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mSpy is a legit app that stealthily tracks phone activity. In our testing, we could track Android activity but had trouble with iPhone because of its tighter security protocols.
That said, we found that while the app excels at surveillance, it fails to nurture a safe online environment. All features focus on tracking, with little to no content monitoring or filtering designed to keep kids safe online besides "porn blocker" and AI chatbot monitoring for ChatGPT and Gemini.
mSpy offers real-time location tracking, text message and social media monitoring, keylogging, and much more. But unlike top parental control services like Aura Parental Controls, Qustodio, and Bark, it lacks category-based content filtering and a mature content filter, so you have to block every website individually.
With these features in mind, and a high price tag of $48.99/mo, mSpy comes across more like a spy app than the other top parental control apps.
| Price | $11.67-$69.99/mo |
| Free trial | No |
| Number of kids supported | 1 - 3 devices |
| Content filtering | No |
| Conversation monitoring | Text, email, social media, ChatGPT, and Gemini |
| Screen time management | No |
| Location tracking | Yes |
| Activity reports | Yes |
| Remote lock | Yes |
| Supported devices | Android, iOS |
Extensive monitoring capabilities
Real-time location tracking
Our team has conducted hands-on testing on 10+ parental control apps over several years using a consistent process. We install each app on multiple devices and create both parent and child accounts, evaluating the experience from both perspectives. We also deliberately attempt to bypass restrictions to ensure the apps actually work.
Then, we evaluate each product across eight areas:
We retest all parental control apps at least once a year. To learn more about how we test, read our full parental control testing methodology here.
mSpy received a 3.0 star rating because it leans more heavily on the surveillance features than other parental control apps. It's also more expensive than its competitors, considering only one device is included with the starting subscription.
mSpy does have comprehensive customer support and several features for location tracking and content monitoring.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 33% | 1.0 |
| Value | 5% | 1.0 |
| Features | 52% | 4.0 |
| Compatibility | 5% | 4.0 |
| Customer service | 5% | 5.0 |
Parental controls app that builds a social persona for your kid based on their messaging habits and flags behavioral shifts
Screens for cyberbullying and in-game harassment across apps like Discord and Fortnite without reading DMs
Lets you set per-app time limits for 100+ apps and pause all internet access instantly from the dashboard
We couldn't get mSpy to work on our latest iPhone retest. In September 2024, we could download the app on our Android devices, but iPhones appear to have more safeguards.
We opted to test iPhone 13 monitoring by logging in to our iCloud account. On our dashboard, the Behavior Monitoring tab immediately imported our contacts, but nothing appeared under Events, Photos, or Videos.
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By the end of the day, we received the same message on our dashboard. Even the next day, it stayed the same.
We tried local sync instead, and mSpy prompted us to download the desktop app, mStar, on our laptop. But we clicked the mStar installer several times, and the download never occurred. We're pretty sure Windows Defender was blocking the software.
Ultimately, we couldn't fully test mSpy on an iPhone, but you can refer to our previous experience testing on Android.
We tested mSpy on our Samsung Galaxy S10 and found that most of the features worked as intended. We have seen reports that the tracking will fail after a few days of being connected, but we had no issues during our testing (which lasted a few hours).
mSpy excels at providing thorough surveillance capabilities, allowing parents to monitor text messages, social media interactions, and real-time location tracking, which can be crucial for ensuring their children's digital safety.
However, the service could improve by incorporating category-based content filtering and enhancing its web filtering feature. While it serves well for strict monitoring, its approach may feel more intrusive than nurturing, especially compared to other parental control apps.
We were put off by features like remote camera access, the ability to record phone conversations, and a keylogger.
Setting up mSpy on our Android phone was easy, though the number of permissions we had to allow is enough to make anyone wary. That said, this is par for the course for parental control apps and wasn't any more uncomfortable than other apps in the category. We didn't need to jailbreak the phone.
