The 10 Best Spy Apps for iPhone in 2023 Compared

The best spy apps for iPhone let you monitor everything the target device is up to — including calls, messages, and social media activity. In fact, you’ll be able to track their live location and even gain remote access to the target iPhone, be it of your child, spouse, or employee, and block certain apps when required.

That said, with a market loaded with apps claiming to be the best, finding reputable spyware for iPhone is challenging. Here, we review the market’s top options, having ranked them based on their ease of use, pricing, and remote functionality.

The 10 Best Spy Apps for iPhone Ranked

mSpy is easily the pick of the lot as far as the best phone spy apps for iPhone are concerned, owing to robust features and an easy setup and interface. See how it fares against the rest of our picks:

1. mSpy — Overall, the best iPhone spy app for discreet and comprehensive real-time monitoring of the target user’s device activity — both online and offline.
2. EyeZy — A reputable, hiddle mobile monitoring app that boasts keyword alerts and discreet remote functionality for as little as $7.99/month.
3. uMobix — A highly-rated app that lets you view deleted calls and messages on the target device, plus remotely block websites, calls, and apps.
4. Cocospy — An undetectable tool that offers custom geo-fencing rules and covers more than the key social media and messenger apps — including Discord.
5. Spyic — Popular parental control and spouse spy app for iOS if you’re looking for core functionality, such as social media monitoring, without the need to jailbreak the device.
6. Hoverwatch — The best choice for covering multiple devices and operating systems. One subscription lets you monitor up to 5 devices for as little as $6/device/month.
7. XNSpy — Top pick for advanced spyware capabilities, including remote camera and microphone access for full real-time insight into the user’s surroundings.
8. KidsGuard — A top-rated tracker app with an accurate keylogger that’ll give you insight into their searches, chats, and interests — all for just $9.16/month.
9. iKeyMonitor — The best free iPhone spy app for screen time management features, a multi-lingual keylogger, and robust social media monitoring capabilities.
10. TheOneSpy — A leading choice for tracking a cheating spouse — it boasts remote access to the target device’s camera and microphone and accurate GPS location monitoring.

The 10 Best Hidden Spy Apps for iPhone Compared

We’ve composed the table below to highlight the key differences between the best hidden spy apps for iPhone. This will help you make a quick, informed decision:

The Best iPhone Tracker Apps Reviewed

The best iPhone spy apps offer largely the same feature set, however, we’ve dug deeper to review each one — highlighting their unique points, who they’re best suited for, and any downsides you should know before deciding.

1. mSpy — Overall, the Best iPhone Spy App in 2023

mSpy is easily the most reputable spy app for mobile. It’s easy to use and set up, hidden, it’s affordable, and it offers complete peace of mind with every feature you’d need to monitor your loved one’s activity — both online and offline.

One of our favorite things about mSpy is that it covers a wide range of social media apps. You’ll be able to monitor the target iPhone’s WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat, Hangouts, and Telegram activity — among others, and it’s one of the best Instagram spy apps.

What’s more, with screen recording capabilities, you’ll be able to see disappearing messages on Instagram and Snapchat — absolutely nothing can be hidden. In fact, you’ll also be able to:

• See all the photos and videos stored on the iPhone
• Get a complete look at all the apps on the device
• Remotely remove or limit access to certain apps (i.e., Dating apps)
• Review everything typed across apps, including deleted messages

Pricing

mSpy, although not the cheapest, offers affordable pricing options — and what’s nice is that the full suite of features is included, regardless of the plan you choose. Here are your options:

• Monthly — $48.99/month
• Quarterly — $28/month
• Annual — $11.67/month

As always, we recommend taking advantage of the 14-day money-back guarantee and giving it a risk-free try with the free demo before committing.

2. EyeZy — A Reputable, Cheap Mobile Monitoring App

EyeZy’s iPhone monitoring app is incredibly popular among parents and spouses and it’s one of the best girlfriend spy apps. For starters, its invisible shield lets you track all their activities and even send remote commands without being detected.

You can also set up custom alerts — this feature alone, paired with EyeZy’s affordable pricing, makes it the go-to for many. This means you won’t need to worry about monitoring the device 24/7.

