Best Spy Apps 2025 – Spyware Software Reviewed

If you want to monitor your child’s, partner’s, or employee’s cell phone, you’ll need one of the best spy apps. These high-tech applications allow you to track calls, messages, GPS location, and social media activity. Also, remote control tools enable you to take over many of the target phone’s settings and functions.

Whatever your spying needs, our best spy app reviews have information on the leading developers and their excellent tracking tools. Read on to make the most informed choice and get the most out of these superb cell phone spying apps.

Best Spy Apps in 2025

1. mSpy: This spy app stands out for its broad range of high-quality monitoring tools.
2. Spynger: If you want to use spy software to catch a cheating partner, Spynger is for you. 
3. uMobix: uMobix has great phone monitoring software, including the best stealth mode.
4. Scannero: Scannero is one of the very best apps for locating a cell phone. 
5. SpyBubble Pro: For monitoring social media activity, there’s no better tracking app.

Top Apps to Spy on Someone

mSpy – The Widest Range of Android Monitoring Tools

Although it’s primarily marketed toward concerned parents, mSpy’s wide range of monitoring tools makes it one of the most versatile spy apps for iPhone.

The installation process couldn’t be more straightforward. You can set up the app in no time, and it has a highly effective “stay invisible” mode, so it’s perfect if you wish to track the target phone without the user’s knowledge.

The easy-to-use call and text logger lets you view incoming and outgoing calls and text messages, even deleted ones. The social media monitor stands out for the various apps you can track. You can view what the user uploads and the messages they receive, even in private.

If you need to locate the cell phone, there’s a very accurate GPS tracker. You can find the phone in real time and see the phone’s location history. On top of that, the geofencing tool allows you to set perimeters so that you’ll receive a notification whenever the cell crosses one of them.

Price-wise, mSpy is one of the most competitive tracking apps. The monthly cost of $48.99 is pretty standard, but if you commit to a quarterly or yearly subscription, you can bring that down to $27.99 and $11.66 per month, respectively.

All in all, mSpy is an app that covers all bases. At such a great price, you’ll struggle to find a better piece of tracking software.

Highlights

• Broad range of high-quality tracker tools
• It’s possible to monitor various social media apps
• Outstanding GPS tracker
• Geofencing feature
• Excellent price

Spynger – The Best Cheating App

Spynger is one of the best spy apps for couples. Its various high-end tracking tools are perfect for catching an unfaithful partner. That said, the tracking software can also be applied to various situations. Whatever your spying needs, Spynger’s got you covered.

As you’d imagine from a spy app designed for uncovering infidelity, it’s easy to install. It boasts one of the most effective stealth modes, and the UI is very user-friendly.

You can view all calls, texts, and messages sent via instant messaging and social media apps, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Tinder. There’s even a “blacklist” tool, which sends you a notification whenever the user writes one of your “blacklisted” words. You can use the GPS tracker to locate the phone, too.

Spynger is one of the most economical spy apps for Android, as the company often runs special offers. You can access the full range of tools for as little as $10.83 per month, assuming you commit to an annual subscription. If you only want to pay quarterly, it works out at $26, and a monthly subscription will set you back just $45.49.

Whether you’re looking to catch a cheating partner, monitor your kids or keep tabs on your employees, Spynger is one of the best spy apps for Android. At such a great price, you can’t go wrong.

Highlights

• Perfect for catching an unfaithful partner
• Spy tools with a broad range of applications
• Brilliant social media tracker
• Blacklist function
• Accurate GPS locator
• Excellent value for money

uMobix – The Most Effective Stealth Mode

uMobix is primarily aimed at parents who want to keep an eye on their kids’ phone activities, but with so many high-end tracking tools, you can use it for almost any monitoring purpose. If you’re looking for an undetectable app, look no further.

You can install uMobix on pretty much any smartphone or tablet. The setup is easy. However, if you’re not tech-savvy, the website has clear instructions and video demonstrations. Once the app is installed and you’ve activated stealth mode on the target phone, the app effectively becomes invisible.

Complimenting the awesome stealth mode is a vast array of impressive tracking tools. These include a call logger and social media monitor. Best of all, there’s a remote control function. This lets you take control of many aspects of the target cell. You can block and cancel calls. You can even turn on the camera and microphone whenever you want.

uMobix is as affordable as it is effective. A monthly subscription costs $49.99. Pay quarterly or annually, and you’ll have full access for just $29.99 and $12.49 per month, respectively. Also, if you’re not satisfied with the product, there’s a thirty-day money-back guarantee.

We love uMobix’s versatility. Its easy to use and has spying tools that’ll meet all your monitoring needs. Given the quality of the tracking programs, it’s an absolute bargain.

Highlights

• App is effectively invisible
• Many social media apps can be monitored
• Intuitive remote control tool
• Great value for money
• Thirty-day money-back guarantee

Scannero – The Best Cell Phone Locator

What we love most about Scannero is its simplicity. Its main purpose is to locate cell phones. As there are few other tracking tool distractions, there’s no better app for tracking a cell phone’s location. The price is excellent, too.

