Best Spy Apps for Android in 2024 | Top 10 Reviewed In-Depth

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With one of the best spy apps for Android, you’ll be able to monitor your child, partner, or employees’ device activity remotely. This includes GPS location tracking, social media activity, and practically everything in between to get peace of mind about what’s happening on the target device.

With that said, the number of options available makes finding a reliable Android spy app no easy task. To help, we’ve rounded up and reviewed the market’s best spy apps for Android — from the almighty mSpy to EyeZy and uMobix; these are your leading options. Read on to learn how they can help you.

The 10 Best Android Spy Apps for 2024

We analyzed leading Android spy apps based on criteria like ease of use, reliability, accuracy, pricing, user feedback, and overall spyware capabilities, amongst others. Our testing ranked the market’s best spy apps for Android accordingly:

1. mSpy — Overall, the best Android spy app in 2024.
2. uMobix — Advanced application monitoring/restriction features and complete remote control.
3. Spynger – Best for catching a cheating partner thanks to the excellent keylogging
4. Scannero – Great phone spy app with one of the most accurate location trackers.
5. Spybubblepro — Best android spy app for simple tracking parameters.
6. Phonsee – Reliable Spy App for Android with a Useful Location History Setting
7. EyeZy — Phenomenal Spy App for Android Devices for Keyword Alerts
8. Clevguard – Best Parental Control App for Android Devices
9. Geofinder.mobi — Superb Real-Time Location Tracker
10. xmobi.co – User-Friendly Spy App for Android, Great for Beginners

Eager to learn more? Read on for all the nitty-gritty details.

The Top Spy Apps for Android Reviewed

Depending on whether you intend to use a phone spy app primarily for location tracking, monitoring browsing history, or reading chats on instant messaging platforms, different applications might be better suited for the purpose.

In this guide, we’ll review the best spy apps for Android and compare their features, functionalities, and pricing to help you make an informed decision.

1. mSpy — Overall, the Best Android Spy App for 2024

mSpy is an excellent option for monitoring and tracking Android devices. The best part about this app is the fact that all of its advanced features are available on all Android devices running the Android 4 OS or higher. This means you don’t need to jailbreak the phone or mess with advanced configuration and dozens of settings.

Just install mSpy on the target device, and you’re good to go. That said, the app allows you to access the device’s call logs, including timestamps and caller IDs, as well as read chats from all popular instant messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, Skype, Telegram, Snapchat, and even Tinder.

You’ll also be able to see all installed apps on the device, as well as block specific apps, and record the device’s screen to see what your child is doing in real-time. Another incredibly useful feature of mSpy is the ability to view all multimedia files on the Android phone or tablet, including GIFs, photos, and videos.

You’ll know exactly what type of content they’re posting on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as who they’re sharing their photos and videos with.

In addition to the phone call and message monitoring, mSpy gives you full access to the device’s browsing history, allows you to set up keyword alerts, lets you read incoming and outgoing emails, and provides you with full remote control of the device.

2. uMobix — Advanced App Monitoring/Restriction Features and Complete Remote Control

uMobix is excellent for parents who want to ensure their kids aren’t spending too much time on social media and aren’t accessing inappropriate content online. The standout features of this tool include tracking social media online statuses, real-time streaming, and access to the deleted information on the monitored device.

Apart from being able to access the social media chat logs at any given time, uMobix lets you know the moment your child opens Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or other social media platforms on their device.

This feature has many applications, such as ensuring that your child isn’t mindlessly scrolling social media instead of studying or going to bed. uMobix also lets you implement an “application use schedule,” allowing you to:

When it comes to streaming, uMobix lets you take a camera snapshot or access the phone’s microphone and camera to see what your child is doing and who they’re talking to in real time. This can be incredibly useful to ensure they’re not in danger or aren’t somewhere they’re not supposed to be.

With that said, arguably the most important functionality of uMobix is the ability to view all of the content that’s deleted from the device. And everything’s uploaded to the cloud, so even if your child deletes certain chat logs, videos, or images from their device, they still won’t be able to hide anything.

With uMobix, you can even take full remote control of the device at any point and:

And more.

3. Spynger — Best for Catching a Cheating Partner with the Help of Excellent Keylogging 

Spynger is a leading spy app for Android that promises results for those looking to keep an eye on a suspicious partner. In fact, their whole website is centered around relationships and building trust – but does this mean they know what they’re doing?

The short answer is yes – Spynger has all the features you’d expect to find in one of the top spy apps, including an excellent hidden screen recording option. This stealth-like feature lurks undetected in the background of your target users’ devices and allows you to view live screen recordings of their activities.