An app with this level of monitoring isn't available on the Google Play Store, so we had to download the file directly from the mSpy website. After bypassing a couple of "this file could be harmful" messages, we installed it and granted all the necessary permissions without issue.
mSpy focuses on the target, who is unaware the app is on their phone, so it appears as "Update Service." Very sneaky, though we'd be suspicious if an update service app used 13.9% of our battery in about an hour.
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We tested mSpy by messaging a few people on the social media apps it tracks, including WhatsApp, Messenger, and Discord.
WhatsApp's tab in the dashboard updated to show the last few messages we had with the person we contacted (even before we sent the test message), but it incorrectly attributed some messages to her instead of us
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Interestingly, the Facebook Messaging tab didn't update even though we used it multiple times. The messages we sent were tracked in the keylogger tab, though, which tracks everything typed on the keyboard.
Finally, mSpy didn't update to show us our Discord conversations, but it did show the usernames of who we were talking to.
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The app accurately tracked our browsing history, location, and text messages. It also grabbed our photos and videos and neatly displayed them in their respective tabs.
While location tracking worked, we couldn't get a geo-fencing alert. Similarly, we didn't receive a keyword alert. This is disappointing, as these are two of the most-used parental control features mSpy offers.
A keylogger tracks everything typed, not just what's sent to other people, so it could be a major security risk for passwords and other sensitive information.
The mSpy Extreme option, which we didn't buy, also allows remote camera and microphone monitoring, meaning you can turn the camera on to watch or listen in. It also lets you record entire phone conversations on iOS and Android.
While mSpy offers a range of monitoring features, other parental control services may better suit different preferences or specific needs. Here are some leading parental control apps we've tested, each with a unique feature that sets it apart:
| Service |  Qustodio |
 Aura Parental Controls |
 Bark |
| Best for | Best for location tracking | Best for teens | Best for social media monitoring |
| Star rating | |||
| Starting price | Free or $4.99/mo | $8.25/mo | $8.25/mo |
| Max # of people covered | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Screen time management | |||
| Content filtering | |||
| Conversation monitoring | |||
| Location tracking | |||
| Details | Get Qustodio | Get Aura | Get Bark |
mSpy ranges between $11.67-$69.99/mo. mSpy offers two distinct plans for parents who want to monitor their child's digital activities: mSpy Premium and mSpy Extreme. Both plans offer substantial monitoring, but they cater to different needs and budgets.
mSpy Premium costs $11.67/mo for a 12-month plan and covers basic monitoring like website filtering, social media, text, email monitoring, and location tracking. mSpy Extreme costs $13.99/mo for a 12-month plan and includes all Premium features plus remote camera and microphone access, for parents who want advanced surveillance solutions.
| Features | mSpy Premium | mSpy Extreme |
| Annual price | $11.67/mo | $13.99/mo |
| Number of devices | 1 | 1 |
| Conversation monitoring | ||
| Location tracking | ||
| Keylogger | ||
| Remote camera access | ||
| Remote microphone access |
mSpy's discount screen priced the annual plan higher than the previous screen. mSpy first showed us three plans: $48.99/mo for one month, $28/mo for three months, and $11.67/mo for 12 months.
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The page then changed to a discount screen offering one month at $9.99 per week, marked down from $17.50, or 12 months for $199.99.
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That $199.99 works out to $16.67/mo. The 12-month plan on the previous screen came to $11.67/mo, or $140.04 for the year. So the discounted annual plan costs about $60 more than the one mSpy showed first. The three-month option disappeared from the discount screen altogether.
Both screens note that the price is discounted and that mSpy charges full price at the next renewal, so neither figure is what you'd pay long term.
While these two plans cover only one device, you can opt for mSpy Family, which lets you monitor up to three family members and includes all the same features as mSpy Premium.
The prices are much higher than other parental control apps on the market, especially since mSpy plans cover only one to three devices. For instance:
This comparison shows how mSpy's pricing might not suit families with multiple devices or those looking for more affordable options. However, mSpy offers advanced features and functionality compared to many other apps on the market, which contributes to its higher price.
mSpy Extreme offers a more comprehensive surveillance solution, despite its higher price. It lets you track locations, record screen captures, and access the camera remotely.