With online concerns like cyberbullying and predation increasing, you can flag words like “pornography”, “drugs”, and “suicide” — or even someone’s name, and get notified when these are typed. Plus, beyond all this, you’ll be able to see:

• Bookmarked sites and how frequently they’re visited
• Who they communicate with most + what they’re saying
• Monitor everything with the screen recorder
• Get live updates on their whereabouts

Pricing

Although mSpy remains the top choice for most, there’s no disputing that EyeZy offers phenomenal value for money — paired with a demo and a 14-day guarantee, it’s a no-brainer. Here are your options:

• Monthly — $38.39/month
• Quarterly — $22.39/month
• Annual — $7.99/month

3. uMobix — Highly Rated and Perfect for Seeing Deleted Information

uMobix is best known for its remote control tools and ability to dig up deleted information (think calls, messages, and even contacts) — two of the most sought-after spy features.

In fact, unlike most, it even lets you see if a contact has been renamed, and its remote command capabilities impressed us more than the others we tested.

You can block apps and websites, disable messages, and restrict calls without touching the phone. It comes with a compact control panel, available on a browser and its very own mobile app.

Pricing

uMobix can be costly, but the 1-year plan offers significant savings. Here are your options:

• Monthly — $49.99/month
• Quarterly — $29.99/month
• Annual — $12.49/month

Despite costing more than, say, EyeZy, you do get incredible value for money given the premium features it tags along with, such as the remote device control and access to deleted information.

4. Cocospy — Easy to Use, Undetectable iPhone Spy App

Note: Please ensure you visit Cocospy.org and not Cocospy.com, which is a fake site.

Cocospy is easily one of the best parental control apps. Although it doesn’t boast anything particularly unique, it has everything you’d need. Its simplicity, responsive support, and no-jailbreak approach are key USPs worth noting.

We found that the geofencing feature works well, allowing you to set boundaries on a map to get notified when your child or spouse crosses them. This, as with EyeZy’s Magic Alerts, means you can rest easy and only get notified when it’s important.

Beyond this, you get the basics, including social media, call, and SMS monitoring — but that’s about it — for example, it lacks remote commands. As such, it’s perfect for anyone after a simple iOS spy app.

Pricing

Cocospy’s pricing is identical to uMobix, starting at $12.49/month for the 12-month plan. It might not be as feature-rich as uMobix, but it’s easy to use and perfect for beginners.

Also, just like its parent company, uMobix, you can use Cocospy risk-free with the 14-day money-back guarantee.

5. Spyic — No-Jailbreak iOS Spy App for Families and Businesses

As with Cocospy, Spyic doesn’t come loaded with extra bells and whistles, but it still boasts everything you’d need to keep an eye on what’s happening — all without needing to jailbreak the device and at a bargain price.

It tracks most of the popular social apps, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Viber, and even dating apps — allowing you to view the call logs, chats, and media files shared. Beyond this, you get call and SMS monitoring and location tracking.

One aspect that makes Spyic truly stand out is that it offers numerous plans for various needs and budgets — including a family plan and one for businesses. Beyond this, unlike most, you get a whopping 60-day guarantee.

Pricing

There are separate plans for its Android and iPhone users, and we really like how transparent Spyic is with its pricing and how accommodating this app is to various needs. Here’s an overview of the cheapest plans:

• Premium — $10.83/month
• Family — $33.33/month (for 5 devices)
• Business — $83.33/month (for 25 devices)

These are the annual prices, but if you want a shorter subscription, Spyic offers quarterly and monthly options plus a solid two-month long guarantee.

6. Hoverwatch — The Best Choice for Tracking Multiple Devices

Hoverwatch is the perfect spy app for multiple device monitoring. It lets you monitor up to 5 devices simultaneously from the same account. After all, most people these days have a laptop and a phone — two devices — at the very least.

Plus, it’s compatible with all operating systems, including Mac, Windows, Android, and iPhone — a rarity in the spy app space. So, regardless of what device your child or spouse is using, you can track them with Hoverwatch.

That said, from our testing, Hoverwatch’s most unique feature is the automated front camera capture. Every time someone unlocks the phone screen, it’ll silently take a photo of the user. This is perfect if you suspect your child is being bullied or your spouse is cheating.

Pricing

If you’re looking for the cheapest spy app for iPhone, Hoverwatch is the one for you. Here are your options:

• Personal — $9.99/month
• Professional — $3.33/device/month (up to 5 devices)
• Business — $1.67/device/month (up to 25 devices)

Although similar to Spyic in their offerings, one downside worth noting is that Hoverwatch doesn’t offer any money-back guarantee.