This is perfect for those scenarios when a partner may take calls in another room or perhaps they’re somewhere else entirely. Now, you never have to worry about missing a thing, and you have live evidence from their device to boost your claims.

Aside from the excellent screen recorder, you also get a powerful key logger for Android and iOS devices. This crafty feature means you can track every keystroke they enter on their phone – be it messages, search results, or anything in between. We found this feature to work really well, as it enabled us to keep a log of all things being typed on our test device.

With Spynger, you’ll also find more common features like location tracking, which works exactly as you’d expect, and pings live location data over to your device. The accuracy here isn’t on par with the likes of mSpy, and those no options for geo-fencing, so it might not be the best choice for a parental control app.

To finish, you can monitor all the social media channels with this spy app, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and much more. During our testing, we ran into no issues with any social media monitoring and were able to view sent and received messages, as well as view all pictures and videos exchanged.

As these apps are commonly used for cheating, it’s a great way to collect and gather evidence if you are suspicious of anyone.

These features work on both Android and iOS devices, both of which don’t require the device to be rooted (for Android) or jailbroken (for iOS) – so no difficult setup steps to jump through.

4. Scannero — Top Android Spy App with Leading Location Tracking

Scannero is different from many of the other Android spy apps on this list, mainly as its only real use is as a location tracker and lost device recovery solution. However, as it does both of these incredibly well, we believe it deserves its spot so high up in this list.

As mentioned above, Scannero is a phone tracker by trade rather than a spy app – so its core features are all based on locating a phone. To do this, you simply just enter a mobile number into the main dashboard, and let the app take care of the rest.

It’s able to pinpoint an exact location nearly perfectly every time. This is especially useful for concerned parents or for those of you who are prone to losing their devices.

In fact, Scannero goes one step further to help you if you have lost your device, as it includes an excellent feature that allows you to send a message to your lost device via the web app, prompting whoever has your phone to return it.

Besides the excellent location tracking features on offer, Scannero also offers a useful email and phone number leak checker. This works by running intensive checks on various databases to see if you’ve been compromised. We found this feature to be a real plus, and we even discovered that one of our test emails had ended up on a database – so it was incredibly helpful.

Lastly, this Android spy app also offers a reverse phone lookup setting that will tell you who is calling you. This is great for identifying scam callers and can protect you from potential fraud. To further this, there’s a great feature that allows you to run a background check on someone using their username. From here, you can view any accounts they may have made online.

This feature can be useful for those employers who want to run a quick background check and view a potential employee’s social media accounts before hiring. We tested it with one of our team’s Instagram usernames, and sure enough, the Facebook and Pinterest accounts under the same name appeared.

5. Spybubblepro — Best Android Spy App that Keeps Things Simple with 3 Main Tracking Parameters

Spybubblepro has been specially designed to help people catch cheating partners red-handed. Unlike other spy apps for Android with tons of features for every communication app on mobile, this solution only has 3 features, which are enough to know if your partner is being unfaithful.

After all, having a cheating partner is stressful enough — the additional stress of learning a whole new complicated spy app isn’t warranted.

Speaking of the features, you’ll definitely love Spybubblepro’s WhatsApp and SMS tracker. Here, you’ll be able to check all their incoming and outgoing messages and shared media files. If someone is having a secret affair, their messages are usually enough to reveal the truth.

You can even check those texts that have been hidden or deleted. It’ll be practically impossible for them to hide anything from you. Along with that, you can even check their location to gather more evidence about the alleged affair. It’ll only take a few minutes to get all the information on the target device’s location.

Another amazing benefit of using Spybubblepro is it lets you track the user’s online activity through screenshots. Every relevant action automatically triggers a screenshot. For example, if the user gets a new email notification or a text message, it’ll immediately screenshot the incident and send it to your dashboard.

This way, you won’t have to keep tracking their devices 24/7, and you’ll still be aware of all the important actions they take on their phone all day.

6. Phonsee — Reliable Android Spy App with Useful Virtual Boundaries Feature

Phonsee is a feature-rich spy app that can be used for various scenarios. Whether you’re a suspicious partner, worried parent, or troubled employer – this spy app has a catalog of features to put your mind at ease.

For starters, you get top-notch social media monitoring tools that allow you to view messages and media being shared on Facebook, WhatsApp, Kik, Snapchat, SMS, and iMessage. This means that regardless of the method of communication your target device user prefers, you can be there and watching from afar.

We tested out each of these platforms and were seriously impressed by the results. As Phonsee updates regularly, you’re able to see a log of all the messages and photos sent during any time period. It’s a great way to gather any evidence you have on a partner, employee, or child.

