To track my phone usage, to regulate my kid’s screen time, to monitor my family’s whereabouts, to control company-owned devices – these are some of the common reasons for installing a monitoring app. And yes, while most mobile phone users raise their brows and shrug their shoulders at the idea of phone spying, it’s not all bad.
Monitoring apps, when properly utilized, could make excellent safety and security tools. Such programs grant users remote real-time access We’ve initiated this mSpy review to know for sure if this is a software you can trust and rely on, or if there are better options out there.
What Is mSpy?
mSpy is a paid spy software that works with iOS and Android devices. It’s designed with features and tools meant to grant remote access and control over the target device. mSpy developers meant this to be a stealth and remote monitoring tool; however, there are certain loopholes to its anonymity promise like the requirement for physical access during the installation process and the requirement for mobile device rooting or jailbreaking to unlock the advanced features offered.
Based on what’s indicated on their official website, mSpy has been developed for safety and security. While, of course, some of its monitoring and tracking functionalities can significantly help users, some online reviews have pointed out issues that could result in worse privacy breaches and data exploitation scenarios.
Nevertheless, if you’re planning on initiating basic device monitoring only, mSpy could surely deliver. It’s programmed with the basic tools you might need like SMS monitoring, call history recording, GPS location tracking, and more. From what we’ve found through testing this product, we recommend you better go for elite and premium monitoring apps like Auto Forward. To better understand, read on as we’ll be sharing here the results of the mSpy review our tech specialists have conducted.
Pros and Cons of mSpy
The mSpy app can be purchased, installed, and utilized by anyone, including those that are technologically challenged. While this software is loaded with a myriad of monitoring features and reliable services, it has several loopholes and vulnerabilities. Like most digital tools and platforms, the mSpy software has room for improvement. To provide a clearer overview, here is what this app has to offer.
- Pros:
- Compatible with most iPhone, Android phones, and operating systems.
- Equipped with essential monitoring and tracking services.
- Different subscription plans to choose from.
- Capable of capturing online activities.
- With basic filtering and blocking features.
- Cons:
- Relatively expensive.
- Easily detected.
- Extra services and support would require extra fees as well.
- Jailbreaking or rooting is required to unlock advanced features.
- Slow turnaround time of created tickets for issues raised to their customer support.
- Tracking is limited to three devices only.
- Random prompts and unsolicited alerts or notifications.
- Frequent crashes and latencies.
mSpy Features

So how does mSpy work? Like most phone monitoring tools, this software extracts and transmits data through a virtual connection initially established during the installation process. After activating the app, it’s supposed to automatically and simultaneously start gathering information.
Though not completely silent or anonymous, mSpy allows users to monitor a cell phone remotely. View and even partly control the device being monitored by simply navigating to the mSpy login page and accessing the user dashboard. Here are the key features you get to enjoy when with any of mSpy’s packages.
- View SMS text messages exactly how they appear on the target device.
- Record incoming and outgoing phone calls.
- GPS tracking of past and current locations.
- Monitor online activities and web search history.
- See saved details on notes, calendars, and any other built-in tools, including phone diagnostics.
- Copy stored multimedia files.
- Monitor activities and engagements within third-party apps like social media and instant messaging apps.
- View sent and received emails.
- Regulate phone use through the screen time limit feature.
- Block app installation and in-app purchases.
mSpy Pricing
Sure, the mSpy phone tracker could be a great tool if you’re merely looking to initiate basic device monitoring and tracking. With the features included on each plan, and taking into consideration the efficiency and reliability of each functionality, there are better apps out there. Elite mobile trackers like Auto Forward could better provide great value for your money.
So, how much does mSpy cost? Here are the available packages you can choose from and subscribe to.
- Monthly Plan – $48.99 to be billed every month.
- Quarterly Plan – $83.97 to be billed every 3 months.
- Annual Plan – $139.92 to be billed every 12 months.
Auto Forward vs. mSpy: Which Is The Best Phone Monitoring App?

By theory, the mSpy cell phone monitoring app offers innovative modern solutions. However, based on what we’ve experienced and the many mSpy reviews online, the processes on how to use mSpy monitoring software are not as smooth and as straightforward as advertised. It seems its algorithms and codes aren’t strong and consistent enough to support the end goal the developers’ picture and guarantee.
Since mSpy isn’t as competitive and reliable enough as expected, we can’t help but compare it to one of the best monitoring apps we’ve ever encountered, Auto Forward. This monitoring software is designed to work with all iOS and Android devices, regardless of the phone model and OS version. The overall installation process takes only a few minutes to complete without much hassle. It’s packed with basic and advanced monitoring and tracking features and a myriad of parental controls and security settings.
Aside from the efficiency of its features and accuracy of outputs, Auto Forward is easy to install, operate, and navigate. Moreover, you get to utilize all-inclusive features and benefits for a one-time payment only. Plus, all subscriptions come with 24/7 access to Auto Forward’s customer support and free lifetime upgrades of the software.