7. XNSpy — A Top Pick for Advanced Spyware Capabilities

XNSpy is a dynamic spy app that lets you track your loved ones, both offline and online. For online tracking, you can get complete access to your target’s call log and messages. Plus, XNSpy also lets you monitor up to 12 different social media applications.

For offline tracking, XNSpy will give you access to the target phone’s surroundings. You can remotely activate the microphone or camera and record what’s happening around them.

You can also remotely block an app that you find inappropriate or take screenshots on the target device, reset it, or even lock it. In fact, you can even listen in on phone calls — that said, we found that some of the more advanced capabilities do require jailbreak.

Pricing

XNSpy has a basic and premium plan with options to pay monthly, quarterly, or annually. The Basic annual subscription will set you back just $4.99/month and includes call and SMS monitoring and location tracking.

For advanced features like call recording and alerts, you’ll need to pay $7.49/month — which is still a massive bargain considering how advanced this iPhone spy app is.

Although shorter than the industry standard, there is a 10-day guarantee to try the app risk-free.

8. KidsGuard Pro — A Top-Rated Tracker App for Just $9.16/Month

KidsGuard, as the name suggests, is designed for parental control and allows you to track a phone — whether Android or iOS — and even Windows and Mac devices.

It has absolutely everything parents need to keep an eye on their children. One standout is the accuracy of the keylogger, but beyond this, it even lets you record calls and take remote screenshots or record the screen.

During our testing, we also found that the feature that lets you listen to the device’s surroundings in real-time is a key USP of KidsGuard. Plus, as with mSpy and EyeZy, you can also set up alerts to get notified if your child uses or searches for anything inappropriate.

Pricing

For iPhone tracking, here are your options:

• Monthly — $39.99/month
• Quarterly — $19.99/month
• Annual — $9.16/month

The annual plan makes it one of the cheapest options on the market, especially when you consider the advanced capabilities you get for this price. Beyond this, there’s a whopping 30-day guarantee.

9. iKeyMonitor — The Best Free iPhone Spy App

iKeyMonitor is an all-in-one parental control app trusted by over 400,000 parents in over 100 countries. Beyond offering a barebones free version, one of the biggest USPs of iKeyMonitor is its screen time monitoring tool.

It lets you set automated locks that shut off the device once the daily limit is up — perfect for parents needing to ensure a better screen-time balance. That said, one other unique aspect we noted in our testing is that it can record voice messages sent over social media.

This extends to SMS messages, WhatsApp, WeChat, Hike, IMO, QQ, and others. There’s also remote screen recording, and you can even remotely take photos of their surroundings.

Pricing

If you’re looking for a completely free phone tracking app to monitor your kids’ phones and ensure their safety without splurging any money on it, iKeyMonitor is the one you should get.

If you want to go premium for advanced features, you’re looking at $10/month. The best part? The paid plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

10. TheOneSpy — Leading iPhone Spy App to Track Cheating Spouses’

TheOneSpy is designed to keep an eye on your spouse, but it can be used to monitor your child as well. For starters, you can access their phone logs and even record each conversation if needed.

TheOneSpy also lets you spy on their surroundings by remotely turning on their mic and camera. It’s also easily one of the best GPS tracker apps that offers a month-long history log.

TheOneSpy’s popularity can also be attributed to its ability to crack passwords — whether it’s a code or a pattern, we found that there’s no difference in effectiveness. We were also impressed to see that it supports both mobile and desktop.

Pricing

TheOneSpy is the costliest app on the list. Its iPhone spying plans start at $55.01/month and go up to $110/year. It works well, it just depends on whether you’re willing to fork this out for capabilities you can get for less.

Why Do I Need a Phone Spy App?

Phone spy apps can be used for various purposes, such as monitoring a child’s activity, tracking a lost or stolen device, ensuring the safety and well-being of elderly parents, and protecting confidential data and work devices by employers.

Here are a few benefits of using spy apps:

Track Employee Activity

Employers who provide company phones to employees often install phone spy apps on those devices to monitor employee activity. This helps ensure company phones are used for work-related activities.

By 2025, it’s estimated that over 36.2 million US individuals will be working remotely. This highlights one of the key reasons why it’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to secure their devices and confidential information.

