mSpy Review 2024: Parental Control or Surveillance Scout?

When testing mSpy, we found that where the app excels in surveillance, it failed to nurture a safe online environment. All of the features are focused around tracking, with almost no monitoring or filtering functionality at all.

mSpy offers real-time location tracking, monitoring of text messages and social media activity, keylogging, and much, much more. But unlike most other parental control services, it lacks category-based content filtering and features like a mature content filter, which means you have to block every website individually. 

With these features in mind, combined with a month of Premium mSpy coming with a high price tag of $48.99/mo, mSpy comes across as more of a spy app than the other top parental control apps do.

mSpy review at a glance

Our experience testing mSpy

We tested mSpy on our Samsung Galaxy S10 and found that most of the features worked as intended. We have seen reports that the tracking will fail after a few days of being connected, but had no issues during our testing (which lasted a few hours).

mSpy excels in providing thorough surveillance capabilities, allowing parents to monitor text messages, social media interactions, and real-time location, which can be crucial for ensuring the digital safety of their children.

However, the service could improve by incorporating category-based content filtering and enhancing its web filtering feature. While it serves well for strict monitoring, its approach may feel more intrusive than nurturing, especially compared to other parental control apps. We were off put by features like remote camera access, the ability to record phone conversations, and a keylogger.

mSpy setup

Setting up mSpy on our Android phone was easy, though the amount of permissions we had to allow is enough to make anyone weary. That said, this is par for the course for parental control apps and wasn't any more uncomfortable than other apps in the category. We didn't need to jailbreak the phone.

An app with this level of monitoring isn't available on the Google Play Store or App Store, so we had to download the file directly from the mSpy website. After bypassing a couple "this file could be harmful" messages, we were able to install and grant all the necessary permissions without issue.

mSpy is focused around the target not knowing that the app is on their phone, so the app will show up as "Update service" on the phone. Very sneaky, though we'd be suspicious if an update service app was using up 13.9% of our battery in about an hour.

mSpy monitoring in action

We tested out mSpy by messaging a few people on the various social media apps that it tracks, including WhatsApp, Messenger, and Discord.

WhatsApp's tab in the dashboard updated to show the last few messages we had with the person we messaged (even before we sent the test message), but it wrongly attributed some messages to her instead of us.

Interestingly, the Facebook Messaging tab didn't update despite us using it multiple times. The messages we sent were tracked in the keylogger tab, though, which tracks everything typed on the keyboard.

Finally, mSpy didn't update to show us our Discord conversations, but it was able to show the usernames of who we were talking to.

The app was able to accurately track our browsing history, location, and text messages. It also grabbed our photos and videos and displayed them neatly in their tabs.

While location tracking worked, we were unable to get a geo fencing alert. Similarly, we didn't receive a keyword alert. This is disappointing as these are two of the most used parental controls features mSpy has.

Overall, most of the features worked as intended but the app did feel more intrusive than other parental control apps we've tested, even those with conversation monitoring like Bark.

The keylogger means that everything that's typed is tracked, not just what's sent to other people, so that could be a major security risk for passwords and other sensitive information. 

The mSpy Extreme option, which we didn't buy, also allows for remote camera and microphone monitoring, which means you turn the camera on and watch or listen to what's happening.

Who is mSpy best for?

• Recommended for parents who need conversation monitoring above all else

mSpy leans more heavily on the surveillance features than other parental control apps. So if the issues you're trying to solve with a parental control app are centered around your child getting into trouble with the people they talk to, then this is your best option on the market for that. You'll know anything your child is typing on their phone, plus access to many social media conversations.

That said, if you're hoping to help your child develop healthy screen time habits and restrict their app usage, mSpy's features are more black and white than other options on the market. There are no time limits, just blocked or unblocked apps, so it doesn't offer a lot of nuance if this is your top priority.

mSpy prices and subscriptions

mSpy ranges between $11.67-$48.99/mo, offering two distinct plans for parents seeking to monitor their child's digital activities: mSpy Premium and mSpy Extreme. Both plans offer a substantial level of monitoring, yet they cater to different needs and budgets.

mSpy Premium costs $11.67/mo (billed annually) for a 12-month plan and covers basic monitoring like website filtering, social media, text, email monitoring, and location tracking. mSpy Extreme costs $23.99/mo (billed annually) for a 12-month plan and includes all Premium features plus remote camera and microphone access, catering to parents desiring advanced surveillance solutions.

