails, location tracking, and more.
mSpy WhatsApp Tracker
Over the last decade, Whatsapp has become one of the major apps for messaging, calling, and media sharing. It is a huge social networking platform. That means, your kid or employee can use it in any negative way. mSpy can monitor WhatsApp messages, calls, and contacts. You can view all the conversations that take place on the device, as well as any media shared in these chats.
Get the full mSPY WhatsApp demo here.
mSpy Social Network Monitoring
Now, what I found is that mSpy enables you to a mile extra with its ability to monitor several social networking applications. These include:
- Telegram
- Kik
- Hangout
- Facebook Messenger
- Instagram Messenger
- LINE
- Skype
- Snapchat
- Viber
- Tinder (A Plus-Point)
You can view all messages exchanged on these platforms with all relevant details. On this list, Tinder is one that I thought was a plus point. Because dating apps such as Tinder do come with strong security features and mSpy is able to give you access despite that strong encryption.
mSpy Adult Content Blocker
Now, this is something I found different in mSpy. Other monitoring apps out there do not offer any specific adult content-blocking feature. mSpy also offers a Porn Blocker feature, which can block any websites containing inappropriate content.
You can customize the list of blocked sites, as well as create time limits for when the device can be used. Plus, you can know when your target is talking about any kind of adult content by setting an alert on specific keywords. That makes it a super feature to make sure your target stays away from any sort of adult content.
mSpy Call Log & Blocker
mSpy not only allows users to log phone calls but also provides comprehensive details about every call incoming and outgoing. Although you won’t be able to hear the conversation, you can see information such as the caller’s identity, time of call, duration of the call, and more.
If you’re curious about who your target user has been calling late at night, mSpy can give you the answer in an instant. The app takes account of all incoming and outgoing calls on the target’s phone.
The mSpy app can also block all third-party callers and incoming calls on the targeted device. This is a crucial safety measure for parents who want to make sure their children are only talking to people they know.
The entire list of contacts, including call logs, will be immediately visible to you once you log into your mSpy Control Panel account. If there are any numbers or contacts that appear suspicious to you, simply add them to your block list in order to prevent them from being able to call the target phone.
mSpy Text Message Monitoring
You can also use mSpy to access all messages and emails depending on your device. If you have an Apple product, this feature works even without jailbreaking the phone. However, if you have an Android device, the phone must first be rooted.
Perhaps the best part about this feature is that it allows you to read even messages that have been deleted. So, if your target user tries to clear their tracks by deleting instant messages, you’ll still be able to retrieve them through mSpy.
With these text messages, you will always be aware of your child’s questionable activity. No longer do you have to worry about conversations with strangers or other bad influences.
mSpy GPS Tracking & Geo-Fencing
Geo-fencing is one of the key features of mSpy. It enables you to set up a virtual barrier around certain areas. Whenever your target device enters or exits this area, you will be alerted via your mSpy account or through text messages or emails. You can create safe and dangerous zones for your target to abide by. This ensures their safety and prevents any potential danger.
You can also view their location history on a map, and get detailed reports about their whereabouts. This feature is incredibly useful for parents who want to keep track of their children’s activities and make sure they stay safe.
mSpy Media Access
You can access media files on the target device by clicking on the “Photos” tab on your mSpy dashboard online. Under Photos, there are three subsections where you can find photos and videos.
The first section of this app displays all media taken today, the second shows yesterday’s, and the third shows everything from before that. You’ll be able to view every image and video your target user sends or receives on their phone.
mSpy Wi-fi Network Monitoring
I think this is one of the best features of mSpy. Public Wi-Fi hotspots can be dangerous—full of viruses, malware, and phishers. These malicious individuals are looking to steal your data or infect your device with harmful software. If your phone contains sensitive personal information like passwords and bank details, then this should be extremely worrisome for you.
Worse yet, children often connect to any free hotspot they see without thinking twice about the possible risks. mSpy doesn’t just allow users to monitor and control Wi-Fi connections, but also every phone that the target makes. You’ll be able to track them even if they have their mobile data switched off!
You can view connection times and access details for any device that attempts to connect to your Wi-Fi network. If you don’t believe a specific network is safe, you also have the ability to block it from connecting. If you’re ever worried about your company’s secure information being compromised on public Wi-Fi, this feature helps prevent that from happening.
mSpy Internet Usage Monitoring
mSpy also allows you to monitor your target user’s internet activities. You can keep tabs on which websites they visit and if any of those websites are inappropriate for their age. You can also see the amount of time they spend browsing each website, and what kind of content was accessed by the target user.
This feature is especially useful for parents who want to know what their children are doing online and make sure they’re not seeing anything inappropriate or dangerous. It helps protect kids from cyberbullying, sexual predators, and other online dangers that could lead to serious consequences.
Browser History Recorder
Tracking browser history is one of mSpy’s most useful features for parents. The app allows you to view the URLs of websites visited, as well as the titles and text entered into search engine queries.