Alongside the strong social media monitoring features, you’ll also find a dedicated keylogger, which tracks every keystroke made on your target’s device. During our experience with the spy app, we found that this feature was hit-and-miss. At times, it captured keystrokes perfectly, but there were one or two occasions where it didn’t sync properly, and valuable data was lost.

Plus, there’s a good selection of location-based features, including the option to review a history of where the target user has been. Furthermore, you can set virtual boundaries that can keep them away from places of your choosing. Once you do this, you’ll be notified as soon as the target user strays from the safe zone.

However, besides the social media monitoring and keylogger, the only other real feature you get here is a location and GPS tracker – no remote access features like the top choices. Whilst all of the features operate relatively well, the accuracy of the location tracker isn’t as good as the likes of Scannero or uMobix.

7. EyeZy — Top Spy App for Android Devices for Keyword Alerts

EyeZy boldly claims that it’s the most powerful phone monitoring software currently available, and after reviewing EyeZy completely, we have to agree that it’s certainly a strong choice. The app offers everything you’d expect in terms of phone call and text message monitoring, as well as a myriad of advanced features on top.

One of the most impressive capabilities of EyeZy that we tested is Magic Alerts. This feature allows you to set up filters on the monitored device and get alerted the instant the app flags something as inappropriate. The feature works just as you’d expect, and we had no issues with any of the alerts we received.

This can be anything from searching specific terms online to receiving or sending messages that contain specific keywords you deem worrying. Magic Alerts ensure that you’ll always know what your kid is up to without having to monitor their device constantly.

Another incredibly useful feature that makes EyeZy one of the best spy apps for Android is the keylogger. This feature monitors all the keystrokes on the target device, letting you know exactly what:

You’ll also be able to see exact timestamps as well as websites or applications associated with specific searches or phrases. Plus, it also has website blocking capabilities, giving you full control over what content your children can have access to on the internet.

In addition to phone monitoring features, EyeZy lets you pinpoint the device’s exact location, see the device’s location history, and set up geofencing alerts to get notified when they enter or leave a specific area.

8. Clevguard — Best Parental Control App on Android

Clevguard is a well-known spy app that is perhaps most famous for its parental control settings. Whilst many of the other options on this list focus on cheating partners – Clevguard and KidsGuard are more focused on protecting your loved ones from the dangers online.

With that being said, the features on offer with Clevguard can be used for a multitude of everyday scenarios. That’s because it offers high-end features like remote control services. For example, it allows you to capture screenshots, record a screen, listen in on a microphone, and take photos from the target device’s camera.

We tested each of these out, and whilst on paper they’re real attention grabbers, we did struggle with the performance of these features on more than one occasion. At times, we couldn’t access the camera or microphone, and when we could, the audio was pretty poor. However, when they do all click together and start working, they’re excellent features.

Back to the parental control settings – Clevguard does really stand out in this instance. It has a dedicated plan called KidsGuard Pro that can monitor your children’s location, track keywords that they search and flag them to you, and even spy on a huge range of social media apps, including Tinder, Messenger, TikTok, and many more.

This huge coverage means that you can ensure that you know exactly what your child is talking about, who they’re communicating with, and whether they’re searching for anything they shouldn’t be. It really is the best option for those looking to safeguard their children.

Lastly, the app offers strong location features, including one of the best use cases of geofencing we’ve seen. Once you’ve set your safe zone, if your child wanders out of this by a matter of meters, the app will let you know by sending you an alert immediately.

9. Geofinder.mobi — Superb Real-Time Location Tracker for Android

Geofinder.mobi is the perfect solution for those looking for a simple way to track someone’s location and internet activity when they’re connected to Wi-Fi. While most other spy apps make you download the app on the target, this tool works without any such hassle.

All you have to do is enter the number of the target person, add the country code, and hit “Find.” After that, it’ll send a location request to the target user, and they can decide if they want to share their location or not. Yep, this is the only catch.

While many other spy apps let you secretly sneak on the target user, Geofinder.mobi likes to be upfront. This method of tracking can actually save you a lot of legal problems. While you can surely send the message anonymously, we recommend keeping your name in the request.

After all, who would want to share their location with an anonymous person? That said, another perk of using Geofinder.mobi is that it lets you send a custom message along with the location request.

Using this feature, you can tell the target user why you need them to share their location, which might increase their chances of sharing their details. And if they don’t, the chances of them doing something they shouldn’t be doing are on the higher side.

