Phonsee Review — Does It Work in 2024?

Why Trust Tech Report

Tech Report is one of the oldest hardware, news, and tech review sites on the internet. We write helpful technology guides, unbiased product reviews, and report on the latest tech and crypto news. We maintain editorial independence and consider content quality and factual accuracy to be non-negotiable.

Mobile tracking apps like Phonsee emerged as a solution to parents’ concerns and more. In this Phonsee review, we explain how you can regain peace of mind while giving your kid freedom of communication and exploration.

Apart from parental control, such apps help employers maintain team productivity and ensure compliance with company policies. However, Phonsee focuses specifically on enhancing childrens’ safety.

The Internet simplifies communication, making it easy to keep an eye on your child without constantly ‘cramping their style’. But it also imposes new risks, from cyberbullying to exposure to inappropriate content. Sadly, many websites still don’t enforce age checks despite knowing roughly 33% of internet users are kids.

We’ve thoroughly tested the app to evaluate its capabilities and performance. Now, we’re ready to answer questions like: is Phonsee legit? Is it worth it? Read on and find out.

Phonsee Pros and Cons

Before we dive into our detailed Phonsee review, we want to mention that even the most advanced spy apps are not for everyone. Here are the key points to consider:

What is Phonsee?

Phonsee is a phone tracking software. Some may call it a spy app because it monitors all activities on the target device without the owner’s consent. Others would argue it’s a parental control tool, but that’s semantics.

What’s not debatable is that you must first install Phonsee on the target device. Phonsee tracks Android and iOS smartphones, and you can access the dashboard from any device.

If you know the target’s iCloud credentials and two-factor authentication is disabled, you can set Phonsee up online. In other cases, you’d have to install it manually.

Although you must have physical access to the device or iCloud credentials for installation, its owner may be unaware of tracking since Phonsee is undetectable. The device’s owner won’t see the app icon in their phone menu and won’t receive notifications.

Is Phonsee Legit?

We found no data on Phonesee’s parent company in EU or US business registries. The terms of use and license agreement never mention the parent company’s name or registration country either. The only known fact is that the website was published in 2023.

Despite the ambiguity surrounding the company, the Phonsee app is legit. It delivers what it promises, albeit not always on the desired quality level (which isn’t always the app’s fault and often depends on configuration).

How exactly does Phonsee provide you with so much information? Once spy apps get administrative access to a network or system they canbypass security measures, transmit data, and operate under the radar.

Ethical Concerns

Phonsee’s website states the app is only intended for parental control or use on your own device. I’ve never seen anyone track their own smartphone, but you never know. That said, parental control is a legitimate use case in this day and age.

Monitoring your child without their consent may or may not be legal in your country. Either way, it may affect your relationship. Spying teaches stealthiness and erodes trust, so it’s best to be upfront about your intentions.

Phonsee Key Features – Is It Any Good?

Phonsee claims to have a bunch of impressive features, so we had to put them to the test. Here’s an honest opinion on Phonesee’s offerings.

GPS

GPS tracking helps you pinpoint your loved one’s exact location on a real-time map. You can also view location history with dates and timestamps to find out where they go most often.

Besides, Phonsee lets you pick restricted areas. When your child crosses a boundary, you get an immediate notification. After all, you may not want to look at the tracker 24/7 and choose to respect their privacy with a few exceptions.

Geofencing (virtual geographic barrier) is genuinely handy with children and teenagers. Every parent knows they don’t always fulfill their promises. GPS tracking brings you peace of mind, as you can contact your youngster as soon as you get an alert.

Social Media

Social media is abundant with explicit content, scams, and people with malicious intent. Unfortunately, moderation isn’t foolproof, so it’s natural to be concerned about what your child might stumble across.

Phonsee tracks activities like messages, media, and timestamps on popular social platforms and messengers. Supported apps include Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Discord, and Telegram, but not X or TikTok.

Phonsee shows the photos and videos your child shares even if they have a private account. Kids tend to disclose more to their friends than their parents. Thus, it’s a great way to ensure they don’t post anything inappropriate.

Apart from public posts, you can view the media they send or receive in private messages. Even a secret chat won’t prevent you from finding out what’s being discussed.

As unethical as reading one’s conversation seems, the feature works surprisingly well. Our only complaint is that messages may appear in the wrong order.

Interestingly, while Phonsee is promoted as a parental control app, it can also snoop on Tinder conversations. Few spy apps work with dating platforms, so that’s a standout feature.

History

Hateful, explicit, political, and shocking content isn’t what anyone wants their child to see online. But accessing it is too easy. Thankfully, Phonsee offers a solution.

The browsing activity tracker shows which websites your child frequents and what they search for. It can’t help you with the difficult conversation afterwards, though.

During our Phonsee review, this feature worked impeccably with popular browsers like Chrome and Firefox, even in incognito mode. However, Phonsee failed to access the history of private browsers like Brave.

With the rise of privacy concerns, more people now switch from traditional browsers to those focused on enhanced security. The best private browsers implement robust encryption protocols, restrict data transfer from external applications, and store no logs.

