MSpy.com Review 2023 – How Useful Is The Monitoring App?

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The comprehensive Monitoring App for Parents and Employers – for mobile Phones and/or Computers

MSpy For Parental Control

Mspy is a relatively well known software for parental control of their children’s use of the Internet. The program can be used without exception to monitor all activities for which the child uses the mobile phone or other computer device. The goal of the Mspy app is to protect children from the dangers that the Internet poses to minors and adolescents. In particular, children should be protected from cyber-bullying, but also from potentially dangerous new contacts. With the help of a monitoring app, parents can make sure that they don’t miss out on anything their child has to deal with in everyday life.

Mspy is primarily designed for parents who want to make sure that they can still meet their protective role in the modern Internet world.

MSpy For Companies

However, the app is also perfectly tailored to the needs of employers who absolutely need a control function over the mobile phone and computer use of their employees. Building a business is hard work and it is an art to keep it profitable and successful in the long run. There are entrepreneurs who rely on their employees not to misuse the digital devices they provide for work.

This means that the equipment should be used primarily for work and of course no abusive or even business-damaging activities should be carried out with the equipment. Employees must adhere to the agreements and regulations that they have made with their employer. This applies to the use of the equipment made available to employees by their employer, as well as all other obligations arising from the employment relationship.

However, mobile telephones are now often used by employees for all sorts of non-work interests, perhaps even during working hours. Company owners have the right to know what employees are doing with the company’s property lent to them. A spy app like Mspy can therefore be used on company phones, provided the employee is informed in advance.

About the Company

The Mspy software is a product and a brand of the Czech company Altercon Group, which is based in Prague.

The monitoring app is used by more than 400,000 users in over 100 countries worldwide. Today, Mspy has 70 employees who constantly improve and update the service of the tool. The staff also includes a telephone customer service in some countries.

Since its founding in 2010, the software company has been able to grow steadily, adding more and more new features to the application, increasing its reach and hiring more people. In the first year the software had only 5 key features: Contact entries (address book), calendar entries, call logs, SMS and even GPS tracking already. Already the next year more features were added, such as tracking videos and photos on the monitored phone, but also email monitoring. Apps for Blackberry, Android and iPhone have now been released.

Since 2012 the app can track browser history and bookmarks, monitor desktop computers and even block contacts so that certain people cannot contact the monitored device.

In the following year, 2013, a whole range of other interesting features were added: Since then, it can control which websites the monitored device can visit, unwanted ones can be blocked. Furthermore, the affected device can be remotely switched off or access can be blocked. Since then Mspy can also monitor all activities within the App Whatsapp.

Since 2014, Mspy can also track Facebook Messenger and the App Viber, as well as Gmail activities. This year, Mspy enabled comprehensive and clear reports.

In the following years, all other applications that the app offers today were gradually added. Many functions had to be revised and updated to keep up with the constantly changing functions and versions of the monitored apps.

Today there is virtually no function that the app does not offer for monitoring.

In this MSpy.com Review we’ll take a look at the program’s features in detail:

Functionality – All Features of MSpy

App Monitoring:

• Facebook Messenger
• iMessage
• Whatsapp
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• Viber
• Skype
• Line
• Telegram
• Kik
• Wechat
• Whisper
• Tinder
• Hot or Not
• Hike
• Hangouts

SMS Monitoring

With SMS, the contents of text messages are read out, as well as the contact and time of sending. Deleted SMS are also recorded.

GPS Location

The app keeps track of the exact location of the monitored device at all times, and thus probably its owner. (Note: Of course, someone who knows he is being monitored could place his phone in a place that is intended to mislead the monitor). Mspy clearly shows the locations where the child or person with the tracked mobile phone is located on a map. The current location and previous locations are displayed.

Geo Fencing

One of the latest features of the app is the option of Geo-Fencing. This means that you can define a certain geographical area in which your kid should stay and if it gets out of that zone you get an alert.

Photos & Videos

All pictures, screenshots and videos that are recorded or received with the device are monitored with Mspy. The use of the camera is therefore also monitored.

Internet Usage

Mspy transfers the complete browser history and all bookmarks of the monitored device

Call Logs

For calls, the time, the duration of the call and the contact with whom the call was made are recorded. However, the call itself is not recorded. Unwanted contacts can be blocked so that the child or employee cannot be called by certain unwanted contacts.