All things considered, the biggest benefit of using Geofinder.mobi is that it works with all kinds of devices and network providers. So whether the target user has an Android or an iPhone, it doesn’t matter — it’ll help you track them anyway. Furthermore, it lets you send unlimited location requests every month.

10. xMobi — Easy-to-Use Spy App for Android

The final spot on our list goes to xMobi, a visually appealing and easy-to-operate spy app for Android and iOS. It offers all the features you’d expect from a spy app, like call log access, photo viewers and more, but does fall short in a few key areas.

But let’s start with the good bits – the app is great for beginners and looks really premium. Accessing the key features can all be done from the main dashboard, and everything feels nice and intuitive.

Feature-wise, there’s enough to like here, and it gets the job done. The standout for us was the Android keylogger, which doesn’t require any root access to operate. We found it to be one of the better keyloggers we’ve tested, and the app syncs with your device every few minutes, so you won’t miss out on anything.

There’s also a dedicated Discord monitoring app, which is a first for this list. The popular messaging and forum app is used by millions of people every day, so what’s to say there won’t be illicit things going on?

That’s really where the key areas of satisfaction end – as xMobi doesn’t come close to the dizzying heights set by the likes of mSpy. There simply aren’t enough key features that work well here that warrant it a place higher on this list. For example, the location tracking only shows old locations, not a current live option, and social media monitoring is limited to Discord, SMS, and calls – which is very disappointing to see.

Plus, the features we did test, such as the call logs monitoring and photo viewing, all struggled to sync and work on more than one occasion – so we really can’t put it higher than 10th place on this list.

If you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing spy app that does the basics, it could still be a viable option for you.

How Do Android Spy Apps Work?

Android spy apps are actually remarkably simple in their design. Once you install the spy app on the target device, be it a phone or a tablet, the application sends all of the data from the device to a remote online server.

Every message, all phone call time stamps, IDs, and all videos and images are automatically uploaded to the server, which you can access through a dashboard. Put simply, once you log into the spy app’s dashboard on another device, you’ll have access to all of the data on the monitored device.

The best spy apps for Android can even override the device’s system, so to speak, and give you the option to delete or block specific apps, turn off Wi-Fi on the monitored device, or even completely block device usage by locking it remotely.

Why Use a Spy App for Android?

While spying on someone else’s phone might sound unethical or controversial, there are many legitimate reasons you’d want to tap into someone’s device. However, the most important thing to understand is that you can’t spy on someone else’s phone without their consent.

The practice is only legitimate if you’re monitoring the mobile activity of your kids, provided that they’re using a phone registered in your name or using spy apps to locate a missing device. These apps are most commonly used by:

Here’s a quick rundown of the most common reasons why people use Android spy apps:

Location Tracking

Being able to see the exact location of the monitored device, as well as the location history, is invaluable for parents and employers. The best spy apps for Android even let you leverage geo-fencing to set up restricted zones and get notified whenever the device enters or leaves a specific area.

Monitoring Phone Calls and Messages

If you’re concerned about who your children are calling and texting, you can tap into their phones without having to physically access the device.

Spy apps also allow you to set up keywords so you’ll get alerted whenever the messages contain words and phrases that you deem inappropriate or potentially dangerous, so you can react on time.

Monitoring Internet Browsing History

The web has many dark corners, and you shouldn’t allow children unrestricted access to the entire internet. The best spy apps for Android allow you to see the device’s entire browsing history and block certain access to certain websites and inappropriate online content.

Anti-theft

Security is another common reason to install spyware for Android. If the device gets lost or stolen, you can lock it remotely to prevent anyone from accessing the information on the Android phone or tablet.

You can also leverage tracking to find the lost/stolen device, as well as wipe all data from the phone to ensure unauthorized people can’t access your contacts, email, photos, and videos.

Can You Use Spy Apps on Android Without Touching the Target Phone?

The best spy apps for Android provide complete remote control over the target device. All you have to do is log into the spy app’s dashboard, and you can access all the data on the device, as well as issue remote commands.

However, if your question is: “How can I spy on a cell phone without installing software on the target phone?” the answer is — you can’t. Android phones don’t have automatic cloud backup as iPhones do, so it’s necessary to physically install the spy app on the target device.

Are There Any Undetectable Spy Apps for Android?

The most common question on people’s minds is: “How to spy on someone’s phone without them knowing?” The best spy apps for Android are undetectable, but that doesn’t mean you can install them without the device owner’s knowledge.

While spy apps work silently in the background and your child or employee won’t know when you’re peaking in, keep in mind that you still need their informed consent to install and use an Android spy app.

In other words, they won’t know exactly when you’re spying on the phone, but they must be aware of the fact that you have the ability to do so.

