While spy applications are not ideal, they do have genuine purposes. The following are the finest we could identify.
Contributed by Moshe Zusman.
On your Android phone, spy applications may not always sound like a good thing. There are, nevertheless, a few compelling reasons to download one. For instance, children may not always understand the most secure methods to use their new phones. Naturally, you should always be upfront with your children — or anybody else you’re monitoring — before beginning to spy on them. Additionally, you’ll want to ensure that you adhere to any applicable local spying laws. After you’ve resolved that, peruse our selection of the top Android spy apps.
The top Android spy applications
- mSpy
- Cerberus
- FlexiSPY
- Google Family Connection
- Find My Device by Google
- Prey Anti Theft
- Spyera
- Carrier family locator apps
- OEM Find My Phone apps
- XNSPY
- mSpy – Price: USD 11.66 per year with a subscription
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9vrZJat48k
mSpy is an application developed on the premise that knowledge is always preferable to hope. It is packed with functionality and provides a comprehensive view of the user’s digital life. You’ll always know where they are with powerful GPS tracking. You’ll know who’s calling and who’s calling them with complete call monitoring. And with social media monitoring — including Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Snapchat — you’ll know exactly what they’re saying and to whom. Simply install mSpy on a target device to have access to powerful espionage metrics and the intelligence necessary to make educated decisions.
- Cerberus Cost: None / up to USD 43 per year
Cerberus is a personal phone tracking application. That’s correct – it monitors your phone, not someone else’s.
It aids in the recovery of a lost or stolen smartphone and has a slew of extra capabilities. They include photographing the possible thief, sending SMS orders, locating the phone on a map, and locking and wiping your data. It will not assist you in tracking down other people’s gadgets, but it will enable you to completely spy on whoever stole yours. The subscription service begins at a relatively affordable $5 per year for a single device and gradually increases in price.
You can download it at https://www.cerberusapp.com/
- FlexiSPY Price: Free trial / USD 99- USD 199 for a three-month subscription
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONd4hXlnIo4
FlexiSpy is one of the more robust espionage tools available for Android. Naturally, this means that you must exercise extra caution when utilizing its remarkable capabilities. It enables users to perform actions that they may be fearful of, such as turning on the microphone to listen in on their surroundings, monitoring chat apps, remote camera capture, keylogging, and the ability to totally conceal itself from antivirus applications and the app drawer. Although the pricing is somewhat high and the app is not available on the Play Store, it contains a plethora of functions.
- Google Family Link Cost: None
Google Family Link is a free program that allows parents to monitor their children via their Google accounts. The software enables you to monitor your child’s device use, control applications, and even propose apps. Additionally, you may establish device limitations and, if required, lock the device.
Given that Family Link was created to replace an earlier Google service, not all capabilities were available at launch. While some users had connectivity difficulties and glitches, the experience should be satisfactory for the majority of users. Best of all, it’s a risk-free trial.
- Google’s Find My Device Cost: None
Google’s Find My Device app is perhaps the finest Android tool for tracking down a lost or stolen phone. You can instantly view the position of your phone or other Google accessories on a map. Additionally, you may erase, ring, or safeguard (lock) the phone at any time. However, you cannot snap photographs or do anything else that Cerberus allows. In general, it’s a clear and simple strategy for always knowing where your phone is.
- Prey Anti Theft Cost: None
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWgMvZVi7FI
Prey Anti Theft is another software in the find-my-device genre. This one is completely free and has several useful features. They contain the standard array of locate-my-phone capabilities, such as GPS tracking, phone locking, and alarm transmission via the phone. Prey, on the other hand, may use the camera to capture images, find nearby Wi-Fi hotspots, and monitor information such as the device’s MAC address. That’s not a bad collection of features, especially considering they’re available for free.
- Spyera Monthly cost: $89
https://spyera.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/android-spy-app.png
Spyera is one of the most powerful Android espionage applications available. It is designed with basic features in mind for users such as parents. However, we can’t think of an application for which anything this intensive is required outside of commercial use. It comes with a slew of characteristics, including the capacity to conceal itself virtually anywhere. Additionally, it supports remote control, SMS spoofing, and a variety of other admittedly unsavory behaviors. Due to the high cost, we do not suggest this to the general public. Additionally, it is not available on Google Play, necessitating the download and sideloading of the app via its own website.
- Carrier family locator apps Cost: None
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8abLv-8pHRQ
Carrier Family Locators are services provided by cell carriers such as T-Mobile, Verizon, and others to locate family members. These services operate in a manner consistent with expectations. You may trace the position of any phone on your plan at any time. They often include on-demand location, several sorts of notifications, and compatibility with the majority of devices. While we’ve linked to T- Mobile, you may browse the Play Store or contact your carrier to see if they provide a comparable service.
- OEM Find My Phone Cost: None
Numerous phone manufacturers provide location-based services as part of their software experience. Samsung is one noteworthy example. You connect with your Samsung account and use the service to locate your smartphone. It works in tandem with Google’s Find My Device to provide a devastating one-two punch. You may lock (or unlock) your phone, locate it on a map, and access other functions. It’s worth checking to see whether your phone offers a similar feature.
- XNSPY Cost: Free / USD 59.99- USD 89.99 per year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwNlrzwpado
XNSPY is an unusual instance. It has all of those alarming functions, such as monitoring phone logs, GPS tracking, online surfing, and access to chat rooms. However, it is less expensive than the majority of its larger competitors, such as FlexiSpy and Spyera. The basic version allows you to view a limited number of items, whereas the premium version allows you to view everything. This is an excellent alternative for corporations or families with some disposable income, however, families may wish to start with Google Family Link or Kiddie Parental Controls before moving on to anything more robust.
How to detect and uninstall spy applications
Naturally, some of these applications may already be installed on your smartphone without your awareness, and you may wish to determine this. Regrettably, given how well they conceal themselves, many of the more conventional ways fail miserably. However, there are a few techniques to determine whether or not anything is spying on you.
GlassWire is a free program that allows you to monitor data on your smartphone. When a spy program transmits data back to its host, you can clearly observe when it does so. This is our first recommendation since while spy programs may hide from task managers and antivirus software, they cannot conceal their own data consumption.
Certain antivirus programs may still discover the app if the host did not conceal it sufficiently. You can find a comprehensive list of the top ones here.
You can discover uninstall directions for the majority of popular spy applications. For example, here is one for FlexiSpy and another for mSpy.
As a workaround, you can place your phone on Airplane Mode. Spyware applications rely on the ability to communicate with the host, which they cannot do if you are not connected to any networks.
If everything else fails, you may reset the phone to factory settings. This should remove all apps and save those pre-installed by the OEM.
