For this guide, I want to talk to you about the best spying apps you can get to monitor someone’s Android or iPhone. They are not only the most efficient and effective on the market, but also the most popular choices around the globe.
But there’s more.
Unlike other tutorials you can find on Google, I will provide you with all the information you need to pick the one that best suits your needs.
Before we dive into the obscure world of spy apps and discover each one’s features, I would like to introduce myself.
After all, who am I to speak about monitoring apps?
I’m Frankie Caruso, and for more than 10 years I’ve been working on computer security applied to social networks.
In my blog, I make available to everyone guides, tips and tricks on the most effective ways to spy on a cell phone.
These tips have shown to be very helpful both to those who were looking for a way to spy on someone’s device and to those who wanted to protect themselves.
If you want to know more about myself, I will share my bio with you.
Back to us.
Today, I want to show you the best mobile spying apps that you can find in 2022.
I can show you applications designed to track what happens on your target’s smartphone. This includes their call logs, the messages and chat conversations they have on social media, track location, and more.
Once installed, these spyware apps are completely invisible to the victim, and leave no trace for the intended target to find.
Without further ado, let’s get right to the point.
In the first part of this guide, you find the best phone spy apps.
The second portion is devoted to how you get these programs installed on the target phone remotely.
Last, I take a look at many of the FAQs that often exist with spyware.
Ready to begin? Great!
7 Best Mobile Spy Apps for iPhone and Android
Here are the ones that I have selected:
I would remind you that spy apps I include in this guide have all been tested personally by me. I would also do my best to keep this article updated to offer the best and most modern information for readers.
Long story short, ONLY REAL INFO and NO BS.
In a hurry?
Here is a quick rundown with the key features of each app.
NAME | ANDROID | IPHONE | HIDDEN | FREE TRIAL |
mSpy | Yes (no Root) | Yes (no Jailbreak) | Yes | Free Demo |
uMobix | Yes (no Root) | Yes (no Jailbreak) | Yes | Free Demo |
FlexiSPY | Yes (Rooted) | Yes (Jailbreak) | Yes | Free Demo |
Hoverwatch | Yes (no Root) | No | Yes | Free Demo |
eyeZy | Yes (no Root) | Yes (no Jailbreak) | Yes | Free Demo |
iKeyMonitor | Yes (no Root) | Yes (no Jailbreak) | Yes | Free Plan |
Spyic | Yes (no Root) | Yes (no Jailbreak) | Yes | Free Demo |
1. mSpy
mSpy is among the most used phone spy apps available on the market with more than a million active users across the world.
If you had the chance to read some of the other guides on my blog, you will notice that this is the choice that I recommend for anyone.
This is a completely legitimate app developed for parents who are concerned about what their underaged children are doing on their devices.
It is very easy to use, and the interface is friendly for non-tech savvy users.
You can install it on iPhones by just having your victim’s iCloud login info and on Android by having your phone at hand for a few seconds.
What’s really good about it is that you do not need to execute Jailbreaks for iPhone or perform the rooting on Android devices to install mSpy.
Jailbreaking and rooting are processes designed to ‘unlock’ smartphones and allow for the access of secret features and functionalities. If you want to know more, you can learn more about jailbreaking by following this link, and more about rooting by following this one.
Find installation difficult?
Not to worry because there is 24/7 help available called mAssistance. An operator can guide you through the process step-by-step.
mSpy allows you to access a lot of spying features including:
- Phone log
- Records of SMS and iMessage
- Social Network: WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Tinder, and other main accounts.
- GPS locator and Geo–Fencing
- Keylogger (records everything types, including passwords, messages, and more) If you want to know more about keylogging, I wrote an extensive guide all about keyloggers and how they work. Check it out.
- Media files shared and received
- Emails sent and received
- Bookmarks saved to chosen browser
- And much, much more

Pros & Cons
- Compatible with any operating system
- Fully supportive (and multilingual) mAssistance
- You can spy on a phone remotely
- Remote application support team (mAssistance) where the team can install the app for you on an old phone.
- Spy on all of the special most heavily used social media sites
- Read even deleted conversations from WhatsApp and iMessage
- A demo version and you can see how it all works for yourself
- Only tracks cell phones – and will not work on a PC or Mac.
- Doesn’t record phone calls
- Does not feature surround sound recording
- To spy on certain social networks you need to execute the Root or Jailbreak
Price
The cost of this program changes based on the number of apps that you wish to be able to spy on. The price is in several increments beginning at 26 dollars a month and can rise to as much as 60. There are bundles available if you have multiple devices you need to monitor.

Frankie’s Take:
I have written an extensive, step-by-step guide (with video clips) for installing mSpy without incident in less than three minutes. Also, if you are interested in the products there is a discount for readers of my blog. Check it out.
