Cell Phone Spy App Software Reviews

mSpy Review

mSpy Review

Author
Users
  • Features
  • Price & Value
  • Support
  • Compatibility
  • Stealth

This review was last updated on: May, 2016.

mSpy is widely regarded as one of the best in its field thanks in no small part to an extensive list of features, cross-platform compatibility, and fantastic 24/7 live support. Furthermore, their tiered pricing options lets you fully customize the app to include as much, or as little, functionality as you need. Its all-encompassing suite of features and budget friendly options have made it a fan favorite and the perfect one-stop tracking solution.

It is extremely versatile and is equally suited to running on an iPhone, iPad, Rooted Android, or desktop computer. Setup is a breeze and in many cases you can be set up and ready to go in roughly 15 minutes. This setup time is also typically the only time you’ll need to have your hands on the device; and if you’re opting for “Jailbreak Free” option you don’t even need to physically have the device, you’ll just need the device’s associate iCloud login information.

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socialFeatures:

In addition to its versatility this monitoring suite features advanced functions on par with any of its competitors. Users will find that their subscription allows them unfettered remote access to the device and can even grant you access into the, typically hard to crack services like, Skype, WhatsApp, Tinder, and Snapchat monitoring (among other social media tools).

The phone logging feature collects all incoming and Phoneoutgoing calls along with a time stamp so you can accurately pinpoint a sequence of events. The SMS collection is no less effective and incredibly even deleting the evidence becomes impossible as any deleted messages will continue to be available to you in mSpy!

Media access ensures that you can see any image or video on the device which will be especially intriguing to parents textconcerned about sexting. There use to be a remote monitoring mode which allowed you to listen in on in-progress phone calls, or even turn on the mic from your end and listen in to the device’s surrounding. However, due to a big crackdown on illicit cell phone monitoring usage, the company decided to remove these features to avoid any invasive abuse from unauthorized users.

There is even a jailbreak free version which will allow you to monitor a device using nothing but the associated Apple ID and Password. This method works through the Apple backup system with the data that is uploaded to iCloud. With login information mSpy is able to download all of the information to your control panel and make it available to you whenever the apps is backed up. We cover the Jailbreak free version at length in another article. It should be noted that this option is not the same as using the full fledged app, and is limited to what iCloud can backup.

Finally comes the online control panel which ties the whole system together. This page loads the dashboard extremely quickly and is easily accessible from anywhere.

 

While all those features are essential, the one tool we feel was worthy of special mention, and, quite frankly, that stole the show in my eyes, was the Geolocation feature. I really loved the GPS function which is beautifully designed and features a full graphical map including historical data about routes and destinations. To our knowledge this suite provides the most advanced and complete cell phone tracking tools available to date.

Even this long winded section doesn’t manage to fit in all of mSpy’s features so be sure to look at our full list of features below.

  • Key Logger: Logs all keyboard strokes made on targeted device.
  • Call Logs: Time, duration, number or contact all logged.
  • Block /Restrict Calls: Block an unlimited list of numbers for both inbound and outbound calls.
  • Block /Restrict Apps and Software: See all apps that get installed by user and restrict access as desired.
  • Block Websites: Filter content or dangerous websites. Set up time windows for access to certain sites.
  • Email Logs: Tracks in/outbound emails, including full content, timestamps and addresses.
  • GPS Location Tracking: Live location tracking with detailed route history, works even when GPS turned off by user.
  • Browsing History: Website history logs with timestamps. Includes bookmarks.
  • Calendar: Full Access to calendar data and scheduled dates.
  • Instant Messaging: Full logs of SMS, Snapchat, Tinder, Skype, WhatsApp, iMessage Facebook, Viber, & Social Network.
  • Multimedia Access: Full remote access to photos and videos taken or saved on the device including time stamp.
  • Analytics: Set mSpy to create detailed reports based on pre-selected phone usage and time windows.
  • Theft Protection: Perform a full wipeout remotely; (cannot be reversed), or remotely lock device. Alerts if SIM card is changed.
  • No indication of monitoring on target device.
  • *as mentioned, all remote control features of camera and microphone, as well as recording phone calls is no longer available. If you seek these features, you may want to opt for Flexispy, or the more affordable but less capable Mobistealth.
    • Remote Call Recording: Set device to record all calls or target specific numbers, live access to recordings.
    • Remote Mic Bugging: Turn the device into a recording bug by remotely activating mic at any time or on pre-scheduled settings.
    • Remote Camera Spying: Set device to take a picture every time it gets unlocked, schedule times to take pictures, will use both front and back camera simultaneously, if available.

