Best Spy Apps for Android | Top 10 Reviewed In-Depth for 2023

The best spy apps for Android offer comprehensive monitoring and tracking tools that can be easily accessed from anywhere in the world. Whether you’re a concerned parent looking to monitor your children’s activity, or an employer wanting to ensure your employees are using company time wisely, there’s an app out there that’ll fit your needs.

From mSpy to Eyezy and uMobix, we’ve tested the best spy apps for Android on the market to determine which one offers the most premium features at an affordable price. Read on to find out how each app measures up and which one’s the best choice for you.

The Best Hidden Spy Apps for Android | Top 10 Ranked

When it comes to mobile phone spying, choosing the right app can be difficult. Our research showed that mSpy stands out among the best spy apps for Android. Here’s a quick look at the 10 best apps in this category:

1. mSpy — Our top pick for the best spy app for Android, thanks to its advanced features, including remote controls and site blocks.
2. EyeZy — The most accurate GPS and geo-fencing spy app with granular internet activity analytics.
3. uMobix — Beginner-friendly Android spy app, which also comes with a comprehensive set of features.
4. Cocospy — Popular, mobile-focused monitoring app which boasts remote installation on the target device for discreet tracking.
5. Spyic — One of the most powerful Android spy apps for monitoring WhatsApp and other instant messaging services.
6. Hoverwatch — A powerful spy app that accurately tracks location across multiple devices and comes with detailed logs and alerts.
7. XNSPY — Robust features along with advanced keylogging and call recording capabilities as well as remote locking and wiping.
8. KidsGuard Pro — A great choice if you want reliable real-time alerts and push notifications to keep your kids safe.
9. iKeyMonitor — Budget-friendly spy app that logs keystrokes, tracks GPS, and captures screenshots with detailed information in each area.
10. TheOneSpy — Comprehensive spy app that monitors all aspects of a device with advanced features for deep device access.

The Best Android Spy Apps | Top 10 Reviewed

The best spy apps for Android provide a secure and easy way to monitor activity, but which hidden spy app is best suited to your needs? To help, we review each one in more depth below.

1. mSpy — Our Top Pick for the Best Spy App for Android

mSpy is an advanced mobile monitoring software that helps you to keep an eye on your loved ones and employees. It’s designed with powerful features to provide you with full visibility into their device usage.

Social media security is extremely advanced, but it’s no match for mSpy. Easily view private chats, conversations, and messages on the most common social media apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Viber, and many more.

With mSpy, you also don’t have to worry about your loved ones’ whereabouts. You can track their geographical location in real-time so that you know exactly where they are and where they’ve been.

To make this even easier, the geofencing alerts allow you to pinpoint safe and unsafe zones on the map and receive notifications whenever the target user (whether it be your spouse, employee, or child) enters or leaves these marked zones.

This is a sought-after feature as it eliminates the need to constantly monitor the device’s movements. With that said, mSpy goes even further and lets you easily discover what’s stored on someone’s phone.

The app lets you access all the photos and videos saved on a device and shows you which apps are installed so that you can see whether there’s harmful content being consumed.

Pricing

mSpy offers a variety of pricing options to cater to different needs and budgets. Choose between 1, 3, or 12 months. Check out their pricing below.

mSpy is undoubtedly our best pick for the best spy app for Android.

It offers a comprehensive set of features to ensure that you have full insight into what’s happening on the target device, from tracking their location and monitoring their social media chats to discovering what’s stored on their phone.

2. EyeZy — The Most Accurate GPS and Geo-Fencing Spy App

EyeZy is one of the best spy apps for Android that allows users to keep a close watch on their kids, employees, or partner. It offers accurate GPS phone tracking and geo-fencing features to ensure the safety of your loved ones.

With EyeZy’s social spotlight feature, you can peek into their private conversations on popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Kik, and Snapchat. It also allows you to record their screen activity so you know what they’re up to at all times.