While these two plans only cover one device, you can opt for mSpy Family, which allows you to monitor three family members at a time and includes all the same features as mSpy Premium.

The prices are much higher than other parental control apps on the market, especially considering that mSpy's plans only cover one to three devices. For instance:

• Qustodio offers plans starting at $4.58/mo (billed annually), which can cover five or unlimited devices depending on the plan chosen
• Bark has a starting price of $5.00/mo
• Norton Family, another popular parental control app, has an annual plan for $4.16/mo (billed annually)

This comparison highlights how mSpy's pricing might not be suitable for families with multiple devices or those looking for more affordable options. However, it is important to note that mSpy offers advanced features and functionalities compared to some other apps in the market, which contributes to its higher pricing.

mSpy Extreme provides a more holistic surveillance solution despite its higher price. It allows you to track locations, record screens, and gives you remote camera access. It’s important to note that with these advanced features comes a greater level of intrusion into your child’s privacy. Balancing the need for safety and respecting your child's privacy can be a delicate task. It’s imperative to weigh the potential benefits against any possible negative effects that intrusive monitoring may have on your child's trust and relationship with you.

mSpy features

mSpy is designed to provide a comprehensive monitoring solution for concerned parents. Here's a glimpse into its features:

• Content monitoring
• Screen time management
• Location tracking and geo-fencing
• Activity reports

Each of these features aims to deliver insights and control to ensure your children’s online safety.

Content monitoring

mSpy's content monitoring includes conversation monitoring and keyword alerts, where specific words trigger notifications, which can aid in addressing issues like cyberbullying or depression promptly.

It also offers basic online activity management features like browsing history tracking and website blocking, although its web filtering is quite basic compared to other apps: it doesn’t have a mature content filter, and you can’t filter by categories. We had to manually block every website, and this can obviously be limited by knowledge/imagination. 

The keyword alerts feature allowed us to customize our monitoring based on individual concerns. Unfortunately, when we tried it out during testing, the keyword alerts didn't work for us.

So this app does give you access to all conversations, but you have to do a lot of manual monitoring in order to see and address potential problems.

Social media and phone apps

mSpy gave us access to chats and files across all the major social media apps. In our testing, we found some apps worked better than others, so the functionality here will depend on which apps your children use most often.

On iOS, mSpy requires a jailbroken iPhone to monitor certain apps. This process involves removing software restrictions imposed by Apple, allowing users to access and modify the device's operating system. This is a risky thing to do to your phone, and might be a step too far for some.

Text messages

mSpy allowed us to thoroughly monitor the device's text interactions. This includes SMS messages as well as messaging apps. Parents will need to install the app on their child’s cell phone to reveal sent, received, and even deleted messages. It displays the sender or receiver's number, helping verify the identity of those interacting with your child.

mSpy also provides timestamps for each message, offering insights into your child's texting habits. This feature aids in understanding and analyzing their communication trends, ensuring a safe and transparent texting environment for children.

Email

mSpy provides a robust email monitoring feature enabling parents to read all emails sent and received by their child. The feature extends to checking the timestamps of every email, offering a clear picture of when an email was sent or received, which can be crucial in analyzing communication patterns.

Moreover, viewing recipient information is simplified, ensuring your child is not engaging with strangers or potential online threats. Although the exact email services compatible with mSpy aren't specified, this feature provides a well-rounded oversight, making email communication much safer for young users.

Web browsers

mSpy provides extensive web browser monitoring, allowing parents to supervise activity, restrict access to unsafe content, and review browser history. It uniquely displays a list of sites that the child has bookmarked, shedding light on a child's interests and frequent online destinations.

mSpy also provides timestamps of website visits to help correlate online behavior with your child's daily schedule. With mSpy you can filter internet content, blacklist adult material, and block internet access at will.

Screen time management

mSpy offers a basic level of screen time management, allowing parents to block apps at a click of a button and locking the phone remotely. While it provides a platform for managing screen time, it lacks the granularity of setting varying time limits for individual apps or different days.