2. uMobix
uMobix is a monitoring app for iPhone and Android phones geared towards parents who are unfamiliar with technology.
I tested it for a couple of months and I must say that I enjoyed it very much. In fact, I think it has nothing to envy to other more famous apps.
The features that really impressed me are the very intuitive interface that allows you to access the contents of the spied phone with one click and ease of installation.
Also, uMobix can be installed without Jailbreak or Root on smartphones.
Let’s talk about its features.
Here’s What you can monitor using uMobix application:
- Call log
- Contact list
- Messaging app: WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram DM, Kik, Zoom, Google Duo etc.
- Social media: Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit etc.
- Media: photo and video
- Internet: monitor every website the victim visits while using a browser.
- Streaming: you can record (audio and video) what is going on near your phone using the front camera.
- Deleted info: deleted messages, deleted chats, calls, etc.
Pros & Cons
- You do not need a rooted Android device or jailbroken iPhone
- Spy the most popular social networks in the world
- One-Click installation
- Streaming Features (video e audio)
- No PC and Mac version
- No screen recording
Price
Its price is within range of other spy tools.
The monthly plan costs 42 euros.
The quarterly plan costs 64 euros.
Finally, the annual plan costs 120 euros.

Frankie’s Take:
uMobix is an excellent spyware app that lets you not just monitor screen activities but also monitor them through remote audio and video streaming. No other spy app comes with this feature.
3. eyeZy
eyeZy is a fairly new hidden spy app that is very similar to mSpy. It’s been on the market since 2021 but has managed to scale the market in a short time.
I’ve been testing it for about 2 months and I was pleasantly surprised that it outperformed a big company like FlexiSPY which is, in my personal ranking, of the best spy apps for mobile phones.
Naturally, you’re wondering: Frankie, what the hell is FlexiSPY?
Of course you don’t know!
For years and years FlexiSPY has been mSpy’s true competitor. It came with over 350 features, including the option to listen to your phone’s surroundings. True James Bond stuff. I’ll tell you more about it later.
Back to eyeZy.
It proved to be stable, easy to install and fast in getting information from your victim’s phone.
I’ll go straight to the point and show you its features:
- Call log (sent and received)
- Social Network messages (Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram etc.)
- Gps Locator and Geo-fancing
- You can block access to certain apps remotely
- Browser history
- Etc.
Their support is multilingual and is available 7/24 and you can reach them via chat or email. They proved to be very helpful.
Jailbreak or Root are not required. However they are needed if you want to use certain advanced spying features.
Pros & Cons
- Compatible with Android, iOS, iPads, Android Tablets
- Easy to install
- Spy on most popular social network sites and apps
- Full 24/7 support in multiple languages
- A demo version and you can see how it all works for yourself
- No option to try it for free for a few days, just the demo
- Doesn’t record phone calls
- For spying on specific social networks (e.g. Instagram) you need to execute the Root or Jailbreak.
Price
eyeZy costs 57€ for the monthly plan, 34€ per month for the quarterly plan and 13€ per month for the annual plan.
Using the discount I have been able to get – because I helped them in the testing phase – you can grab it at 30% off, so respectively: 40€, 24€ and 9€.
4. FlexiSPY
I will start out by telling you that FlexiSPY is a paid application that comes with a higher price tag than other similar programs like mSpy.
In truth, I really like this software because it has more than 150 features.
Yes, you read that right!
Since they would be too many to list here below, I really only focused on listing the best ones. You have to remember that when you promote 150 features, some of them are just not that interesting to name. Here are the best ones:
- Spy social media (Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more)
- Live GPS Tracking
- Listen Through the Microphone
- Check Internet History and Email
- Intercept Calls and Messages
- Spy on chats in WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and more
- Monitor Installed Apps
The interface for this program is user-friendly and helpful.
If you want to install it, you have to have the victim’s smartphone in hand for a few minutes. Otherwise, you cannot get the program installed.
If you do not know how to install this, or just want to make it easier, you can purchase new cellphones directly from Flexispy with the software already installed and completely hidden from being tracked.
To use the service, you need to jailbreak an iPhone or root the Android device. If you cannot do this, the Flexispy team can do it for you for a reasonable fee of 39 dollars.
I have written an extensive, step-by-step guide for installing FlexiSPY without incident. Check it out.
Pros & Cons
- Compatible with all operating systems, including PC and Mac
- Records phone conversations and surroundings
- Spy on most popular social network sites and apps
- Can read deleted iMessage and WhatsApp chats
- Full 24/7 support in multiple languages
- Demo version allows you to see firsthand how it works
- You need physical access to the victim’s phone
- You need a rooted Android or Jailbroken iPhone
- Fairly pricey for a spy application
Price
As I mentioned among the cons above, FlexiSpy is one of the costlier apps of this type on the market. The Lite version (which has VERY limited options) starts at 30 dollars.