EyeZy’s keystroke capture feature tracks every single keystroke made on the device in real-time, giving you peace of mind that your loved ones are having safe conversations and no one is trying to take advantage of them.

Or, if you’re monitoring an employee, you can use this feature to keep tabs on their productivity and ensure they’re not wasting time.

With EyeZy’s GPS tracking and geo-fencing features, you can keep a watchful eye on your kids in real time whenever they’re out of the house. Plus, you can set up virtual boundaries to ensure they stay within a safe area.

Pricing

You’ll save the most with EyeZy if you choose the 12-month subscription option. Not only is this plan more affordable than many other spy apps for Android, but it also gives you access to all of the great features on offer. Here are your options:

With Pinpoint location tracking, Social Spotlight monitoring, and Connection Blocker restrictions, you can keep your children safe, both online and offline, without breaking the bank.

3. uMobix — Beginner-Friendly Android Spy App

uMobix is one of the most user-friendly spy apps for Android. It offers an intuitive design and a wide range of features that make it a great choice for less experienced users.

As for features, uMobix offers some of the most comprehensive ambient listening and recording technology for Android. With uMobix, you can remotely activate the microphone on any Android device to listen and record their surroundings.

This is particularly useful for parents who want to keep tabs on their children’s safety or managers who need to monitor their employees’ activities. uMobix offers two distinct ways of remotely activating the camera on an Android device.

With the Snapshot feature, you can take a picture using the phone’s internal camera.
The Video Streaming feature allows for live streaming and recording of video from the phone’s surroundings.

Lastly, uMobix offers a powerful keystroke logger that records everything typed on the keyboard of the target device. This includes usernames, passwords, chats, website addresses, Google searches, and more. This is perfect for getting insight into the target users’ interests, whether they’re at risk, and more.

Pricing

uMobix offers a variety of pricing plans to suit your needs, with the lowest starting at a competitive $14.99/month when you sign up for the annual plan.

Regardless of the plan you choose, the company offers a 14-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try out the service and determine if it’s the right fit for you. From ambient listening and recording to snapshot and video streaming to keystroke logging, uMobix has it all covered.

4. Cocospy — Undetectable Monitoring App

Cocospy’s been in the industry for a long time and is one of the most effective spy apps for Android. It’s an all-in-one solution with a wide range of features designed to help keep track of the target device without being detected.

Privacy is Cocospy’s top selling point. With its undetectable monitoring capabilities, it allows you to track GPS locations, discreetly monitor messages, and sneak peek at social media activity without being detected.

This makes it an ideal solution for parents who want to keep an eye on their children’s online activities or employers who need to make sure their employees are working during office hours.

Unlike other apps on this list, Cocospy also has the ability to monitor Snapchat without being found. With this feature, you can read all exchanged messages, check contact details, and track conversation timestamps.

This makes it a top choice if you suspect your child or employee of engaging in any inappropriate Snapchat activities.

Pricing

Cocospy offers 3 plans, all of which have the same features, such as call, contact, and text message monitoring, plus GPS location tracking and the infamous Android keylogger.

Cocospy is a phenomenal spy app for Android, as it offers a wide range of tools designed to help keep track of your target device without raising suspicion.

5. Spyic — Powerful Instant Messaging Monitoring App

Spyic is an excellent instant messaging monitoring app for Android. It allows you to monitor conversations taking place in the most popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Line, Viber, and more.

With Spyic, you can easily view messages sent and received by your child or spouse, all without their knowledge.

One of the most useful features of Spyic is its ability to monitor Facebook usage anonymously. With this feature, you’ll be able to view private messages and group chats, access photo profiles of individuals interacting with your target, and retrieve media files being exchanged.

Spyic makes it easier for parents and spouses to be aware of their loved ones’ activities on social media, especially when they’re not around. In addition, Spyic lets you access a person’s WhatsApp and Viber accounts.