Although mSpy enables parents to remove internet access for apps like Chrome, Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, and Discord, it doesn't provide category-based website blocking. This is an important feature to have because it allows parents to protect their children from potentially harmful or inappropriate content, without having to manually block individual websites. For that reason, it may not suffice for parents seeking more nuanced control over screen time management, specifically on a per-app or per-website basis.

Location tracking and geo-fencing

mSpy offers comprehensive location tracking features, including real-time tracking on a detailed map. It also displays a route history over a specified period, ensuring that children attend school and avoid unwanted locales. Additional details like GPS coordinates and location time offer insight into a child's routine, such as arrival at home or school departure.

Furthermore, mSpy's geo-fencing feature allows parents to set virtual boundaries for specific areas, sending email alerts when these parameters are crossed. This function, coupled with recorded timestamps of each movement, provides a clear picture of a child's frequented spots, helping parents make informed decisions. The historical data on relocations augments this, enabling intervention if necessary. 

Unfortunately, during our testing we found the location tool to be a bit delayed and didn't receive a notification when the device left the defined geo-fenced area.

Activity reports

Yes, mSpy provides comprehensive activity reports accessible through its app, providing a thorough insight into your child’s phone usage. Here are some crucial data you can find in your control panel:

• GPS locations and route history
• 10 most called numbers
• Numbers messaged the most
• Most visited websites and how many times they’ve visited them

These data points are pivotal for monitoring your children’s interactions and movements. You can also export data via XLS and CSV files to share with your fellow parent.

Bonus features

The biggest bonus feature that mSpy offers is the keylogger, which is the most intense keylogger we've seen on a parental control app. This feature tracks everything that is typed on the device's keyboard, even if the message was never sent.

For example, while I was typing a message on Messenger, I started typing my friend's cat's name, but then deleted it and typed "cat" instead. The keylogger caught both versions of the message:

Other bonus features include:

• WiFi connections: See which networks the device is connected to and block specific connections
• Events tracking: See what events the device has on their calendars
• Contacts: See all the contacts saved on the device, including their phone numbers

mSpy customer support

You can reach the mSpy customer support team via email and phone. There’s also an mSpy Help Center with categories on Android, iPhone/iPad, mSpy Account, and billing questions.

While logged in to our account, we were able to get access to a live chat that connected us with a real person almost immediately. Our conversation was actually very natural, so we were impressed with this 24/7 option.

Top alternatives

While mSpy offers a range of monitoring features, there are more parental control services in the market that may cater to different preferences or specific needs better. Here are parental control software alternatives, each with a unique feature that sets it apart:

Service
Star rating	4.4 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.4 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	3.7 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Price	Starts at $5.00/mo	Starts at $4.16/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $8.25/mo (billed annually)
# of people covered	Unlimited	Up to 15 kids	Unlimited
Screen time management
Content filtering
Conversation monitoring	Yes, on social media, texts, and email
Location tracking
Details	Get Bark	Get Norton Family	Get Aura

mSpy FAQs

Bottom line: Is mSpy good?

The mSpy app is more of a surveillance tool than a parental control app. It excels in providing real-time location tracking, detailed activity reports, and specific content monitoring through keyword alerts. However, it falls short in offering category-based content monitoring and lacks features like two-factor authentication for added security. While it gives a detailed insight into a child's digital activity, its approach leans more toward surveillance than fostering digital wellbeing.

Considering the price point, some users might find more balanced  parental control features in alternatives like Bark or Qustodio. While mSpy could benefit those seeking strict monitoring, it might not cater to parents looking for a more holistic approach to online safety.

Curious how the app compares against top parental control apps on the market? Check out our in-depth comparisons:

• mSpy vs. Bark
• mSpy vs. Norton Family
• mSpy vs. Aura
• mSpy vs. Qustodio
• mSpy vs. Net Nanny

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AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

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On mSpy's website

Parental Controls

mSpy

• Extensive monitoring capabilities
• Real-time location tracking
• More of a tracker than a monitor

Author Details

Ryan L. Clancy

About the Author

Ryan Clancy is a freelance writer and blogger. With 5+ years of mechanical engineering experience, he's passionate about all things engineering and tech. He loves bringing engineering (especially mechanical) down to a level that everyone can understand.

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