If you have teenagers or employees who need monitoring, then you’ve probably considered using mSpy.
But, as in most monitoring apps, you must wonder if you must install mSpy on the target phone before monitoring the user’s mobile activities.
This mSpy review provides detailed information on the smartphone monitoring app, including whether you need to install it on the target phone.
How I wished this app was available when my boys were teenagers but now they use it for their own children’s protection.
Table of Contents
What Is mSpy?
mSpy is a smartphone monitoring software designed for parents, employers, and individuals who want to keep track of their target’s phone activities. It allows you to monitor your target’s calls, text messages, social media activities, browsing history and GPS locations.
The most popular users of mSpy are parents who want to monitor their children’s phone activities and employers who want to know what their employees do during work hours.
Note: mSpy is legal software and should be used within the confines of the law. You can only monitor your children under 18. For those above 18 and your employees, their consent is required to monitor their activities.
Key Features of mSpy
mSpy offers various features to enable you to monitor your target’s phone activities effectively. Here are some of them:
1. Call Monitoring
mSpy allows you to view your target’s call logs, including incoming and outgoing calls, along with their timestamps and durations. You also get access to their contacts, calendar, and call recordings.
This is an essential feature for monitoring the activities of your children and loved ones, especially to know who they’re calling or meeting at any given time.
2. Text Message Monitoring
With mSpy, you can access your target’s text message box and read their texts, including SMS, iMessage, Emails, and Hangouts.
I love that you can also get vital information such as the sender and recipient’s contacts. It’s great for reading your children’s text messages to avoid bullying situations.
3. GPS Tracking
Wherever the person you’re monitoring is, mSpy enables you to track them in real-time, provided they’re with their phone.
You can view your target’s phone’s location history from your dashboard and even set up geofencing alerts to know when they leave or enter a specific area. This is a fabulous way to track your teenagers when they begin to drive.
4. Social Media Monitoring
Social media tracking is one of the key features of mSpy. It enables you to monitor your target’s activities on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, etc.
With mSpy, you can see who your target is chatting with on social media, the posts they’re engaging with, the photos they’re uploading, stories shared, the people they’re following and those following them.
This is essential for determining when they’re at risk or their personality on social media.
5. Web Browsing History
mSpy has a feature that enables you to track the web browsing history of your target. You can check the websites they visited, the time of visit, and how often they did. You can also see the websites they bookmarked
6. Keylogger
If you want to see what your target type on their phone in real-time, mSpy provides a feature that records keystrokes on their phone. This enables you to see everything they type and the apps they’re typing on.
With Keylogger, you can even set alerts for specific keywords and screen-record their phones as they type.
7. Remote Control
One of my favorite features on mSpy is the remote control feature. mSpy provides a control panel that enables you to control some features on your target device.
You can lock or unlock the phone, access the storage and deleted files, wipe data, and even take screenshots.
How Does mSpy Work?
mSpy works like most monitoring apps. Once you install the software on your target smartphone, Android or iPhone, it runs in the background, collecting data on various activities, such as calls, messages, GPS locations, etc.
The data collected is transmitted to the mSpy server over the internet, where you can access it remotely through your mSpy dashboard.
The mSpy app doesn’t show up on the target phone and, as such, does not leave any clue that it is being monitored. Once installed, the mSpy icon hides and discreetly collects every piece of data you need from the phone, updating the server in real time or at intervals, depending on your settings.
Do You Have to Install mSpy on the Target Phone?
Yes, you must install mSpy on the target phone, except it’s an iPhone, where you can install the app using mSpy’s iCloud sync method.
The mSpy installation process requires physical access to the target phone for a brief period. During this time, you download and install the mSpy app on the phone, setting it up to transmit data to the server. This process varies slightly depending on whether the target phone is an iPhone or Android.
If the target device is an iPhone and you have the iCloud credentials, physical access to the phone is unnecessary. This is because mSpy allows you to collect data from the phone by simply synchronizing the iCloud with your mSpy account.
Now, let’s look at how you can install mSpy on your target’s device.
How to Install mSpy on Target Phone
The steps required to install mSpy vary slightly between Android and iPhones. Here is how you can install mSpy on both phones:
How to Install mSpy on an Android Phone
Here are the steps to install a mSpy application on your target Android phone:
1. Purchase mSpy Subscription
The first step to installing the mSpy application on your target device is to purchase a subscription.
Visit the mSpy website to create an account and purchase a subscription plan that suits your needs. Make sure to enter a valid email address, as mSpy will send you installation instructions via email.
Also, you’d be required to choose the type of device you want to monitor, whether Android or iPhone. Once you’ve done that, proceed to select a subscription package. mSpy offers three options here: 1-month, 3-month and 12-month plans.
Your chosen package will be added to your cart, and you can pay with your debit or credit card.
After purchasing the subscription, mSpy will send an email containing the login credentials for your mSpy account and detailed installation instructions.
2. Access the Target Phone
After purchasing a subscription and creating an mSpy account, you need to access the target phone. As you already know, you need physical access to the target phone to install mSpy.