You can read private and group chats, access timestamps to see when a chat took place, and view pictures sent from or received by the account. Moreover, rooting the device isn’t required, making it one of the most convenient apps for monitoring conversations on popular messaging apps.

On the whole, Spyic is great for getting complete insight into your target’s activities in real-time.

Pricing

The app offers three different plans to suit your needs and budget:

1. Basic — Allows you to view call logs, real-time location, browser history, photos, and more without the need for rooting the device.
2. Premium — Includes additional advanced features such as SIM Card Alert, instant messenger monitoring, and calendar activities.
3. Family — Perfect for covering up to 3 devices, and it includes all the features of the Premium plan.

Spyic provides a comprehensive suite of features that allow you to monitor conversations taking place in popular messaging apps without having to root the device. With its user-friendly interface and reliable performance, it’s definitely worth checking out.

6. Hoverwatch — Secretly Keep Detailed Logs From Any Android Phone

Hoverwatch is a new and powerful spy app for Android that lets you track, monitor, and keep detailed logs on any Android phone. It’s packed with features to help you better understand the activities of your target person or device.

This invisible phone tracker remains undetectable while it monitors calls, SMS, chats, GPS location, and much more. With the invisible mode, you can rest assured that all the activity on your target device is being tracked without the user knowing.

Whether you’re interested in calls, GPS location, photos, or instant messages, you can keep track of everything from your online account in real-time. Access the data at any time and even set up alerts for when certain events take place, like a call or text message being sent or received.

This makes it easy for employers and parents to gain a better understanding of the activities taking place on their target device. With that said, what makes Hoverwatch stand out most is that you can monitor up to 25 devices at once.

This makes it an excellent option for employers looking to keep tabs on their teams’ productivity or device usage. And on top of all of this, Hoverwatch also lets you identify any suspicious activities and take appropriate action or restrict access to distracting apps or websites.

Pricing

Hoverwatch has 3 plans, all of which include the same features and only differ in the number of devices monitored.

All in all, Hoverwatch is a powerful and feature-rich spy app for Android. It provides users with an invisible mode, detailed logs of all activities on the target device, as well as the ability to monitor up to 25 devices with one subscription.

7. XNSPY— Advanced Keylogger and Call Logging Spy App

XNSPY is a powerful keylogger and call-logging spy app unlike any other on the market. Its industry-leading features let you monitor all kinds of activities in detail.

XNSPY is one of the rare exceptions that not only promises but also delivers a fully-functional keylogger, allowing you to monitor all kinds of activities on your device, such as text messages, emails, and call logs.

The keylogger feature allows you to have full control over any activity happening on the target device. It records all typed data, including passwords and usernames, so that you can access confidential information in no time.

XNSPY’s call-logging feature comes in handy when you want to keep tabs on family members or employees. It logs all incoming and outgoing calls so that you can identify suspicious activities, such as frequent calls to unknown numbers or long conversations with specific contacts.

Not only does XNSPY offer a powerful keylogger and call-logging feature, but it also offers Tinder logs. This feature gives you access to all the messages sent or received on the target device’s Tinder account.

Being able to monitor conversations on Tinder allows parents to keep their children safe from predators and helps spouses keep their relationships honest.

Pricing

XNSPY is an excellent choice when it comes to value for money, especially on the quarterly or annual plans:

XNSPY is an incredibly powerful and robust spy app. From the keylogger and call logging to Tinder logs, it offers it all at an affordable price point.

8. KidsGuard Pro  — Get Real-Time Alerts and Push Notifications

KidsGuard Pro is the perfect parental control software for those who want to keep an eye on their children’s activities. With this app, you can get real-time alerts and push notifications when your child is doing something they shouldn’t be.

It also has a range of other features that make it one of the best spy apps for Android.

We all know that our kids are vulnerable to the dangers of the internet. KidsGuard Pro enables you to read private conversation messages on popular social media apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, LINE, Telegram, and more.