Track Contacts

Of course Mspy monitors the contacts of the target device. The app shows the complete list of contact entries, including newly added ones. Unwanted and unauthorized contacts can be blocked by the parents or employer.

WiFi Networks

Mspy logs the Internet accesses that were used by the target device. Parents and employers can use this information to find out which WiFi the device used to access the Internet, if this information is relevant.

Blocking

The blocking function in general is very important for parents, as it allows them to immediately stop using certain applications without discussion. Mspy allows parents to have full control over their child’s online activities by remotely blocking apps, contacts and even the entire device.

Time Control

With Mspy, parents (or even employers) can determine the periods of time during which a device can be used. If the child’s mobile phone should not be used after 10 o’clock in the evening or in the afternoon at homework time, this can be controlled with Mspy. The app can then make the device inaccessible to the user.

Keyword Alerts

The keyword alert function is important to let parents know what terms their child is dealing with. What they search for themselves online or what words others use against them. If certain keywords, which can be defined in Mspy, appear somewhere in the target device, be it in the internet browser or in a chat app, parents or employers will be informed about Mspy and can act accordingly.

All installed Apps

Mspy informs parents and employers about all apps installed on the target device. So it becomes clear which chat apps, dating apps, games or other entertainment or communication apps are used.

Keylogger

Mspy offers a specific keylogger function. Keylogging means that everything that is typed in the target device via keyboard is recorded. So all entered text, no matter which app, email program or note program, everything the user of the device ever types in will be recorded by the keylogger. Of course Mspy is equipped with this function as a professional monitoring app.

Usability of the App

Since the company MSpy already has 10 years of experience and accordingly well-trained professionals work on the application, the usability of the program is now extremely simple, intuitive and clear.

Similar to other modern apps that have to prepare data in a clear way, e.g. accounting apps etc., the data preparation at Mspy is structured in a way that you can see everything important at a glance.

The presentation of the recorded data is very sour and clearly arranged for each feature, which makes using the app, despite the complexity of its functions, playfully easy.

Is the App secret?

Technically speaking, Mspy is an app that is not visible to the user of the target device. So it is possible to monitor someone with the app who should not know that his online activities are being tracked.

Is the Use of the App legal?

First of all: Yes, it is. However, it depends…

Whether the users of such devices need to be informed that the use of their device with all details and content is being monitored remotely is usually required by law in every country.

One of the most important points is that you can only install the monitoring program on a device that you own. Parents are so to speak the owners of their children’s mobile phones or are in a special legal position with regard to their children’s belongings. Company owners are the legal owners of the company equipment, which they lend to their employees

In general, parents are allowed to monitor their children up to a certain age in order to comply with their parental protection. This is the case in the USA, for example, as well as in Europe.

Employers have the right to equip company equipment that is subject to their property with monitoring software. However, employees probably need to be informed about this. Whether they have to do this in your specific country, you would have to clarify legally in advance. If you want to monitor your employees’ company devices without their knowledge, you should make sure that this does not lead to legal problems in your country. However, if the employees are informed anyway, a monitoring app can of course be used on company equipment. Here is a source to get free legal advice in the US¹, if in doubt.

Whether and to what extent parents tell their underage child that they are monitoring his or her mobile phone or computer is probably primarily a question of their own parenting style and relationship of trust. Legally speaking, parents have no problem as long as the child is underage. From the age of majority onwards, an adult’s privacy is protected by law, even from their own parents.

Conclusion: In any case, please make sure you know how and under what circumstances you are allowed to use MSpy in your specific country, as we cannot make any binding statements about this and cannot guarantee that our assumptions about legal situations are correct everywhere. In most cases, especially in the western world, MSpy can be used by parents and employers.

MSpy has many customers in the following countries, therefore telephone support is available in these countries:

USA, France, Portugal, Brazil, Turkey, Czech Republic.

How to find/undetect the App

The App Mspy is theoretically traceable if you know where and search for it. If you do not suspect that you have a monitoring app on your mobile phone, you will most likely not recognize the program, because it disguises itself as an inconspicuous system program. On Android, for example, the application can be found in the list of installed apps and disguises itself as an ‘update service’ or similar. From there the application can be uninstalled. (Settings → Apps)

MSpy.com Compatibility & Program Versions

What App Versions of Mspy are available? What devices is the program compatible with?