You can also restrict access to select websites. Blocklisting is a common parental control feature in apps, devices, and operating systems, so we don’t recommend getting Phonsee for this feature alone. Still, it’s a useful add-on.

Calls and Messages

Apart from social media conversations, Phonsee gives access to text messages and calls. You can see your child’s contacts along with avatars and phone numbers.

The Phonsee app shows an overview of the most popular contacts, so you can identify concerning relationships and behaviors. Children may have trouble identifying lies on social media. For example, stalkers may behave like a genuine friend for extended periods of time.

Recorder

Many apps offer GPS tracking and call logging, but few can record video calls or make screenshots of conversations. Phonsee helps keep an eye on your child’s communication in real-time and save evidence.

That’s particularly helpful when you can’t listen to your child’s call live, so you can get back to it at a convenient time.

Keylogger

Keylogger is another distinguishing feature of Phonsee. The primary purpose is to see what your child is typing. However, Phonsee goes beyond that, letting you create lists of banned words and alerting you when they’re used.

Unlike some keyloggers, Phonsee works with encrypted applications. Suppose your child attempts to hide their activities by using a secret chat in Telegram. You can still access their messages and even passwords.

Stealth Mode

Phonsee can run unnoticeably on the target device with the Stealth mode. Your child won’t see the app icon, nor will they receive notifications. They also won’t be able to find the app in their device’s settings.

However, if you choose to be transparent, you can turn the Stealth mode off. In this case, Phonsee will be visible on the target device like any other app.

While the Stealth mode may seem useful, we advise being upfront about your intentions. Honesty builds trust, whereas secretly spying on your loved ones certainly won’t improve your relationship.

Phonsee Price – How Much Does It Cost?

Our Phonsee spy app review wouldn’t be complete without an overview of its pricing. After all, cost is always a point to consider when choosing software. Here’s everything you need to know.

Free Trial

Phonsee doesn’t have a free trial. Although the website offers to try out all the features with a demo version, there’s no way to use the app for free. Instead, the demo only shows how the interface looks.

A money-back guarantee is a popular alternative to free trials. However, Phonsee doesn’t provide it either. That’s a pity because even a legit app may not satisfy your needs.

Refund Policy

Although Phonsee doesn’t have a money-back guarantee, here is some good news: it issues refunds within 14 days from purchase unless you break the terms of use.

Reasons for refund rejection include using the app on a phone not owned by you or your child, change of mind, and repeat requests.

You also can’t get a refund if the app doesn’t function as intended due to the device’s technical limitations or issues. If your request is approved, Phonsee still deducts 9% from the refund amount to cover transaction processing fees.

Pricing Plans

Surprisingly, Phonsee’s website doesn’t show the pricing until you register an account.

You can pick from three subscription plans. The only difference between plans is the price; you get the same functionality.

Phonsee’s monthly plan is far from cheap. However, the price makes sense given the array of sophisticated features included.

The 12-month plan offers the best value, but you have to pay upfront. If you aren’t ready to subscribe for such a long term, consider the three-month plan, which strikes the balance between affordability and commitment.

The indicated plan prices are discounted. Phonsee will charge you the full price starting with the first subscription renewal.

Moreover, you must purchase a new subscription for every device. For example, if you have two children and want to track the smartphones of both, you’d have to pay twice the price.

Phonsee’s checkout is secure, so you don’t risk your data. A lack of alternative payment methods like PayPal or Apple Pay is disappointing, but Phonsee supports the most common credit and debit cards.

Cancellation

Cancelling the subscription is straightforward. You can do so via your account’s dashboard or by contacting customer support. Mind that cancellation doesn’t initiate a refund.

How Does Phonsee Pricing Compare to Other Spy Apps?

There’s no doubt that Phonsee delivers what you pay for, but it’s still a lot of money in the long run. That’s why comparing its pricing to top competitors is only a logical move. We included a comparison table below.

Phonsee’s pricing is average for the market. In fact, it will cost you a few bucks less monthly than apps like mSpy or uMobix.

But the final decision comes down to the unique features each app offers. For example, few of the other apps offer remote installation via iCloud and a screen recording feature for such a low monthly price.

Phonsee Ease of Use

Phonsee stands out for its focus on user-friendliness. The setup takes under 10 minutes. That’s theoretically enough to install it on the target device without being caught (but don’t forget you legally need consent to use it on an adult’s phone).

Once you register an account, you’ll receive an email with setup instructions. The steps are clear, so you’re unlikely to encounter issues even if you aren’t tech-savvy. Either way, Phonsee’s customer support is quick to help.

Compatibility

The best thing is that you can use Phonsee on nearly any smartphone, be it Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, or Apple. Phonsee supports Android 4+ and iOS 7+, so your child doesn’t have to own a flagship.

You need to root Android devices to use instant messenger tracking and social media monitoring. Rooting requires some technical knowledge for certain devices, but online guides are of great help.

For example, WikiHow provides helpful step-by-step instructions for rooting Android phones and tablets. It’s worth noting that, as the resource mentions, rooting may void your device’s warranty.