If your child is getting involved in any kind of inappropriate activity or is being targeted by online predators, you’ll know about it right away.

Plus, with GPS location tracking, you’ll be able to pinpoint their exact location on a map to know where they are at any given time. You can also set up geofencing and advanced WiFi network analysis, which will alert you immediately if they leave a designated area.

Lastly, with KidsGuard Pro, you can check what your child’s searching for online and which websites they visit. This way, you can ensure that your child only accesses age-appropriate content and isn’t exposed to any potentially dangerous material.

Pricing

KidsGuard Pro offers three different subscription plans to suit your needs:

All of these plans offer the same features, so you can be sure that whichever one you choose, your child will be safe online. On the whole, when it comes to protecting your child, KidsGuard Pro is one of the best spy apps for Android.

9. iKeyMonitor — Budget-Friendly Spy App for Android Users

iKeyMonitor was initially made for iPhone users, but the more recent Android version has quickly become one of the most popular spy apps out there.

This app provides a wide array of powerful features at an affordable price that makes it perfect for those who need to keep tabs on their loved ones or employees.

One of the things that make iKeyMonitor stand out is its scheduling feature. With this app, users can easily limit screen time or set a schedule to record ambient sound.

This is very useful for parents of kids who are easily distracted by their devices and for managers who want to ensure that employees aren’t slacking off during work hours.

Another great feature of iKeyMonitor is its comprehensive logging and monitoring capabilities. With this app, you can track keystrokes, calls, text messages, and more to keep an eye on your loved ones or employees without having to constantly monitor their activities yourself.

Finally, iKeyMonitor allows you to monitor chat messages on popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and more to ensure your loved ones or employees aren’t engaging in any inappropriate conversations or activities.

You also have the option of setting real-time alerts when certain activities, words, or phrases occur or appear in their chats so that you can take action right away.

Pricing

iKeyMonitor is the only app that offers a free-forever plan. You’ll get all the basic features with the free package. But if you opt to get add-ons such as input logger, screenshots, SMS, touch action snapshots, and more, you can get it for $9.99 for 3 days or $16.66 per month.

Like KidsGuard Pro, iKeyMonitor focuses on protecting your loved ones and employees by providing a comprehensive suite of features at an affordable price. With its powerful scheduling, logging, monitoring, and chat tracking functions, it’s easily one of the best Android spy apps.

10. TheOneSpy — Comprehensive App With Camera and Microphone Control

TheOneSpy is the ultimate spy app if you’re looking for total control over an Android device’s camera and microphone. It’s the perfect solution for those looking to monitor conversations over an Android device.

With its Spy360 feature, users can take advantage of live listening and camera streaming capabilities, allowing them to listen in on conversations or view activity through the device’s camera.

It also enables live phone screen sharing so that you can keep a close eye on activities from any location. These features are incredibly important in ensuring the safety of your family or business when you aren’t physically present.

Another great feature of TheOneSpy is its call history tracking. With this app, users can track the history of incoming and outgoing calls to another phone with details like contact numbers, duration, and location.

Finally, TheOneSpy’s Password Chaser feature allows you to monitor the digit passwords used to unlock a phone. With this, you can easily track the pin code, pattern lock, and password of their device and gain access remotely.

On the whole, this app is a solid option if you’re looking to stay informed about who your family or employees are talking to and where they’re located at any given time.

Pricing

TheOneSpy keeps pricing simple:

The yearly subscription offers the best value, with the TOS XLite plan working out to just $6.25 per month. Here's what each plan offers:

1. TOS XLite — Provides monitoring features such as tracking app usage, web restrictions, time limits, and geo-fencing technology.
2. Premium — Includes Spy360, which allows live listening, camera streaming, and phone screen sharing from a remote location.

TheOneSpy provides tremendous flexibility when it comes to protecting your children from potential online risks.