These advanced features also involve greater intrusion into your child’s privacy. Balancing safety and respect for your child's privacy can be a delicate task.
Be sure to weigh the potential benefits against any possible negative effects that intrusive monitoring may have on your child's trust and relationship with you.
mSpy is designed to provide a comprehensive monitoring solution for concerned parents, and it advertises more than 30 monitoring features. Here's a glimpse into its features:
Each feature aims to deliver insights and control to help keep your children safe online.
mSpy's content monitoring includes conversation monitoring and keyword alerts, where specific words trigger notifications, which can help address issues like cyberbullying or depression promptly.
It also offers basic online activity management features like browsing history tracking and website blocking, although its web filtering is quite basic compared to other apps: it doesn’t have a mature content filter, and you can’t filter by categories. We had to manually block every website, which is obviously limited by knowledge/imagination.
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The keyword alerts feature allowed us to customize our monitoring based on individual concerns. Unfortunately, when we tested it, the keyword alerts didn't work for us.
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This app gives you access to all conversations, but you have to do a lot of manual monitoring to spot and address potential problems.
| iOS apps | Android apps | |
| Apps monitored by mSpy |
|
|
mSpy gave us access to chats and files across all the major social media apps. In our testing, we found some apps worked better than others, so functionality depends on which apps your children use most often.
On iOS, mSpy requires a jailbroken iPhone to monitor certain apps. This process involves removing software restrictions imposed by Apple, allowing users to access and modify the device's operating system. This is risky and may be too much for some users.
mSpy lets you thoroughly monitor the device's text interactions. This includes SMS messages and messaging apps. Parents must install the app on their child’s cell phone to view sent, received, and even deleted messages. It displays the sender or receiver's number, helping verify the identity of those interacting with your child.
mSpy also provides timestamps for each message, offering insights into your child's texting habits. This feature helps you understand and analyze their communication trends, ensuring a safe and transparent texting environment for children.
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mSpy provides a robust email monitoring feature that lets parents read all emails sent and received by their child. The feature also lets you check the timestamps of every email, giving a clear picture of when an email was sent or received, which can be crucial for analyzing communication patterns.
Moreover, it simplifies viewing recipient information, helping ensure your child isn't engaging with strangers or potential online threats. Although mSpy doesn't specify which email services it supports, this feature provides well-rounded oversight, making email communication safer for young users.
mSpy provides extensive web browser monitoring, allowing parents to supervise activity, restrict access to unsafe content, and review browser history. It uniquely displays a list of sites that the child has bookmarked, shedding light on a child's interests and frequent online destinations.
mSpy also provides timestamps of website visits to help correlate online behavior with your child's daily schedule. With mSpy, you can block websites and cut off internet access at will, though you'll need to enter each site yourself.
mSpy markets a porn blocker, but it's the same Block Websites list, reached through the Restricted menu in your control panel, where you enter one URL at a time.
mSpy's own instructions confirm it. Its porn blocker page tells parents to look up the most popular adult sites and block each one by hand. There's no adult category, no age rating, and no way to catch a site nobody thought to add.
That matches what we found in testing. We had to add every site individually, so the filter only ever covers what a parent already knows to look for.
mSpy offers basic screen time management, letting parents block apps at the click of a button and lock the phone remotely. While it provides a platform for managing screen time, it lacks the granularity to set different time limits for individual apps or different days.
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Although mSpy lets parents remove internet access for apps like Chrome, Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, and Discord, it doesn't offer category-based website blocking. This is an important feature because it lets parents protect their children from potentially harmful or inappropriate content without manually blocking individual websites.
For that reason, it may not suffice for parents seeking more nuanced control over screen time management, specifically on a per-app or per-website basis.
mSpy offers comprehensive location tracking features, including real-time tracking on a detailed map.