The premium version which adds nearly all of the 150 features, is $199.

Frankie’s Take:
FlexiSPY is without a doubt the most full-featured spy software. However, to install it you need your victim’s mobile phone and jailbreak or root the system. So I recommend it only if you are familiar with your mobile phone and looking for something really powerful.
5. Hoverwatch
Hoverwatch is another hidden tracking app that is growing in popularity.
It can track and record phone calls, view instant messages across applications and systems, read text messages, view visited websites, track locations, and more.
The interface for Hoverwatch is clever and intuitive. This makes the product easy to use by people who are unfamiliar with the technology involved.
I will mention some of the more important benefits and features for this spy app, including:
- Phone history tracking for internet browsing, calls, and SMS
- Recording calls received and made from the victim’s phone – you can listen to them at your leisure.
- Camera tracking with screenshots, takes a photo when a user unlocks the screen on the Android.
- Free trial period
- And more
Unlike the other apps already mentioned in this guide, this software does not require a rooted Android device.
I’d like you to check out the official installation guide so you can see how easy it is to get it on the target’s device. You can see that guide here.
Pros & Cons
- You do not need a rooted Android device
- Comprehensive and informative installation guide
- Spy the most popular social networks in the world
- Read deleted chats from iMessage (Mac) and WhatsApp
- 24/7 Support in multiple languages
- You must have access to the target mobile device to install
- There is no version available for iPhone
Price
The costs mainly depend on the devices that you are currently tracking through a license. For example, if you want to follow the actions of just one device, you can do so for 24.95 a month or 99.95 for the year.

Frankie’s Take:
Hoverwatch is one of the only spyware apps available for Android that does not require rooting. So if the intended victim has an Android device, this is one of the best options available to you.
6. iKeyMonitor
KeyMonitor is the only spy app on the market that comes with a free plan and a free 3-day trial. This made it popular all over the world.
Naturally, its free version offers few features but in some cases they may be enough and useful for your purpose.
As for the rest, it’s a stable app with a great development team behind it.
It’s easy to install and for certain features it doesn’t require Root or Jailbreak.
So without wasting any more time I’ll show you the ones that I deem the most interesting and useful (for the complete list I suggest you check the Features page of the official iKeyMonitor website)
- SMS and Messaging: WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, iMessage etc.
- Tracking features: GPS, call log, internet history etc.
- Phone Control: phone blocker, screen time etc.
- Remote control: remote tracking, alert words etc.
iKeyMonitor – just like all the ones on this list – is also invisible on your victim’s mobile phone.
Pros & Cons
- Free version of the software
- Free 3 days trial
- Easy to install
- 24/7 Support in multiple languages
- Advanced monitoring features require jailbreak or rooting
Price
This software comes in two versions: a free version with limited features and a paid version that offers all features.
But there’s more.
With the free version you can purchase individual functions at a price of 10 euros for three days or 15 euros for a month (of course it’s more convenient).
Let me explain.
Let’s suppose you only want to spy on Messenger (you don’t care about the rest of the apps in your victim’s phone), you can use the free version of the software and buy only the Messenger feature.
Basically, you can customize this software to your taste 😎
7. Spyic
Spyic is one of the most popular and widely used monitoring apps on the Internet.
To be honest, it’s also one of the oldest.
The first time I tested it was about 5 years ago (boy, how time flies).
A few months ago (before updating this guide) I decided to test it again to check its effectiveness after a long time.
I must say that it did not disappoint me.
I found it user-friendly, quick to install and secure.
It managed to keep up with other spy apps by adding new features, but above all by giving users the possibility to install it on Android without Root and on iPhone without Jailbreak.
Let’s switch to its features.
The main ones are:
- Call tracker
- Text message spy
- Track location
- Geofence alert
- Social media: Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit etc.
- Internet: monitor every website the victim visits while using a browser
Pros & Cons
- You do not need a rooted Android device or jailbroken iPhone
- Spy the most popular social networks
- Easy installation
- 60-Day Money Back Guarantee
- No PC and Mac version
- No free trial, just the demo
Price
Spyic offers three subscription plans to monitor Android devices and three different plans to monitor iOS devices.
Frankly, I don’t know why they chose this pricing strategy (maybe to get potential buyers confused 😂 – I’m just kidding)
If you want to purchase Spyic for Android these are its prices:
Basic – $99.99/year for 1 device, Premium – $119.99/year for 1 Device, Family – $199.99/year for 3 devices.
On the other hand, for iOS:
Family – $399.99/year for 5 device, Premium – $129.99/year for 1 Device, Business – $999.99/year for 25 devices.