Features

Compatibility:

The app currently supports iOS and Android platforms for mobile devices, but also offers the service for PC Windows and MAC OS computers. Latest compatible versions;

  • Android 4+ – Advanced features require device to be rooted.
  • iOS 6 to 8.4; 9.0.2 – Must Be Jailbroken. – Non-Jailbreak option works on any version of iCloud.
  • Windows XP, 7, 8, 10
  • Mac OSX 10.7 o 10.9

 

Stealth:

When you agree to mSpy’s terms and install the app, they will ask you to confirm that you own the device, and are monitoring for yourself, as a parent, or employer. Once installed, mSpy shows absolutely no indication that it is monitoring the target device. Once it has been installed mSpy is able to hide itself from all application and process lists and shows no pop up or notification of any kind, remaining completely stealthy. This is handy in case the device is stolen, since the thief will have no idea that the cell phone is being tracked.

 

Support:

supportThe support offered by mSpy is often categorized as stellar but luckily was not often needed as the interface is designed for ease of use. In our opinion just about anyone can easily learn to use it in less than a day.

With that said, live support is available 24/7 should you need it and with virtually no wait times you can choose to chat with them, send an email ticket, or call one of the various toll-free numbers any time you need a hand. The team is quick to help with any setup or configuration questions and can quickly guide and inform you if the service is the right choice for you and your device. They have continuously improved the software and updated periodically to provide up to date compatibility with all the major OS updates. We had no bugs to report, which is always a good sign of a solid development team within the company.

 

Price/Value:

They offer straight-forward and affordable plans with great value. For what you get and we can confidently recommend mSpy to all groups and levels of users looking for tracking application services. Different tiered packages are offered to help better suit your needs and you can even test the service with a risk-free 1 month trial period, so you don’t have to risk buying the wrong one. Although the price is not low, the list of features is well worth the investment. Each package is for 1 device, but a 20% discount is offered for up to 5 device packages, or combo of a mobile and computer device. Users may change their targeted device as much as wanted. Bundle packages are also available if you want to monitor both cell phones and computers together.

mspy-pricing

Basic Package: Offers most basic features, with the exception of more advanced functions.
1 Month: $29.99 – 3 Months: $59.99 – 1 Year: $99.99

Premium Package: Offers all features & functions.
1 Month: $69.99 – 3 Months: $119.99 – 1 Year: $199.99

Computer Package: Apple OS, or Windows computer desktops, laptops.
1 Month: $29.99 – 3 Months: $39.99– 1 Year: $69.99

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In Conclusion

To wrap up mSpy’s service review, I would suggest this service to all parents, and small company employers looking for a solid service, competitive price, and trustworthy handling of your personal data. Additionally, they are the most well rounded service across Apple iOS iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. Although they no longer offer remote control features of the camera and microphone, or voice call recording, if you don’t need those capabilities, mSpy is probably your best value per dollar service. They have been in service for many years, and have over 2 million customers, with quality after sale customer service. Although the refund policy is strict, if you never actually used the service, refunds are granted, but you should ensure to check all compatibility requirements and terms before making a purchase.

9 Comments

  1. I can attest the service works, and although a little expensive, I learned my lesson that one-time fee services are not very good at all. mSpy provided me a great aftersale service and helped me setup my devices in a very short period of time.

    Thanks for the honest reviews, too many similar websites led me to purchase shady alternatives that have been a huge headache and waste of money. Unfortunately this was after I had used it on all my work mobile devices.

  2. How can i use this without using credit card?

  3. Does the target phone (android) have to be rooted in order to view text messages and photos and videos? I am having trouble finding that information on the company’s website. Thank you.

    • If all you plan to do is view SMS messages, or photos/videos already on the device; then root access is not required. Features that would require root access are those related to monitoring 3rd party applications like Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, etc.

    • If you want to assess the target phone 3rd party applications like Whatsapp, FB ens……will it be possible if you don`t have assess to the
      device?

  4. I really dont understand all of this, my phone is being hacked or spyed on what can i do to get rid of it

  5. Just curious if the stealthiness of this app is still accurate?

  6. my phone is htc one m9,does it work on it without rooting,and does it monitor viber messages without having to go to setting and notifications and blocking all notifications from viber like other apps do?

  7. If my child deletes direct messages on Instagram is there a way of me retrieving those? Which package would be suited to viewing WhatsApp and Instagram direct messages. I have an Android device and my child an apple – does that matter?

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