It also displays route history over a specified period, helping ensure children attend school and avoid unwanted locations. Additional details like GPS coordinates and timestamps offer insight into a child's routine, such as arrival at home or departure from school.
Furthermore, mSpy's geo-fencing feature allows parents to set virtual boundaries for specific areas and receive email alerts when those boundaries are crossed. This function, coupled with recorded timestamps for each movement, provides a clear picture of a child's frequented spots and helps parents make informed decisions.
Historical location data further supports this, enabling intervention if necessary.
Unfortunately, during our testing, we found the location tool to be a bit delayed and didn't receive a notification when the device left the defined geo-fenced area.
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mSpy provides comprehensive activity reports accessible through its app, offering thorough insight into your child’s phone usage. Here are some crucial data you can find in your control panel:
These data points are pivotal for monitoring your children’s interactions and movements. You can also export data via XLS and CSV files to share with your co-parent.
The biggest bonus feature mSpy offers is the Keylogger, which is the most intense keylogger we've seen in a parental control app. This feature tracks everything that is typed on the device's keyboard, even if the message was never sent.
For example, while we were typing a message on Messenger, we started typing our friend's cat's name, but then deleted it and typed "cat" instead. The keylogger caught both versions of the message:
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Other bonus features include:
mSpy offers a range of intrusive monitoring capabilities for iOS and Android, and here are the core spy app features:
| mSpy | |
| Windows | |
| macOS | |
| Android | |
| iOS | |
| Browser extensions |
mSpy is only a phone monitoring app, but installing it is complicated. To download mSpy on your Android, you'll need to disable Play Protect and download the mSpy installer from its website. This feels risky because Play Protect is meant to detect harmful apps.
mSpy has an iPhone app, but its features are limited to location tracking. You can install mSpy via iCloud or Wi-Fi sync, but mSpy encourages users to jailbreak the phone for maximum functionality.
| Support type | mSpy |
| Email or live chat | support@mspy.co.uk |
| Phone | +1-855-896-0041 |
| Online guides or forums |
You can reach the mSpy customer support team via email and phone. There’s also an mSpy Help Center with categories on Android, iPhone/iPad, mSpy Account, and billing questions.
While logged in to our account, we could access live chat and connect with a real person almost immediately. Our conversation was actually very natural, so we were impressed with this 24/7 option.
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mSpy can't be downloaded from the Google Play Store, but it has a highly rated iOS app. Some reviewers praise how well the mSpy app works, while others highlight its limited features.
In the past, Trustpilot reviews were almost evenly split between five-star and one-star ratings. Most reviewers had issues with their payments and refund requests, although some also noted that the app is ineffective. More recently, the Trustpilot rating has increased, with more people saying they're happy with the app's monitoring capabilities. Other users still complain about technical issues and customer support, though.
The mSpy app is more of a surveillance tool than a parental control app. It excels at real-time location tracking, detailed activity reports, and keyword-based content monitoring.
However, it falls short in offering category-based content monitoring and lacks features like two-factor authentication for added security. While it offers detailed insight into a child's digital activity, its approach leans more toward surveillance than toward fostering digital well-being.
Considering the price point, some users might find more balanced parental control features in alternatives like Bark or Qustodio. While mSpy could suit those seeking strict monitoring, it might not suit parents looking for a more holistic approach to online safety.
Curious how the app compares against top parental control apps on the market? Check out our in-depth comparisons:
Yes, mSpy is legal when used for monitoring minors or other legal monitoring purposes, like employee monitoring with consent.
Yes, mSpy does have the capability to record phone conversations. This feature is available on both Android devices and iOS devices, making it a versatile option for monitoring phone calls.
With mSpy, you can monitor multiple phones, but each device requires its own license. The mSpy Family Kit allows for up to three devices to be monitored, making it a great option for families with multiple phones.
Yes, mSpy can monitor Snapchat activity on iPhones, including text messages and multimedia files exchanged.
Extensive monitoring capabilities
Real-time location tracking
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