Frankie’s Take:
Although Spyic doesn’t come with a lot of features compared to other spy apps, it is still a fine Parental Control app that works flawlessly. In my opinion, the only downside is its price, especially if you want to spy on multiple devices.
What App is the Best for Spying?
That’s a great question!
Unfortunately, the answer isn’t a clear one. It depends primarily on the type of target device you are looking to track.
Allow me to clarify:
The best spy app for iPhone (in my knowledgeable opinion) is mSpy. This can be installed remotely and does not require jailbreaking the device to accomplish. The only data that you need to know is the access credentials for the iCloud account associated with the targeted device.
It is compatible with almost every version of iOS, so you can even install it on the iPhone 12.
One thing you should know – updates for mSpy can sometimes take a couple of weeks to reach the software.
I would also say that the price point is reasonable for almost anyone and you cannot compare the support you have access to.
You might be interested in: 3 most effective techniques for iPhone spying without getting caught. Check it out!
So now, let’s consider what your best option is if you are trying to target an Android device.
Again, in my knowledgeable opinion, the best spy phone app for Android is Hoverwatch. The reason for this is simple – you don’t have to root the Android system to install the software. However, you DO have to get access to the target device.
As of writing this guide, there are no current Android-based spy apps that can get installed remotely. If you see any software that makes this claim – it is 100% a scam.
You might be interested in: how to spy on Android cell phone in minutes. Check it out!
In addition to the features, Hoverwatch is a reasonably priced spy program for all it can do.
4 Things To Consider Before Purchasing Spy Programs
Now I would like to give you some tips that could help you before you make any spy program purchases in the future.
1. First Make Sure that the Program Works with the Intended Target Phone
Before you waste time and money on a spy app, despite how well-known and highly rated it is, you need to make sure the victim’s cellphone is capable of running the software. The best-known programs like those already listed above, mSpy, Hoverwatch, and FlexiSpy update their databases to stay up-to-date with software updates and new operating systems.
2. Ensure that You Are Buying the App from the Right Place
As with everything, there are frauds everywhere on the internet looking to steal your information, data, and money. Make sure that when you purchase apps and subscribe to services, you do so through the official websites of these programs or following links on reputable sites like my blog and other tech-focused publications.
3. Check Features and Prices
Make sure you are getting exactly what you need. You do not have to purchase the top tier packages of applications if you only want a small assortment of the available features in most cases. A little reading can save you money.
4. Look at the Guidelines for Installation
Before you make any purchases, read over the installation guide to make sure it is something you can reasonably handle on your own. For those who are not technologically inclined, apps like mSpy offer support services that install the program on your behalf.
FAQs
With this portion of the guide, I would like to take a moment to answer some of the questions that I read most often from those looking to get spy apps.
🔵 Can I Spy on a Phone with Just a Phone Number?
Not at all.
If you have some deep, dark connections through the CIA or FBI maybe. Beware of ANY site or service that claims you can do this.
🔵 How Can You Spy on a Phone without an App?
There are actually several ways that you can do this – and I even wrote you a guide about the best techniques to accomplish this task. You can check it out for tips on social engineering, spy cams, and more.
🔵 Can You Uninstall a Spy App?
Absolutely.
In most cases, it is as simple as a click from the dashboard that you use to access the information.
🔵 Can I Stop Someone from Spying on My Phone?
If you think your phone is getting spied on, the best way to remove spyware is to factory reset your device.
If you have an iPhone, I wrote an article about identifying signals to see if there is an app installed. Of course, I also tell you about the ways you can remove it. Check it out sometime.
🔵 Can you Install Spy Software Remotely for Me, Frankie?
I actually get this question a lot. The answer is a resounding NO.
It is not ethical for me to do it. Instead, I would encourage you to use the support features to do this.
Conclusion
We have reached the end of the guide. All the information I have provided has been the result of hours of tests conducted over the past 5 years.
There are a lot of spy apps out there to monitor the activity on a phone, so it would be impossible for me to extensively test them all. Out of the most famous of them (roughly 20), I have narrowed it down to the best three on the market:
Now, mSpy is an excellent choice for spying on iPhone as it allows you to install the software and begin running it remotely.
Likewise, Hoverwatch is best for Android targets as you do not have to bother rooting a device to use the program.
If you want a nice balance of espionage features that can offer options like environmental audio recording, then you should check out FlexiSpy.
Alternatively, if you are looking to find a free spy app, the best – but also the only one that offers this option – is iKeyMonitor.
If you have questions or concerns, or have tried an app that you are very comfortable with and want to share it with me and readers of this blog, use the comment space below to reach out.
I will be sure to get back with you as soon as I can.
A hug,
Frankie Caruso
PS – You should know that there are alternatives to using spy apps. I talk about them in a guide I wrote regarding how to spy on a mobile phone without installing any software.