You can also use the keyword alert feature to receive notifications when certain words are used in searches or posts on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
View Browser Bookmarks
With this feature, you can also view the bookmarks in your target’s browser. That enables you to keep tabs on their frequently-visited and favorite sites. Moreover, mSpy also displays the date and time each bookmark was created or last modified.
mSpy Email Viewer
You can also view your target’s emails. mSpy enables you to check their sent and received emails from any account, even if they’re using a webmail service like Gmail or Yahoo! You’ll have access to the full content of each email, including time and date stamps for when it was sent and received.
This is an incredibly useful feature for businesses that want to make sure their employees aren’t sharing confidential information with unauthorized individuals. It also provides parents with more peace of mind knowing they can keep track of what their children are doing online.
mSpy Keystroke Recorder
In addition to its other features, mSpy can keep a log of every keystroke made on the target device. Users can access stored information such as login details, usernames, passwords, encrypted text, URLs, text messages, and emails simply by downloading the application onto their target phone. The app’s Control Panel allows users to see anything that was typed on the target phone.
mSpy offers a unique feature among cellphone spying apps- the ability to record and save keystrokes. This is unfortunately only available on Android devices as of now, but iOS compatibility is in development.
mSpy Installed Applications Viewer
mSpy not only monitors the apps on a target phone but can also block certain apps. This is important because many social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber Telegram, and Snapchat are known to be dangerous for children.
Using mSpy, parents can see what their children are doing on Tinder. While some may view this as an invasion of privacy, this app can be helpful for parents who want to make sure that their child is not getting involved in online dating.
App monitoring and blocking allow you to not only see when the person you’re targeting is actively using certain apps, but also view their text messages, call logs, and multimedia files sent through these apps. You can also opt to block the app entirely.
This feature can help parents protect their children from potentially harmful environments online, and employers can use it to keep employees from using distractive social media apps.
mSpy Lock & Wipe Feature
This feature remotely locks the phone or even wipes all its data, which can be done in the background without the holder of the phone’s knowledge.
mSpy Screen Recorder
The last feature I’d like to discuss is mSpy’s screen recorder. This app can record the target device’s screen in real-time and also take screenshots at regular intervals. You’ll be able to view these recordings on your dashboard online, making it easy to keep track of what the person you are monitoring is doing.
This is extremely useful for employers who want to ensure that their employees are staying productive while working remotely or parents who need to make sure their children aren’t getting into any trouble online.
mSpy Review – Pros & Cons
There are the pros and cons of mSpy just like any other monitoring app out there.
mSpy Pros
- mSpy is easy to use and intuitive.
- Offers 24/7 live chat support.
- You can get a full mSpy demo to fully experience all the features.
- mSpy cannot be detected easily. It will stay hidden on the target’s phone.
- It allows you to track multiple devices from a single dashboard.
- You can access emails, messages, and other communications from the target device.
- The app provides detailed data logs of when the target device was used.
- It has features for remotely locking and wiping data on the device in case of theft or loss.
- Screen recording feature to keep track of activities on the device.
- mSpy is one of the most accessible tracking and monitoring apps available, due to its simplicity and compatibility with a variety of devices.
mSpy Cons
- Your battery will drain more often the app updates itself.
- Updates on iPhone take up to 24 hours to come. This is one of the biggest drawbacks of mSpy.
- Can be expensive depending on your plan.
- With mSpy, you can only monitor one phone at any given time. If your monitoring schedule requires more than one device, it can become quite challenging to keep up.
- Not all features are available for iOS devices as development is still ongoing.
- Some users may find it intrusive if they know they are being monitored by an app.
- It can be difficult to uninstall the app if you do not have physical access to the device.
mSpy Compatibility
I highly recommend all users check the compatibility of any application before making any purchase. Before you can install mSpy software on their target user’s phone, there are a few technical requirements that their device needs to meet.
iOS/Apple Devices
If you have an iPhone, the requirements for use vary depending on whether your device is jailbroken or not. Let me discuss both cases with you. To start, there is the jailbreak case. Installing mSpy on a jailbroken iOS device is slightly more complicated than on a non-jailbroken device.
First, ensure that the device has an iOS version from 7 to 9.1 and that it’s connected to the internet. You also need uninterrupted physical access for at least 10 minutes in order to finish app installation and setup up correctly once you begin.
In other words, if you’re willing to jailbreak your child’s iOS device, mSpy provides more features than any other parental control software. For example, with a jailbroken device you can monitor social media activity, and geofence locations, record phone calls, and emails, and block specific websites.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to jailbreak your iPhone, no problem. In fact, installing mSpy is much easier on a non-jailbroken phone. You only need the owner’s iCloud details to install this spy software provided that two-factor authentication isn’t enabled by them.
If they do have it, you’ll still need access to the device. Also, as previously mentioned, doing this has many drawbacks. Furthermore, Apple’s new security updates have also added more restrictions to mSpy’s features. According to the support team at mSpy, some of the latest versions of iOS may only allow access to GPS locations, contacts lists, and geo-fencing preferences.