Are Android Spy Apps Safe?

There are many shifty companies out there that might sell your data to advertisers, so make sure you’re only using spy apps from reputable providers like the ones listed above. These apps have been on the market for several years without incident.

Bear in mind that you might have to turn off some of the built-in Android security features to install the spy apps. This might leave the device vulnerable to cyber attacks, so we highly recommend installing one of the leading VPNs or antivirus on the target phone or tablet beforehand as an extra security measure.

Are There Any Free Android Spy Apps?

Free spy apps are virtually non-existent. It takes years and thousands of dollars to develop and program a phone spy app, so it wouldn’t make sense for a developer to provide the app free of charge.

Even if they did, they’d likely flood you with dozens of annoying ads as a way to make a profit by selling the advertising space to other companies.

As the old adage goes: if the product is free, then you’re the product

While no phone spy app is truly free, multiple apps offer a free trial, so you can see them in action and decide whether the functionalities they offer fit your needs. Most of our chosen providers come with demos, so you can try them before you buy.

Are Spy Apps for Android Legal?

The legality of Android spy apps depends on how you use them. No matter what application you opt for, you can’t use even the best phone tracker app without permission. In order to install and use a spy app on an Android phone or laptop, you need informed consent from the person using the device.

After you get consent and the person knows completely that you can remotely spy on their phone, you can legally use it to access call logs, messages, and other data on the device. Another thing to keep in mind is that you can only use spy apps to monitor the device of your underage children, provided you are the owner of the device.

In a business setting, you can only legally install the spy app on company-owned devices, but you must also notify your employees that the company devices they’re using are being monitored.

This should be purely for protecting company property and used to prevent the misuse of company-owned devices. In other words, spying on people without their informed consent is considered illegal.

How We Test Spy Apps

You might be thinking – how can we trust you? That’s fine, it’s good to be curious about what you can and can’t rely on online, but let’s put your mind at ease.

Here at TechReport, we’ve been testing software for many years and have learned a lot over this time. This also isn’t our first foray into the murky world of spy apps – not even close. We’ve tested dozens of the leading spy apps, like the excellent mSpy, and many others, so we like to think we know what we’re doing.

Not only that, but we also like to see what others have to say about the tools we review. To do this, we search the web for real, everyday users of spy apps and take their opinions into account. Respected platforms like Trustpilot, G2, and even Reddit are great places to hear directly from verified users. This way, we can spot patterns that we found in our hands-on testing.

How to Use a Phone Spy App for Android

Most spy apps have a straightforward installation process. We’ll use EyeZy as an example to show you how to install the Android spy app in four easy steps.

You don’t need to mess with any advanced settings, so you can install the app even if you have absolutely no technical knowledge. Plus, all of our picks offer the same or a similar setup.

Step 1 — Go to the EyeZy website

Navigate to the official EyeZy website and click the Get Now button.

Provide a valid email and click Continue to choose your pricing plan.

Step 2 — Select a Price Plan

Choose the pricing plan that best suits you, and click the Buy Now button to proceed.

Input your payment details, and confirm your purchase, and you’ll be able to download and install the app on the target device.

Step 3 — Install the App on the Target Device

After you’ve completed the purchase, you’ll be redirected to the EyeZy dashboard, which will guide you through the installation process. Choose the device manufacturer and operating system, and check the box confirming you have access to the target phone.

Then, visit the Google Play Store and download the EyeZy app on the device you want to monitor.

Install the app, open it, and use your credentials to log into the account. Follow the simple prompts on the screen to give EyeZy all the permissions required to monitor the target phone. After installation, simply exit the app.

Step 4 — Log Into the Dashboard to Start Monitoring

Use another device to log into the EyeZy dashboard, whether it’s your own phone, a tablet, a laptop, or a desktop computer.

Use the dashboard navigation to see phone call logs, SMS messages, conversations on social media apps, and other activity on the target phone.

Conclusion — What’s the Best Spy App for Android in 2024?

Android spy apps can be incredibly useful when you want to keep tabs on your kid and ensure they’re safe on the internet. Some businesses may also greatly benefit from Android spy apps as a way to ensure their workers use company-owned phones and tablets for work-related purposes.

Our top pick for the best spy app for Android is mSpy. It’s affordable, easy to use, feature-rich, and offers great value for money.

Regardless of whether you intend to use an Android spy app as a parental control tool or as a way to keep tabs on your employees, you need a reputable, reliable spy app. Get started now using mSpy’s money-back guarantee, and see for yourself why this app tops lists like these — it works. Reliable. Discreetly. Remote. Try it now.

Android Spy App FAQs