You must ensure you have the phone for as long as necessary to complete the installation process. Also, ensure the phone is unlocked, charged, and connected to the internet.
3. Disable Play Protect
Once you have access to the phone, temporarily disable Google Play Protect and other security settings. This allows you to install apps from sources other than the Google Play Store.
To do this, go to the Google Play Store, click on the profile icon in the top right corner of the app, and tap Play Protect. Disable the option to scan apps with Play Protect and the option to send unknown apps to Google for better detection.
4. Download mSpy Installer
After you’ve disabled the Play Protect, go to your target’s phone web browser and paste the link sent to your email.
5. Install mSpy
Follow the instructions in the email to complete the installation. This process involves granting permissions and may vary, depending on the operating system of the target phone.
To activate the application, enter the registration code sent to your email. This prompts the app to start collecting data from the phone.
6. Start Monitoring
Once the installation is complete, log into your mSpy account dashboard to access the monitoring data collected from the target phone.
You will be able to view calls, SMS, social media account activities, browsing history, GPS locations and more.
How to Install mSpy on iPhone (without Jailbreak)
No mSpy installation is required for iPhones. You can monitor the phone by linking the iCloud credentials to your mSpy account.
Here are the steps to install mSpy on iPhone without jailbreak:
1. Purchase mSpy Subscription
When installing mSpy on an iPhone without a jailbreak, the first step is to create an mSpy account and purchase a subscription.
When creating the account, choose iPhone as your target device operating system. mSpy will send your login credentials to your email address.
2. Select the iCloud Installation Method
Once you’ve created an account and chosen a subscription package, select the iCloud installation method on your mSpy account. Then, follow the instructions in your email to complete the installation.
Part of the installation process will be entering the iCloud credentials of your target phone.
3. Activate mSpy
Once you’ve provided the iCloud credentials, you’ll be required to provide the registration code sent to your email. This enables mSpy to sync the iCloud backup to your account.
4. Start Monitoring
After you’ve activated the mSpy on your target iPhone, you can start monitoring the phone’s activities. You can view calls, SMS, social media account activities, browsing history, GPS locations and more.
Note: Jailbroken or rooted iPhone will require you to manually install mSpy on the phone before you can monitor it.
mSpy Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of the mSpy smartphone monitoring app:
Pros of mSpy
- Parental control and guidance
- Works discreetly in the background
- Employee monitoring
- Location tracking
- Remote monitoring and control
- Alerts and notifications
- Beginner and user-friendly interface
Cons of mSpy
- Legal and ethical concerns
- Privacy of the target phone might be breached
- Target phone relies on the internet to transmit data to the mSpy server.
- Ongoing subscription costs
- Technical limitations
mSpy Pricing
- 1-month plan: Costs $48.99 per month, renewable at $69.99 per month
- 3-month plan: Costs $28.00 per month, renewable at $40.00 per month
- 12-month plan: Costs $11.67 per month, renewable at $16.67 per month
All plans provide you with the same features. However, the longer your subscription, the less you have to pay.
Conclusion
mSpy is a powerful smartphone monitoring app that enables you to monitor your children, employees and loved ones. You can monitor every activity the target person performs on their phone in real-time, from typing to calls, messages, social media and even GPS tracking.
I love that you can monitor both Androids and iPhones, whether jailbroken or not. While you need to install the mSpy software on an Android, you don’t need to do that on an iPhone.
Connecting your target’s iCloud credentials to your mSpy accounts lets you easily monitor the device.
Do you have any experience using mSpy or any other monitoring app? Let me know in the comment section.
Frequently Asked Questions on mSpy
Does mSpy show on the target phone?
No, mSpy does not show on the target phone. Once installed, it hides its icon and collects data discretely from the target phone.
Can you install mSpy remotely?
Yes, you can install mSpy remotely if the target phone is a non-jailbroken iPhone. mSpy has a no-jailbreak software version that enables you to track an iPhone by providing its iCloud credentials.
However, for Androids and jailbroken iPhones, you need physical access to the target phone to install mSpy.
Is it legal to use mSpy?
Yes, mSpy is legal software. However, you must not use it illegally by invading someone’s privacy without consent.
Does mSpy notify the target phone?
No, mSpy does not notify the target phone
Can you use mSpy to spy on multiple devices?
No, your mSpy account can only be used to spy on one device. If you want to spy on another device, you must purchase another mSpy account.
Can mSpy be detected on Android?
No, mSpy works in the background. It can’t be detected on the target phone, including Androids.
Can mSpy be detected on an iPhone?
No, mSpy works in the background. It can’t be detected on the target phone, including iPhones.
Does mSpy actually work?
Yes, mSpy works well to help you monitor any device’s activities and provides more features than other monitoring apps.
Do you have to root or jailbreak the target device to use mSpy?
No, rooting or jailbreaking is not necessary to use mSpy. However, rooting or jailbreaking is required if you want more advanced features, like social media monitoring and keylogger functions.
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 12 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
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