How to Spy on Devices Connected to Your Wi-Fi

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.

In this guide, we’ll teach you how to spy on devices connected to Wi-Fi. This lets you monitor anyone’s device and track their activities while connected to your Wi-Fi. For instance, you can monitor your children’s devices to ensure their online safety or spy on your partner if you suspect that they’re cheating.

While there are several ways to engage in WiFi spying (like packet sniffing), we recommend using a spy app like mSpy. With it, you can see a device’s Facebook messages, check the call history, record the screen, or track its location in real-time – all discreetly and undetected.

Below, we explain what’s possible with Wi-Fi spying, alongside the common myths associated with it. We also give you a list of the best Wi-Fi spy apps so you make an informed decision.

What’s the Best Way to Spy on Devices Connected to Your Wi-Fi?

While you can detect devices on your Wi-Fi network using your router’s admin panel or a packet sniffer, can you see text messages through Wi-Fi with their help?

The answer is ‘no’. Or ‘maybe’, in the case of packet sniffers, since it’s difficult to program them to infiltrate a specific device.

That’s because these methods can’t access the device remotely – only detect its presence on the network. To monitor a device’s activities, a spy app is your best bet. Once you install it on the target device, it gives you access to things like files, pictures, SMS messages, and social media conversations.

However, choosing a reliable spy app is difficult due to the range of options, multiple diverse features, and pricing. Before we further explain Wi-Fi spying, here’s a list of the best spy apps that can spy on devices connected to Wi-Fi:

1. mSpy – The best social media monitoring
2. uMobix – Robust keylogger
3. Spynger – Great GPS tracker
4. Spybubblepro – Excellent device compatibility
5. Phonsee – Efficient iMessage spying
6. Eyezy – Affordable plans
7. Clevguard – Great parental control tools

Is Wi-Fi Spying Possible Without a Spy App?

1. They’re quite technical and difficult to set up and use.
2. They can only spy on devices on your Wi-Fi, as opposed to spy apps that can track a device from anywhere.
3. They’re illegal in some places.

This makes them fairly limited in their abilities and scope, with most packet sniffers used maliciously in information theft. Some of you might also think you can spy on someone through the Wi-Fi’s admin panel. But that’s not true. 

There’s a difference between ‘detecting’ a device connected to your Wi-Fi network and ‘spying’ on it. The former means detecting when a device connects to the network, which the router’s admin panel will show.

Whereas the latter means gaining remote access to the device and what’s on it, like SMS messages, Facebook conversations, pictures, and files.

We should also mention that the Wi-Fi router lets you block a device’s access to the Wi-Fi network and identify past connection times.

But if you want to, say, check your teen’s browsing history or read your spouse’s WhatsApp messages, the Wi-Fi router can’t help you. Only spyware does that.

What Is Spyware and Why Use It?

Spyware is any software that gathers information from a device and sends it to another device covertly. This software often comes in the form of malware (malicious tools used by hackers to steal information), but there are legitimate uses for it, like:

Using spy apps or any form of spyware is likely to land you in some form of legal trouble, especially if you’ve installed it on someone’s device without consent or prior knowledge.

From a legal perspective, in pretty much any country in the world, it’s illegal to spy on someone’s phone without their knowledge. So if you’re thinking of doing this, make sure you do your research.

How Does a Wi-Fi Spy App Work?

To help you understand how spy apps work and whether you want to use them, here’s a list of their pros and cons:

While there are free spy apps out there, we advise you against using them. They could be phishing sites or honeypots for cyber-criminals – and identity theft is already dangerous enough.

Premium spy apps are typically more reliable because they have a reputation to protect. While this doesn’t stop some users from abusing them maliciously, you can generally trust spy apps to provide good services. Here’s what most spy apps offer:

The best thing about spy apps is ‘stealth mode’. They operate without the user’s knowledge and (ideally) leave no traces behind. 

mSpy remains invisible at all times, for instance, even when recording the screen or using the back camera. It does this by mimicking another app’s name and appearance.

How to Spy on Devices Connected to Wi-Fi | Step-By-Step 

I’ll explain how to spy on devices connected to your Wi-Fi network (and not only) by using mSpy.

1. Create an Account & Buy a mSpy Subscription

Open the mSpy homepage and click ‘Try Now’ to open the account creation page. Alternatively, select ‘View Demo’ to see the tool in action.

Enter your email address and hit ‘Continue’.

Select the device type you use or decide later. You can use mSpy to spy on Android through WiFi, for instance.

Select a subscription plan and click ‘Buy Now’ to pay for it.

Enter your card details and select ‘Submit Order’ to pay for the subscription plan.

You’ll receive an email with your account information (email and a link to create your password) and a link from where you can download the mSpy app.

After downloading the app, install it on the target device (the one you want to spy on) when the user isn’t around. You’ll also have instructions on installing the app on your phone to control the spy app and monitor the target device.

To spy on iPhone through Wi-Fi, remember to choose the ‘iPhone’ device option when setting up your account.

2. Use mSpy to Monitor the Target Device

After installing mSpy on the target device and yours, open the dashboard and start monitoring.

The main dashboard is on the left-hand side, while the center shows key info nuggets about the target device, like call contacts, visited websites, and last locations visited.

It’s important to know that many mSpy features require the target device to be rooted, features such as the keylogger, geofencing, and social media monitoring won’t work if rooting is not done.

Best Wi-Fi Spy Apps Reviewed

If you’ve decided to use a spy app to spy on devices connected to Wi-Fi, then this list of the best Wi-Fi spy apps will help you decide which one to choose:

We chose mSpy as our top pick because of its extensive social media monitoring (including Kik, Tinder, and LINE) and the seamless keylogger feature.

But the other spy apps are also great in their own way. For instance, Eyezy is one of the most affordable spy apps, while Clevguard offers several dedicated packages, including ClevGo (location tracker), KidsGuard Parental Control, and ClevGuard Anti-Spyware.

And if you’re worried about your children’s online safety, you should also read our guide on the best parental control apps. These days, you can never be too sure about your children’s safety.

How Do We Test Spy Apps?

We test every spy app we review to provide an objective and informative guide for our readers. From user reviews and refund/cancellation policies to awards won and price-to-feature analyses, our team scours every detail to be as comprehensive as possible. 

Due to our experience with spy apps, keyloggers, and monitoring technologies, we know what to look for and where to push to test the quality of a spy service.

Conclusion

The best way to spy on devices connected to Wi-Fi is with a spy app. Compared to packet sniffers, spy apps are more:

Your Wi-Fi router’s admin panel doesn’t let you spy on connected devices and instead, only allows you to see when a device connects and blocks its access to the network.

FAQ