One Scannero subscription lets you track an unlimited number of phones. The software is incredibly easy to use as well. You don’t even need to install the app on the target phone.

Once you’ve registered, to find the target phone, you simply enter its number. Scannero automatically sends a location request to said phone, and you receive an email with its location. Alternatively, you can use the locator-by-link tool: Scannero creates a locator link which you can send to the target phone by email, SMS or messenger app.

Although it’s primarily a locator app, you do have access to some other very useful tools. One of the standouts is the Reverse Username Look-Up. This allows you to confirm a person’s identity via the username.

You can use Scannero to track any Android or iOS device. There currently aren’t any quarterly or annual pricing plans. You simply pay the flat monthly fee of $49.99. Considering you can track an unlimited number of phones, this is a steal. There’s also a twenty-four-hour trial available for $0.89.

This is an excellent app if you have a big family and want to keep track of all your loved ones. The additional features are helpful and make the app even more cost-effective. For phone location, accept no substitute.

Highlights

• The best cell phone locator in the US
• Unlimited phones can be tracked
• Lots of tracking methods
• Reverse Username Look-Up tool
• Good price
• Twenty-four-hour trial

SpyBubble Pro – The Best Social Media Tracking App

All of SpyBubble Pro’s tracking tools are first-class, but no other app can compete with its social media activity monitor. This is a spy app that will appeal to all types of users: partners, parents, employees, carers, you name it.

SpyBubble Pro is easy to set up and runs silently in the background, so it’s a good option for monitoring a cell phone incognito. The user interface is well laid out, allowing for easy navigation of the many features.

There are too many tools to list here, but we were particularly impressed by the phone and text logger, which even lets you block incoming and outgoing calls. SpyBubble Pro also sends a notification if the phone’s SIM is ever exchanged.

You can monitor various popular social media apps and instant messengers, such as Facebook and WhatsApp. The UI’s intuitiveness makes it one of the best social media activity monitors.

If you want to view and record the target cell phone’s screen, you can activate the Duo Messenger Spy function. You can then take screenshots and record videos of what the tracked person is viewing on their phone.

SpyBubble is currently running a 15% discount, meaning you can pick up an annual subscription for just $10.62 per month. On top of that, you’ll get an extra year absolutely free! Paying quarterly works out at $24.49 per month, and a monthly subscription will set you back just $42.49 per month, so it’s still cheaper than many of its competitors.

With its great pricing and wide variety of tools, SpyBubble Pro is easily one of the best spy apps we’ve ever tested.

Highlights

• Market-leading social media monitor
• Broad range of worldclass tracker tools
• Duo Messenger Spy function
• Superb pricing plans
• Extra twelve months free

What are Spy Apps?

These are applications that allow you to track the activity of another person’s cell. This can be done with or without the target phone user’s knowledge.

Once the app is up and running, you’ll be able to view calls and texts, monitor social media activity and view the phone’s GPS location. Depending on the app, you might also be able to control the target phone remotely.

There are some decent spy apps for free, but you always have to pay for the most effective tools. Spy software isn’t cheap, but our top 5 apps all offer very competitive pricing plans.

Why Use Android Tracking Apps?

There are many understandable reasons why you might want to track someone else’s cell.

Many concerned parents, for instance, want to know what their children are doing on their phones. They might want to know their kids’ screen time. Perhaps they want the reassurance of knowing they can locate their child. More often than not, though, parents simply want to protect their kids from the many dangers online.

Also, a romantic partner who suspects the other is cheating might want to use a spying app to confirm their suspicions. There are moral and legal questions surrounding this, but it can bring piece of mind to find out one way or the other whether your partner is cheating.

It’s common for companies that issue work cells to use phone monitoring software. They might want to track their employees’ locations or ensure that the company phones aren’t being misused.

Spy App Tools Explained

Although useful in some cases, free spy apps can be very limited. If you take out a subscription, you can unlock a host of very effective spying tools. Let’s analyse what you can expect to find:

• Call and Text Logger: Many of the best apps allow you to view call histories and texts. Sometimes, you can even view deleted contacts and messages.
• Keystroke Logger: Using a keystroke logger allows you to see exactly what the user has typed when using the touchpad. This is useful for viewing messages and determining usernames and passwords.
• Social Media Monitor: These enable you to see what the tracked person is doing on messenger and social media apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. This includes private posts and direct messages.
• GPS Locator: Many of the best spying apps include GPS tracking technology to help you see where the target phone is or has been.
• Geofencing: Most people don’t have the time or inclination to monitor a phone’s location constantly. Geofencing tools allow you to set perimeters for certain locations. The app then sends you a location whenever the target phone crosses these perimeters.
• Call Blocker: If you don’t want the tracked person to receive calls from certain people or organizations, use the call blocker function to block those numbers. You can also delete contacts and cancel calls in real time.
• Screen Capture: The screen capture feature lets you take screenshots and short videos of what the user is viewing on the target phone.