Phones:

• Android 4+ (rooted/non-rooted)
• iOS 6 – 8.4 and 9.0 – 9.1; (with Jailbreak/ without Jailbreak)

Windows:

• Windows 7 (x32; x64)
• Windows XP (x32);
• Windows 8, 8.1;
• Windows 10
• Windows Vista (x32, x64)

Mac:

• Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
• OS X 10.9 Mavericks
• Mac OS 10.7 Lion
• OS X 10.10 Yosemite
• OS X 10.11 El Capitan

How does the MSpy Setup work?

In general, the setup of the application on the target device is very simple. So you don’t have to be afraid if you can do it, even as a non-techie it’s no problem, as long as you have ever had a mobile phone in your hand and smartphones in general are not completely new territory.

But since everybody has one by now, the installation of a program like Mspy should not be a problem at all. Also in desktop computers it is no big effort and requires only about 10 min. One always gets a precise instruction when buying the app.

Let’s go through the steps for Android smartphones as an example:

Setup in Android Smartphone

1. you need the target mobile phone

2. you must be able to unlock the mobile phone and know the key

3. at Settings → Security you have to set a checkmark at “unknown sources“. (Of course mSpy does not appear as the publisher of the app. The user should not be able to assign the app automatically).

4. depending on the Android version there is an option in the settings called “Verify Apps“. You can probably find it under “Google Settings“, probably because it refers to the Google Play Store, from which you usually get apps. “Verify apps” must be deactivated for the installation of the spy software. For Verify apps the check mark must be unchecked so that the phone can install the app without any obstacles.

For the Android 6 versions the setting can be found under Settings → Applications → Google → Security → Verify apps.

5. open the Google Chrome Browser and enter the following in the address line:
https://b55y.net/a ( don’t forget to press ‘Enter’ to enter this address)
Then a page opens from which the app will be downloaded directly. There you might have to solve a captcha to start the download.

6. then you have to go to ‘Downloads‘, which is normally found in the app overview on the home screen. There you find bt.apk with a small green Android bot icon next to it. You can now select this file and will be asked if you want to install this program. Just go to “next” and finish the installation by pressing “install”.

7. after that you have to accept the license agreement by ticking the checkbox like with every software installation.

8. then you should select the option “Prevent Uninstall” to activate it.

9. then you should activate keylogging here, a new window will open in which you can select it.

10. if the device uses Android 6 or higher, you have to set “Allow collecting data“, a new window will open where you have to select it again. With lower Android versions this option is not available.

11. at this point you also have to define if the app icon should be invisible. Don’t forget to set that if you want it to be.

12. now you have to enter your personal registration code that you get when you buy the app.

Important when it comes to keeping the app secret:

13. in the last step you should delete the browser history, which concerns the installation process. The browser history can be found in the browser menu under Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data. Select there: Clear Browsing history, Clear cache, Clear cookies, site data → press ‘Clear’.

14. also delete the setup file in the downloads. (Check the box → Select Trashcan)

There are some steps, admittedly, but all in all quite simple and conclusive. Nothing should go wrong with these instructions and the installation is done in 10 minutes maximum. Of course mSpy also offers detailed instructions if you purchase the app for Android.

With this guide or the setup guide you get with the purchase of the program you most likely won’t need the MSpy setup assistance service to help you with the installation, as this would cost you an additional 43.99$ – which quite a lot for a setup assistance.

Setup in iPhone

On the iPhone, the setup of mSpy depends on whether you need Jailbreak or not. This in turn depends on the iPhone version: For iOS 7 through 9.1 jailbreak is required. For all other versions you can follow the setup without jailbreak, which runs over the iCloud. This works as long as the iCloud backup is enabled on the target device. If this is not the case, you need the phone to set up the app there directly. If you buy mSpy for iPhone, you will get the exact setup steps directly. Without jailbreak the setup runs over the iCloud.

MSpy Pricing

Can I only use part of the service and only pay for that?

In principle, the features of Mspy are only available in packages. So you cannot buy only, let’s say, the keylogger. The keylogger, for example, is not included in the basic mobile package, but in the premium package. In the Desktop Computer Packages the feature is included.