Phone spy apps can also be used to record conversations between employees and customers automatically or to keep a record of all employee text messages.

For more, we recommend reading our analysis of the best employee monitoring software.

Track Stolen Mobile Phones

Losing your phone or having it stolen can significantly threaten your privacy. It can put sensitive information and data at risk of falling into the wrong hands.

A phone spy app can help you locate your phone through GPS and SIM location-based services and lock or wipe the device to prevent unauthorized access to your personal information.

Spying on a Spouse

Getting cheated on can be a traumatic experience resulting in anxiety and depression. As such, many turn to phone spy apps to monitor their partners. It’s worth noting that if you don’t have permission, you could land in hot water with the law.

That said, you’ll find that many consenting relationships allow for this after trust has been compromised. With features like call and text tracking, location monitoring, and being able to track social media and internet activity, spouses can get peace of mind.

Parental Control

Overall though, the most common reason for using an iPhone spy app is to protect your children. With no clear consensus on who should take responsibility for protecting youngsters online, parents feel the need to take matters into their own hands.

Regardless of the ‘why,’ these tools offer peace of mind.

How Do iPhone Spy Apps Work?

The best Android spy apps work differently from iPhone spy apps because the iOS operating system is closed, making accessing data on an iPhone harder.

Many phone spy apps for iPhones (especially those offering advanced features) require the phone to be jailbroken, which is the process of removing the software restrictions imposed by Apple on the iOS operating system.

This allows installing apps and software unavailable through the official Apple App Store. On the other hand, some apps offer full functionality if you know the iCloud credentials.

Once you’re connected to the target device, the iPhone tracker app can then access the synced data, such as messages and call logs, which it then sends to a remote server where it can be accessed by the person using the spy app on their own device.

Do I Need Physical Access to the Target Phone?

Most phone spy apps require physical access to the target device for installation. This is especially the case for Android phones. However, as we mentioned above, some iPhone spy apps can be installed without physical access through iCloud backup.

This method requires:

• The login credentials for iCloud backup on the target phone
• The need to enter the two-factor authentication code sent to the target phone

It’s important to note that once a spy app is installed on the target phone, it doesn’t require physical access again.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing an iOS Spy App

Deciding on the best software is never easy, especially when it comes to finding one to monitor your loved ones. To help, here are some of the key things you’ll want to keep in mind:

• Compatibility — Most households have members who use multiple devices. You’ll want to keep this in mind as not all spy apps support desktops, for example.
• Pricing — Annual plans are cheaper, and some of the best iPhone spy tools only cover one device per subscription.
• Testing — We always recommend taking advantage of any free trials, plans, demos, or money-back guarantees to test the ease of use and functionality before deciding.
• Functionality — Spy apps tend to offer fewer features for the iOS version when compared to mobile. Ensure you’re getting the functionality you’re after.
• Jailbreak — Some advanced features like call recording require jailbreaking the device.

How to Use an iPhone Tracking App 

In our testing, we’ve found that the process is straightforward and largely the same for most spy apps. For this quick guide, we’ll be using mSpy, our top recommendation.

Here are the steps on how to spy on iPhone with mSpy via iCloud sync:

1. Purchase a subscription
2. Select the iOS device as the target
3. Choose the iCloud sync installation method
4. Log in to your mSpy account
5. Enter the target users’ iCloud credentials
6. You’ll receive two notifications, one sent to the iCloud email address and the other to the target phone containing a 6-digit code for 2FA confirmation
7. Input the code from the target device to your mSpy account to complete the linking process.

Note that in our experience, it may take 10-20 minutes for the data to sync. Also, because of the 2FA, although some choose to do this secretly, it would be easiest if you had permission to monitor the device.

Related Articles to Read Next

• How to Spy on Devices Connected to Your WiFi
• The Best Instagram Spy Apps Compared
• The Best GPS Trackers Ranked and Compared
• A Full mSpy Review
• The Best Free Spy Apps We’ve Tested

Conclusion – What’s the Best Spy App for iPhone in 2023?

The best iPhone spy app is one that meets your budget and particular needs — and as we’ve discovered, there’s no shortage of options. That said, for the easiest setup and complete peace of mind, we recommend mSpy.

It’s hidden, offers insane value for money, and comes jam-packed with everything you’d need to monitor your loved ones, both online and offline. Try it now risk-free for a full two weeks.

iPhone Spy App FAQs