Android Devices
If you are going to install a tracking app on an Android device, it is recommended that the phone’s operating system should be at least Android 4+. To monitor instant messages (for example WhatsApp) you will need to root the mobile phone. Even with end-to-end encryption and disabling “Last Seen” in settings, it will still allow you to see when the person was online.
You can use mSpy to monitor Snapchat, which gives you complete access and control of the device. You don’t need root privileges for this, but you will need physical access to the device in order to install mSpy.
mSpy Pricing
The GOOD thing about mSpy pricing is that it is simple and straightforward. The BAD thing is that it can be expensive depending on your choice of plan. Let me give you a quick overview of the mSpy pricing.
mSpy provides 3 plans that are based on a period of 1, 3, and 12 months. Below are the prices of the 3 plans.
- One Month Plan – Priced @ $69.99 per month.
- Three-Month Plan – Priced @ $40 per month.
- Twelve-Month Plan – Priced @ $16.67 per month (This one provides the best value. Highly recommended)
The 12-month plan provides the best value for money. It is cheaper and allows you to fully experience the application with all its features.
Is mSpy Legal To Use?
It’s important to make sure that you are using this app legally. It is illegal in some countries or states to monitor someone else’s device without their consent. Moreover, if you’re monitoring a minor (under 18 years old) then the parent or legal guardian must provide the necessary consent before they can be monitored with mSpy.
However, in some cases, consent will not be necessary. It all depends on what the local law says.
Is There Any Stealth Mode On mSpy?
It is claimed that mSpy is a totally undetectable app when it comes to monitoring. This means that the targeted user will not know that you are spying on them since the icon or symbol of the app does not appear even with Show All Apps enabled.
Furthermore, mSpy can be manually uninstalled from the target device by entering a unique code and deleting all traces of its use.
Finally, this spy app cannot be tracked through the usage history of any mobile phone as it does not leave any trace behind. So yes, you can definitely keep your spying activities hidden with mSpy’s stealth mode. Ultimately, mSpy is an effective monitoring tool that offers top-notch features and wide compatibility across different platforms.
Does mSpy Actually Provide Real-Time Monitoring?
Essentially, mSpy takes a while to update information, so one cannot claim that it offers real-time monitoring. However, data that is saved on the device gets updated every minute.
I found that unless the target is constantly deleting texts as they enter, they will be saved. mSpy gives new data updates at a minimum of every five minutes so you can have a full readout of all social media activity, phone calls, and messages your devices have received.
The update frequency can be controlled in your Device Management settings, located in the control panel. You can schedule updates anywhere between five minutes apart to once every 24 hours. Keep in mind that the more often the device updates, the faster battery will drain.
If you’re noticing enormous chunks of data being used on your child’s phone, it may be time to have a talk about responsible data usage. Luckily, many phone features only update when connected to Wi-Fi, which can save significant amounts of data. This is especially the case for uploading photos and videos, which are usually heavy files.
mSpy FAQs
1 – Is There Any Special Security Feature On mSpy?
The mSpy control panel uses a username/password system that is linked to the online store. The app itself only needs an activation code for it to be tied into the profile–this means that no authentication credentials are stored on the device. If installed without icons, mSpy will be completely silent and there will be no indication of usage on the device.
2 – How mSpy Keeps The User Data Safe?
To keep your data safe, mSpy uses a secure two-factor authentication system. Each client account is protected by a username and password, as well as a private key which is generated when the account is created.
3 – Can Your Target Uninstall The mSpy App?
No. The mSpy app is undetectable. You will be notified in your Control Panel if there is ever an attempt to remove the application.
4 – What Is The Refund Period For mSpy?
Customers can apply for a refund within 14 days of the purchase.
5 – Is mSpy Available Worldwide?
Yes. mSpy is available in over 190 countries and provides services in 10 languages.
6 – How Am I Eligible For A Refund?
Conditions regarding refunds are stated in the mSpy Refund Policy here.
7 – Can You Install mSpy Remotely On Target’s Phone?
Yes. mSpy allows you to install the app remotely on an Android device. For iOS devices, physical access to the target phone is required for installation.
mSpy Review Verdict – Here Is What I Think!
Overall, mSpy is an excellent monitoring solution for both parents and employers. It offers a wide range of features that make it easy to keep tabs on the activities of your target. With its stealth mode, you can be sure that your spying activities remain hidden from your target.
The app’s user interface is also very intuitive so you won’t have any trouble navigating through all the different options available on the dashboard. Additionally, it provides great customer service should you run into technical issues or have any questions about how to use the app effectively.
However, the app mSpy comes with its limitations. For me, the limitation of getting updates after 24 hours on iPhones is a concern. It takes away the idea of real-time monitoring.
Another thing is that the app will drain your battery whenever there is an update. The cost of the app is also quite high, so depending on your budget, you may want to consider other monitoring solutions.
It Is Your Call Now!
Depending on what you’re looking for in a monitoring app, mSpy could be the solution for you. Whether it’s for keeping tabs on your child or employee activities, mSpy makes it easy to monitor and track any activity happening on the target device. Be sure to read up on all its features before making your decision! Good luck!