There are generally 3 main packages:

• Mobile Phone (Basic or Premium)
• Desktop Computer (Basic only)
• Bundle (Family Kits for Mobile or Computer)

Let’s have a look at mspy.com cost in detail – the exact packages are composed as follows.

The Basic plan for phones includes the MSpy.com Basic Features:

Mobile Phone Basic (Android or iOS)

• GPS Location
• Call logs
• Contact List
• Text messages
• iMessages
• Videos & Photos
• Keyword alerts
• Emails
• Browser History
• Bookmarks
• Installed Apps
• Uninstall Alert
• Notes
• Calendar
• 24|7 customer support
• Unlimited Device Change

In case of the basic plan it makes sense to point out what it doesn’t support, so you have this at a glance:

The MSpy.com Basic Features do not include:

• messaging apps
• restriction of incoming calls
• app & website blocking
• keylogger

Pricing

• 1 month: 29.99 $
• 3 months: 59.99 $
• 1 year: 99.99 $

Mobile Phone Premium (Android or iOS)

• GPS Location
• Keyword alerts
• Calls (+calls restriction)
• Call history
• E-mails
• Text Messages (+deleted ones)
• WhatsApp
• Snapchat
• Facebook Messenger
• Videos & Photos
• Contact list
• Geo Fencing
• Websites & Apps Blocking
• Keylogger
• Calendar, Notes
• Wi-Fi Networks
• 24|7 customer support
• Uninstall Alert

Pricing

• 1 month: 69.99 $
• 3 months: 39.99 $ /mo. (119.97 $ at once)
• 1 year: 16.66 $ / mo (199.92 $ at once)

iOS No-Jailbreak Plan

(For this plan you need access to iCloud; also iCloud backup must be active / enabled on target phone)

• Text Messages
• WhatsApp
• iMessage
• Contact List
• Call history
• Website History
• Calendar, Notes, Tasks
• Automatic Updates
• Wi-Fi Networks
• Installed Applications
• 24|7 customer support

Pricing:

• 1 month: 69.99 $
• 3 months: 39.99 $ /mo. (119.97 $ at once)
• 1 year: 16.66 $ / mo (199.92 $ at once)

Desktop Computer Basic

• Keylogger
• Keyword Search
• Copy/Paste Tracker
• User Activity
• Installed Applications
• App Usage
• Automatic Software Updates
• Screenshots
• 24|7 Support through Chat & Email

Pricing

• 1 month: 29.99 $
• 3 months: 39.99 $ /mo. (119.97 $ at once)
• 1 year: 16.66 $ / mo (199.92 $ at once)

MSpy Pricing – Bundles

Mobile Phone Family Kit (for up to 3 phones)

• Facebook Messenger
• WhatsApp
• Snapchat
• LINE
• Tinder
• Viber
• Telegram
• Hangouts
• Skype
• iMessage
• Emails
• Keyword alerts
• Keylogger
• Incoming Call Blocking;
• Websites & App Blocking
• GPS Location
• Geo Fencing
• Wi-Fi Networks
• Photos & Videos
• Call history
• Contact List
• Text Messages
• Browser History
• Browser Bookmarks
• Calendar
• Notes & Tasks
• Installed AppS
• Uninstall Alert
• 24|7 customer support
• Unlimited Device Change

Pricing:

• 6 months: 359.97 $
• 1 year: 479.97 $

Bundle (Computer + Mobile Premium)

Mobile Premium Plan Features:

• GPS Location
• Geo Fencing
• Text Messages (+deleted ones)
• Calls (+restriction of calls)
• Call history
• Contact list
• Snapchat
• WhatsApp
• Facebook Messenger
• Websites & Apps Blocking
• Videos & Photos
• Keyword alerts
• Keylogger
• Wi-Fi Networks
• E-mails
• Calendar
• Notes
• 24/7 support
• Uninstall Alert

Computer Plan Features:

• Installed Applications + Usage
• Screenshots
• Keyword Search
• Copy/Paste Tracker
• User Activity
• 24|7 Chat & Email Support
• Automatic Software Updates

Pricing:

• 1 month: 84.99 $
• 3 months: 135.99 $
• 1 year: 229.99< $/li>

Family Kit for Computers

(for up to 3 computers)

• Keyword Search
• Screenshots
• Copy/Paste Tracker
• User Activity
• Installed Applications
• Usage of Applications
• 24/7 Email & Chat Support
• Automatic Software Updates

Pricing:

• 6 months: 119.97 $
• 1 year: 167.97 $

Payment Methods with MSpy:

Here is the list long, you can pay almost any way you want. Which makes sense for a company like mSpy, since they are available worldwide and every country has different payment practices.

• Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX Diners Club)
• PayPal
• Google Pay
• Qiwi Wallet
• WebMoney
• Giropay
• Bank/Wire transfer
• 7-Eleven (cash)/ACE/Family Dollar
• Vendor to vendor
• Eurocar
• fax
• Ukash
• CashU
• UnionPay
• IDEAL
• Conbini
• Check
• eCheck/ACH
• Dankort
• Boleto Bancario
• JCB
• Debit Cards from China
• 支付宝 (Alipay)
• IMMEDIATELY
• Carte Bleue

Does MSpy offer a Free Trial?

Yes, mSpy offers new customers the opportunity to test the software for 7 days free of charge. To do so you have to register, enter your contact details etc., select a plan and then choose the 7 day trial. Then you can set up the app and put it through its paces before you decide to buy. The only important thing is that you cancel the trial within the 7 days if you decide not to buy, because the trial does not automatically cancel itself. If you don’t cancel, you will pay the chosen subscription after this week.

The 7-day trial contains all features the app offers in general, no matter which subscription you choose for afterwards. The keylogger is available during the 7 days, even if you had chosen the Mobile Basic Plan. After the 7 days such features would be disabled again and would require an upgrade to a higher package.

Customer Service

Mspy is a serious company that distributes its apps worldwide. Therefore a reasonable customer service exists, which can even be reached via hotline. At least in some countries there is a customer service by phone:

• • USA +1 855 896 0041
  • Brazil 0 800 591 5100
    Monday – Thursday 8:00 – 19:00
  • Portugal +351 308 802 223
    Monday – Thursday 12:00 – 22:00
  • Czech Republic +42 023 409 2161
    Monday – Friday 10:00 – 19:00
  • France +33 970 738115
    Monday – Friday 10:00 – 19:00
  • Turkey +90 850 252 6514
    Monday – Friday 11:00 – 20:00

Support Priority Line

If you want priority customer service, this will cost you an additional $12.99 once when you purchase the app.

Otherwise the customer service can be reached by email. Technical support is available at support {at} mspy.com, the billing department at billing {at} mspy.com and the sales department at sales {at} mspy.com.

Trust & Reputation

mSpy is a well known and serious spy app for parental control, even recommended by a US governmental organization² that fights against “bullying”.

The app has also been presented in some big magazines, e.g. Forbes³, FOX2now⁴ or the parent blog Fatherly⁵.

Unfortunately Trustpilot’s reviews are filled with spam and self-advertising for hackers, which makes it very hard to find any real reviews. But the more than 10 years of existence of mSpy speaks for itself. With the 7-day test you are on the safe side anyway.

On their website MSpy themselves claim that about 95% of their customers are satisfied and reorder their services.

MSpy Review Conclusion

The app is a truly comprehensive tool for monitoring a target device and leaves little to be desired. The only thing we notice with this app, unlike other apps in the area of parental control, is that it is very much focused on monitoring and control and its focus is less on communication and cooperation, as is the case with other apps.

For the users of MSpy, however, this may be exactly the convincing factor, because depending on the circumstances, the priorities of the users of monitoring apps are in different areas. With MSpy you have the possibility to put the monitoring activities into the background or even make them invisible. If this is desired, MSpy is the ideal app.

If you see parental control more as an interaction with the child and want parental control to be a very obvious part of the child’s mobile phone, you will probably be more interested in an app like Family Time.

Recources:

[1] https://criminal-law.freeadvice.com/criminal-law/criminal-law/is-it-illegal-to-install-phone-spy-software-on-someones-cell-phone.htm
[2] https://www.stopbullying.gov/
[3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/haroldstark/2017/02/14/heres-everything-you-need-to-tell-your-kids-about-internet-responsibility/#4104982ffe09
[4] https://fox2now.com/2016/11/30/parent-tested-parent-approved-holiday-toys/
[5] https://www.fatherly.com/gear/best-surveillance-apps-for-parents/