Item: mSpy
Rating: 8.0
Author: Raven Wu

Question 1

Is mSpy safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes, mSpy is a trusted company that’s been operating for 10+ years. The personal data it gathers from you is encrypted, and its privacy policy states that the data will not be shared with third parties unless it’s for the purpose of providing mSpy services or to comply with some legal obligation. However, some of the steps you’re required to take in order to install mSpy and to make use of all of its features can be risky.

On Android devices, for example, you’re required to disable Google Play Protection in order to install and run mSpy. This will naturally make the target device more vulnerable to malicious apps. Additionally, some of mSpy’s advanced features, such as the keylogger, social media monitoring, and geofencing, require that you root or jailbreak your device. This will void your phone’s warranty, make it easier for malware to breach your device’s security, and if done incorrectly, can render your phone completely unusable. For these reasons, if you’re using mSpy, you may want to consider getting a good antivirus.

If you’re looking for a parental control app that shares many of the same features as mSpy but doesn’t require you to root or jailbreak your phone, check out Bark. Bark won’t let you read all of your child’s messages, but it’ll alert you if any of their messages contain signs of cyberbullying, depression, or other concerning and inappropriate content.

Question 2

Is mSpy legal?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what country you live in, who you’re trying to monitor, and what your relationship with them is. For example, it’s perfectly legal in the US to install mSpy on your children’s phones, so long as they’re under the age of 18. But it’s illegal to install mSpy on the phone of an adult such as a partner, spouse, or employee without their knowledge and consent.

Question 3

Can I use mSpy without rooting or jailbreaking the target phone?

Accepted Answer

Yes, many of mSpy’s features work without rooting or jailbreaking the phone you wish to monitor. However, some of its more advanced features, including the keylogger, social media monitoring, geofencing, and more, may not be available.

If you don’t know how to root or jailbreak a phone, mSpy has an Advanced mAssistance Package that you can purchase, which gets you remote installation assistance. But if the idea of rooting or jailbreaking a phone concerns you, you may want to look for alternatives. Qustodio is the best parental control app on the market and offers call and SMS monitoring, and Bark includes many of the same features as mSpy, such as the ability to monitor social media apps, without needing to root or jailbreak the target device.

Question 4

Will my child know if I install mSpy on their phone?

Accepted Answer

No, mSpy’s app, once installed, will be undetectable to the average user — even most tech-savvy kids won’t notice anything has changed. This is because mSpy doesn’t show up in the apps list, generates no alerts or notifications on the target phone, and runs completely in the background.

Question 5

Can mSpy be installed remotely?

Accepted Answer

No, you’ll need physical access to the phone you wish to monitor in order to install mSpy. That said, installing mSpy should only take between 5-10 minutes, not counting the rooting or jailbreaking process (which could take significantly longer).

Question 6

Can I see my child’s WhatsApp messages using mSpy?

Accepted Answer

Yes, both the Android and iOS versions of mSpy allow you to read all of your child’s messages on WhatsApp. You won’t even need to root or jailbreak the target device in order to do so. That said, in order to read your child’s messages on most other social media apps such as Snapchat, Viber, Telegram for iOS devices or Skype, Facebook messenger, Line etc., the target device must be rooted or jailbroken.

If you don’t want to root or jailbreak the target device and you’re mostly concerned about monitoring your child’s SMS messages, Qustodio is a great alternative. And if you’re OK with only being able to read messages that contain concerning or inappropriate content like bullying, violence, or suicidal ideation, Bark could cover all of your needs.

Question 7

Is mSpy able to record calls?

Accepted Answer

No. mSpy allows you to see your child’s contact list and logs all incoming and outgoing calls, so you can see who, when, and for how long your child talked to on the phone, but it doesn’t allow you to listen to the contents of their conversations.

Question 8

Does mSpy offer a free trial?

Accepted Answer

No, mSpy no longer has a free trial period or a free version. This is very unfortunate, given that mSpy also doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee like other top parental control apps including Qustodio, Net Nanny, and Norton Family, and has a very strict refund policy, making it difficult for customers to evaluate the product before they purchase. It does offer a demo version of the product on their website, which you can play around with, but this is a poor substitute for real, hands-on experience.

mSpy arvio 2023: Miksi 8.0?

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