A Guide to Finding the Best Spying Apps

There are many spying applications out there, so it’s hard to know where to start. Here, we break down what you should keep in mind when searching for the best tracking apps:

Compatibility

First of all, you need to know whether the app in question is compatible with the target phone. You can monitor said phone via laptop, smartphone, or tablet, but the tracking app might have more limited compatibility. Thankfully, the best spying app developers list the models of phones and tablets they support. If you wish to spy on Android or iOS phones, you shouldn’t have to worry.

Range of Tools

There are lots of methods to spy on Android and iOS phones, but not all methods are available on every app. If you only need one tool, say, a GPS locator, there’s no point shelling out extra cash for an app that provides a much broader range of tools.

And vice versa: if you need a call monitor, keystroke logger, social media tracker, and GPS locator, check if the company provides them. And make sure that their tools actually work. You can do this by reading online consumer feedback.

Phone Resource Consumption

This is especially important if you wish to monitor a cell phone without the user’s knowledge. Given the range of tools available, spying apps can end up using a lot of the target phone’s RAM, CPU and battery. If you check spying app reviews, you can find out what the average user has to say about the app’s inconspicuousness on the target phone.

Also, many of the top apps feature a ‘stealth’ or ‘invisible’ mode. These are designed to hide the app and reduce how much the tools consume the phone’s resources. 

Remote Control Functions

A few spying apps feature tools that allow you to control certain aspects of the target phone. There are some that let you remotely block calls and delete contacts, whereas others focus more on allowing you to control the device’s microphone and camera. In some cases, you can take screenshots and record videos of what appears on the target phone’s screen.

You should only use these tools if they’re completely necessary, though. They often use a lot of the phone’s resources and can be quite conspicuous, so some of these tools aren’t the best for covert phone tracking.

Cost

Another significant factor to consider is cost. It all depends on who you wish to track and what type of tracking tools you need. When it comes to free Android spy apps cheating spouse tracking tools are often lacking. However, free apps have some tools that might be useful for tracking your child’s cell phone.

Nevertheless, if you want the best in phone spying tech, you’ll need to opt for a paid subscription. You’ll seldom have to break the bank, though. The best spying app providers have reasonable pricing plans. More often than not, the longer you subscribe for, the more you save.

Reputation

Some app companies will advertise that they have every phone tracker tool under the sun, but after subscribing, you discover that they’re not so effective, or perhaps they attract too much attention, which would be a disaster if you wanted to monitor the phone secretly.

Ensure against this by reading customer feedback online. There are lots of review articles out there, some more trustworthy than others. Apart from our own content, your best source of unbiased consumer reviews are Reddit, Trustpilor, and Google Reviews. The more informed you are, the better decisions you’ll make.

Installing Monitoring Apps

If the person you want to track gives their consent, there’s little to worry about. You simply take their phone, download the app, and log in to it. However, if you want the tracked person to  be unaware, it can be a bit more difficult.

First of all, the intended person will need to leave their phone unattended long enough for you to install the app. Also, depending on the app provider, you might need to root the phone for a covert mode to be fully effective. This might be hard to do for the less tech-savvy. Also, it might invalidate the warranty of the target phone.

The Legalities of Parental Control Apps

If you have the phone user’s consent, using spying tools on their phone is perfectly legal. Also, if you want to monitor your child’s phone, that’s legal whether you have consent or not, provided your child is still a minor.

However, you enter a legal gray area if you want to monitor an adult’s phone without their knowledge. The laws vary from state to state and from country to country. It also depends on the specific spying tools and in what context you want to use them.

If you wish to monitor a romantic partner you suspect of cheating, you should consult the laws specific to your state and the type of monitoring tools you’ll use. That said, even if it is legal, there’s still a moral question. At the end of the day, you’re violating the trust and privacy of the person you love.

With respect to monitoring employees, this again depends on the tools and the laws specific to your location. That said, provided that any forms of potential monitoring are clearly outlined in an employment contract, you shouldn’t have to worry.

Conclusion

Cell phone spying apps are perfect for monitoring another person’s cell phone. They’re a godsend for concerned parents, prudent employers, and anyone who suspects their partner of cheating.

With cell phone spying software, you can view call logs, track social media activity, and see the tracked person GPS location. There are also screen mirroring tools that take screenshots and record videos of what appears on the screen. The most advanced apps even let you control the target phone remotely, meaning you can turn on microphones and cameras, and alter the cell phone’s settings.

You’ll love all of our top 5 recommended spying apps. They all have their particular strengths, but you might be wondering which is the best tracker app overall. That nomination has to go to SpyBubble Pro. Not only does it have one the widest ranges of tracking tools, but its 12-months free offer also makes it the most cost-effective of all our favorite apps.

FAQ

Are spy apps legal?

Spy apps are legal, but the legality of the tools within them is something of a gray area. If you have the phone user’s consent, you can use any form of monitoring software. It’s also perfectly legal to monitor the phone’s of your children, as long as they’re minors. However, if you want to track an adult without their consent, you’re better off consulting the laws specific to your state.

Can parental control apps be detected?

Many of the best spy apps have stealth modes. These allow the spy app to run in the background without calling attention to itself. Tracker apps without a stealth mode are more noticeable because they consume a lot of the cell phone’s resources.