The dashboard is accessible both from mobile and desktop, but we found the latter more convenient.

Interface

Log in, pick a feature from the left sidebar, launch it, and receive real-time updates. That’s all. No extra buttons and menus except for Settings and Help.

Here’s a closer look at Phonsee’s interface. Conversations in Phonsee contain dates, timestamps, and sender info. You’ll see the entire inbox like you would on your own device.

The geo-tracking feature provides even more detail; you can view exact coordinates, addresses, and routes.

The browser history tab shows timestamps, links, and an overview of the most popular websites. The latter helps identify what content affects your child’s productivity. Even if it’s not inappropriate, knowing which interests they deem more important than studying is useful.

Phonsee vs Other Spy Apps

Spy app popularity has surged in recent years. As technology advances, mobile monitoring becomes more sophisticated and easier to use. At the same time, cybercrime has become more common, so it’s only natural for parents to strive to protect their children.

As seen from this Phonsee review, it’s an excellent app, but is it your best choice? We’ve compared it to top-rated competitors to see how it stacks up.

mSpy is an all-in-one spy app with geofencing and an advanced keylogger. While the set of features is similar to Phonsee, mSpy doesn’t require rooting or jailbreaking the target device. It also offers a Family Kit for multiple devices. Pricing may be mSpy’s main drawback.

EyeZy is another spy app offering social media monitoring, call and message logging, GPS tracking, and keylogging. We love that it allows setting custom notifications based on your child’s behavior. However, EyeZy doesn’t have a screen recording feature as Phonsee does.

uMobix is a worthy alternative to Phonsee for Android users. Although it doesn’t offer geofencing and supports fewer social media platforms, uMobix has two unique features: SIM card swapping alerts and call blocking for select users.

Spyera offers a ton of advanced features including call recording, geofencing, and remote access to a microphone and camera. It costs considerably more than Phonsee, but the price seems to be justified.

Lastly, Cocospy focuses on social media and call monitoring. There’s no geofencing or keylogger, but it’s one of the few apps that work with Tencent QQ.

Phonsee offers the best value for your money if you don’t mind rooting or jailbreaking the target device. Furthermore, Phonsee allows installation without physical access to the device via iCloud.

Phonsee Alternatives – What Else Is There?

Exploring alternatives before purchasing is never excessive. Each spy app has different features, pricing, and target consumers, so the choice depends on your use scenario.

We advise against free spy apps because they often neglect security. Furthermore, such apps access sensitive data and may sell it to malicious actors.

Our team has tested numerous premium spy apps to help you pick the most suitable one. Check out our curated lists and the best mobile tracker reviews below:

Other Phonsee Reviews – What Do Users Say?

We did our best searching for Phonsee reviews from other users. Unfortunately, finding opinions from verified purchases is nearly impossible. The most likely reason is that people are unwilling to admit they’ve used Phonsee, as spy apps are frowned upon.

Why You Can Trust Our Review of Phonsee

The TechReport team has tried out numerous consumer and enterprise-grade tracking apps, including Phonsee and its top alternatives. Instead of blindly trusting claims on Phonsee’s official website, we put all its features to the test.

We started this Phonsee review by signing up for the app on both Android and iOS devices to make sure it performs equally well on all ecosystems. Each feature was evaluated by one of our members, as well as the overall ease of use.

Additionally, we checked customer support quality, policies, and company background. Our findings are reasserted by customer reviews from reputable third-party platforms, ensuring we’re unbiased.

How to Use Phonsee, Step-by-Step Guide

Our Phonsee review already briefly touched on its user-friendliness. Here are the specific steps we followed to sign up for the app — as you’ll see, they’re clear as day:

1. Register a Phonsee Account

To see the pricing details and receive an installation link, you must first register an account. Click on the “Try Now” button on the website and select your preferences. Then, enter your email or sign up with Google.

2. Purchase a Subscription

You’ll be prompted to the pricing page. Select your preferred plan and click on “Try Now.” Then, fill in your card details and click on “Submit Order.” You’ll receive a confirmation email shortly after.

3. Install the App on the Target Device

Apart from the confirmation email, you’ll receive an installation link and instructions. Follow the guide for your device. Depending on the target device’s operating system and the desired Phonsee functionality, you may have to physically access the device and root or jailbreak it.

4. Log in and Start Using Phonsee

Once the installation is complete, log in to your Phonsee dashboard from any device. Select the feature you want to try out from the left dashboard and start tracking!

Is Phonsee Worth It?

Phonsee is a reliable mobile tracking app packed with advanced features, so it’s certainly worth a try. For as low as $8.85 monthly, you can gain complete visibility of your child’s behavior patterns, communication, and location.

You may be better off with one of Phonsee’s alternatives if you need features like SIM card swapping alerts or remote access to the microphone. However, Phonsee offers great value for the money and is one of the best all-around spy apps.

We express special respect for Phonsee’s dedication to ethics. Spy apps are often used for illegitimate reasons, and the company clearly expresses its disapproval. Phonsee is first and foremost a parental control app meant to bring you peace of mind.

FAQs