Top Spyware for Android Devices | Compared

This comparison table will give you a quick overview of the top spyware for Android devices:

Who Uses Mobile Phone Trackers? | Do I Need a Spy Phone App?

All kinds of individuals and organizations use mobile phone trackers for different reasons. Some common reasons include:

1. Parents — A mobile phone tracker lets you keep an eye on your child's online activities and location to ensure their safety and well-being. It’s one of the best ways to monitor your child’s activity.
2. Employers — Monitor employees' use of company-owned devices to protect confidential data and to ensure that employees are using the devices for work-related purposes.
3. Individuals — People may use mobile phone trackers to keep track of their own phones in case of theft or loss.
4. Other — Some use mobile phone trackers to spy on their partners without their knowledge or consent. In fact, more and more people are using spyware in relationships, which is illegal in most countries, so it's important to familiarise yourself with local laws.

Whether you need a spy phone app depends on your specific circumstances and reasons for wanting to track a mobile phone. With that said, it’s important to consider the legal and ethical implications of using such apps and to use them only with the consent of the person being tracked.

How Do Android Spy Apps Work?

Android spy apps work by installing a small software program on the target device, which then runs in the background and collects information from the device. The collected data is then sent to a remote server, where it can be accessed by the person who installed the spy app.

The information collected by the spy app can include things like text messages, call logs, GPS location, emails, and social media activity, but some spy apps also have the ability to listen in on phone calls or record the device's microphone.

These apps run in stealth mode, meaning that it’s hidden from the user and runs in the background without the user's knowledge. Simply log in on your own device, and all the target users' data will sync to your spy app dashboard every few minutes.

Do I Need Physical Access to the Target Phone?

The installation process of the Android spy apps requires physical access to the target device. Once the app is installed, you'll be able to monitor the device remotely without having physical access again.

iOS monitoring allows for remote installation, but even in this instance, you may need the device to do the 2-Factor Authentication process.

Free Spy Apps for Android Vs. Paid Solutions

On the whole, paid solutions are more reliable and provide better features than free spy apps. Free spy apps are renowned for selling users' data, infecting the target device with malware, or simply not working at all.

If the app is a freemium version of a reputable paid spy application, you'll find that it lacks considerably in terms of features. With paid spy apps, you'll get a wide range of data tracking options, remote control capabilities, and compatibility with major operating systems.

On the whole, paid Android spy apps are far better and safer than the free alternatives. Plus, since you pay for premium spy apps, there's an incentive for the developers to keep them updated as new versions of Android come out.

Are Android Spy Apps Legal?

All the apps we've reviewed on this page are legitimate and safe to use. However, some other spy apps may be illegal, depending on where you're located. Countries also have different laws on in what ways it's legal to use spy apps for Android and other devices.

For example, spyware laws in the US differ to UK spyware legislation. Laws can also vary between different types of spying, such as screen monitoring and GPS tracking. So, we recommend reading up on the legality of spyware in your location to be safe.

How to Use a Phone Monitoring App | Step-by-Step Guide

Installing and using a spy app like mSpy is a breeze. Here's a guide on how to get started:

Step 1 — Choose Your Plan

Select a subscription that best fits your family or business' needs and confirm your order via email.

Step 2 — Sign in to Your Account

Next, sign in and create a profile for each of your children’s phones or tablets, and select their device brand and operating system (Android).

Step 3 — Download the App

From here, you'll want to download the app on the target device and activate it.

Step 4 — Log Into Your Dashboard

Now, log in to take advantage of all its features like location tracking, messaging monitoring, call recording, etc.

Android Spy App FAQs

Nick Saraev

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Nick Saraev

A programmer by trade, Nick is a freelance writer and entrepreneur with a penchant for helping people achieve their business goals. He's been featured on Popular Mechanics & Apple News, and has founded several successful companies in e-commerce, marketing, and artificial intelligence. When he's not working on his latest project, you can find him hiking or painting.

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