Spy apps, also known as cell phone monitoring apps, are a popular tool for remote monitoring. Every individual carries a phone with them at all times since most of our communication occurs over the phone. This is why spy apps can provide full tabs on a person. Whether you’re a parent or an employer, a spy app can be of benefit to you. A parent can keep track of their children’s activity on the phone and track their location. Likewise, employers can monitor their employees and ensure that they are performing on the job.
Many people do not realize that spying on someone and collecting personal information is illegal. In some cases, it can lead to criminal charges. This is why if you want to install a spy app on someone’s phone, you need their consent to do so.
With numerous spy apps available in the market, it can get confusing for users to find an app that works and is legit. Most spy apps are compatible with both Android and iOS devices. However, not all are compatible with the latest mobile operating systems. Before subscribing, also make sure to go through an app’s compatibility page to determine if it will work on your phone or not.
In this article, we will review best spying app for Android Android phones in 2019 that allows you to monitor an Android phone remotely.
Table of Contents
Xnspy
Xnspy is a top-rated spy app for Android phones. The app is the best, not only in terms of features but also performance. The app is compatible with the latest versions of Android. The data collected from the Android phone is saved on Xnspy’s server which can be accessed through a web-based user account.
The app offers a range of features to monitor a cell phone. The website provides comprehensive documentation for the installation of the app. Moreover, the website offers demo for the web-based user interface. With Xnspy, users can do more than just remotely monitoring activity on a device. They can even control the monitored device from their account. This is why the app is popular among parents because it allows them to restrict their child’s online activity.
Features
Xnspy offers extensive features for an Android. The features that the app offers are listed as follows:
Call logs
This allows you to view details of missed, incoming, and outgoing calls on the monitored device. You can also view the timestamps as well as the duration of the calls.
Contact list
The app allows you to view contacts saved on the phone. You can also add certain contacts to a Watchlist. When a phone call is received from a Watchlist contact, the app notifies you.
Messages
Messages sent and received on the monitored phone can be viewed along with the timestamps and details of the sender and the receiver. Also, particular words can be added to the watch list for instant alerts.
Instant messaging apps
With Xnspy, you can monitor their instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct Messages, Kik, LINE, Tinder, and Viber.
GPS location and geo-fencing
Users of the app can track the current location and view the previous location of the device. The app reports accurate locations, including the address, longitudinal, and latitudinal coordinates. In addition to this, you can also mark locations as unsafe on the map. For when the monitored phone user is found in an unsafe location, the app sends a notification to the Xnspy account.
Keylogger
This feature is found in almost all spy apps. You can monitor all the keystrokes on the app. Hence, a user can read messages that were typed but never sent.
Wi-Fi network logs
The app records the Wi-Fi networks that a phone is connected to. This way, you can monitor the locations that a person had been to.
Multimedia files
Photos and videos saved on the app are accessible to the user and saved on the Xnspy server. Users can view these files, and also download them. The photos are available even after they have been deleted from the phone.
Emails
Users of the app can view emails sent and received on the device. You can also view details of the sender or the receiver and timestamp associated with the email.
Browsing history and bookmarked webpages
On the web account, you can view the list of the websites visited, including how often a website has been visited. Likewise, users can view all the bookmarked webpages on the phone.
Calendar
You can also monitor calendar entries such as birthdays saved on the device.
Ambient Listening and phone call recording
This feature is also called environment listening, and it allows the user to record conversations when the phone is in idle mode. Apart from this, users can also record phone calls. The audio file is saved on the Xnspy account. You can record conversations for up 30 minutes. To record a conversation for the next 30 minutes, just send another command.
Analytics
The Analytics feature of the app provides unique insights to the user. You can view the top 10 websites visited, top 5 callers, and top 5 call durations.
Remote Control
The app allows a user to remotely control the device. You can block apps, delete phone data, lock the device, send remote commands, and much more.
Application Activity
One of the best features of Xnspy is that it provides insights regarding a user’s phone activity. This way, you can monitor how much time was spent on a particular app. You can also send remote commands to block an app.
Compatibility
If you are planning to use Xnspy, you need to see if it is compatible with your device. For an Android phone, the app is compatible with Android version 4.X to 9.X. However, you should check out the compatibility page of the website to ensure that the app will work on your phone.
Installation
To install the app on an Android phone, you need to gain physical access to the device. After subscribing to the app, a link is sent to your email. To install the app:
- Open the download link sent to your email on the target device. This will initiate the downloading.
- After the app is up and running, you can begin monitoring the phone by logging in to your Xnspy account. The installation process is easy and takes only a couple of minutes.
Performance
Xnspy is one of the best spy app when it comes to performance. Xnspy does not drain the battery of the phone as other apps do. Some apps offer a plethora of features, because of which the phone’s batteries die quickly and cause the phone to malfunction. On your Xnspy account, you can change the setting so that data is uploaded to your account when the phone is charging. This way the phone’s batteries do not deplete.
Subscription Plans
Xnspy offers two subscription plans based on monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis. These are Basic and Premium Edition. The Premium Edition offers more features than the Basic Edition. The website often has discounts on subscription plans. If you’re planning to purchase a subscription plan for the app, be sure to avail the discounts. You can save up to $40.
The Basic and Premium Edition of the app differ in some aspects. The Watchlist features, including Watchlist Contacts, Watchlist Words are not available in the Basic Edition. Also, remote control features and viewing messages on instant messaging applications are not available in the Basic Edition. However, you can view photos shared via instant messaging applications, if you subscribe to the Basic plan.
The prices of the subscription plans are listed as follows:
Monthly
- Basic: $29.99/month
- Premium: $35.99/month
Quarterly
- Basic: $13.99/month, billed $41.99 quarterly
- Premium: $19.99/month, billed $59.99 quarterly
Yearly
- Basic: $4.99/month, billed $59.99 yearly
- Premium: $7.49/month, billed $89.99 yearly
The current market for spy apps is competitive because there are numerous apps. However, not all apps are worth your money. This is why people often fall into the trap of paying the subscription fee only to find out later that the app is malfunctioning. Therefore, before purchasing a subscription plan, researching the app is essential. Online review sites such as sitejabber.com and others provide valuable information related to customer experience. This can help you determine if an app is worth the money or not.