Best iPhone Monitoring Apps Without Permission for Parents
Mobile • Sept. 10, 2021
Being a parent, you know the struggles that you face in understanding your kids. You feel scared when you see them hide their phones, and you are troubled with thoughts such as “How will I be able to monitor them if they are hiding their phones?” or “Are they doing something wrong with their phones?”
If these are some of your problems, then the best solution for you is to monitor their device remotely with the help of parental control apps. By doing so, you can feel safe that your child isn’t in any kind of trouble by immediately knowing what they are doing or where they are at any time. They also help you set limits on their screen time, allowing you to control your kids better and teach them good habits.
Monitoring in the digital age
As of 2021, you understand how easy it is to forget yourself in the virtual world with apps like Facebook and Instagram. But your child doesn’t see the dangers that are lurking behind these apps. The possibility that your child can talk with anyone from anywhere can turn into a real threat if not monitored properly.
Also, the sudden rise in popularity with apps such as Omegle allows your child to video call strangers, which may lead to cyberbullying if your child is not careful. But after knowing all this, there is no need for you to take away your child’s smartphone as it is also one of the best ways to learn new things, giving them opportunities to become something greater.
So what should you do? You can ensure their safety by monitoring their phones remotely to understand who your children are in touch with and ensure that they don’t send personal pictures to them through social media. There are countless apps that can help you do just that, and here is our list of the best iPhone monitoring apps for you to keep your children safe.
A word on Apple parental control
Before diving into the list, it is also important for you to know that Apple also provides you parental control features but doesn’t include all the features provided in other spy apps.
For instance, you can only monitor their iMessages and not their social media messages. Also, you cannot track your child’s phone in real-time but can only monitor it after the device syncs and backs up, which happens every day when connected to charge.
They also provide you with website filters that can limit their access to adult content in Safari and other apps on the device. You can also restrict their screen time and set restrictions to purchase apps which can come in handy if you are worried that your kid might purchase those battle passes in Fortnite with your credit card.
Overall, the Apple Parental Control lets you monitor your child’s iPhone to a certain extent. Still, installing the apps mentioned in this list is preferable if you want more features such as Geofencing, Keylogger, monitoring their social media apps, and much more.
Top iPhone monitoring apps
1) Kids Guard Pro for IOS
Pricing: $39.95/month
If you want to keep tabs on your children, then all you need is Kids Guard Pro. It is an advanced iPhone monitoring app with over 20+ features. You can easily monitor your child’s phone over Wi-Fi, allowing you to read deleted messages, track calls and even check their Safari History.
They also allow iCloud Monitoring, which lets you monitor and install Kids Guard Pro remotely on your child’s phone, which only requires you to know their iCloud credentials.
Note that you will need to access your child’s phone if Two-Factor Authentication is enabled.
It is surprisingly easy to install and doesn’t require you to jailbreak the target’s phone. It is also impossible for your child to notice as the app icon is hidden and runs in stealth mode.
One of the app’s notable features is the Geofence Alerts, which alerts you if your child enters or leaves a certain radius. You can also monitor their social media apps, including Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and even Tinder (if you are worried about their dating life).
For more details, read our full Kids Guard Pro review here.
2) Qustodio
Pricing: FREE and $54.95/year for the Premium Plan
If you are looking for a free alternative that you need for only monitoring websites and limiting screen time, then Qustodio could be a great choice as it offers both a free version and a premium plan.
In the free plan, you can get access to monitoring websites, search history and applications. It also includes social media monitoring but is only limited to Facebook and Twitter and provides smart web filtering and Safe Search feature.
In the premium plan, you almost get every possible feature that is available on other parenting apps. It also gives you access to status updates and allows you to view any comments that pop up.
The one feature exclusive to this app is the Panic button that your child can press or click their headphone mic button three times, which will notify you immediately if they are in trouble. You can add up to four numbers and email addresses to your child’s device and will be notified once the panic button is pressed.
Qustodio is a clean and intuitive app that was made for concerned parents who are starting to learn about parental control apps, and you can try out their premium plan with a no-risk seven-day trial.
3) mSpy
Pricing: $69.99/month for the Premium Plan
One of the well-known and trusted parental control app is the mSpy. It is similar to Kids Guard Pro but offers much more features for a higher price. It is also easy to set up, and you can start monitoring your child’s phone within 10 minutes. You can access data such as tracking physical location, incoming and outgoing calls, and text messages through a web dashboard from any device.
One of the valuable features is the keyword alert which notifies you whenever your child types an offensive word on their phone. The app replaces the default keyboard with the mSpy keyboard on your child’s phone, which enables it to monitor keystrokes on the device and thus notifies you when your kid searches for something that they shouldn’t.
mSpy also allows you to monitor your child’s internet activity and provides you with the access to block websites and restrict them from visiting specific sites.
Some of the things that make mSpy the best parental control app are that you can factory reset your child’s phone in case it is stolen or lost. You can also lock or restart the phone remotely, and you can unlink and restart mSpy anytime by just sending a text message “777″ to your child’s phone.
It also provides a free 7-day trial plan and offers you a Family kit that allows you to monitor three devices at once for a price of $119.97 for six months.
4) uMobix
Pricing: $14.99/year for the Full Plan
The latest player in the parental control app market is uMobix which is gaining a lot of popularity because it offers features from tracking phone calls to getting a real-time location for just half the price of its competitors.
One of the selling points of this app is that it allows you to monitor almost41 social media apps such as Snapchat, TikTok and even Tinder.
It can also detect other spy apps that are installed on your child’s phone, allowing you to make sure that another person is not spying on them. You can also track or delete the installed apps on their device and monitor how much time they spend on them.
uMobix also offers you remote visual and audio control of what is happening around your child using their phone, which most spy apps don’t provide. You can also get notifications if the SIM Card is replaced with a new one.
When it comes to functionality, uMobix has it all. It offers features such as remote configuration, Keylogger, Geofinder, and access to block apps, websites, calls and even the device itself.
5) FlexiSPY
Pricing: $68/month for the Premium Plan
If you want the most sophisticated app used professionally by business people to monitor their employees, then FlexiSpy is your answer. It is a powerful spy app with more than 150 features that lets you know everything that is happening on your child’s device.
It has exclusive features such as recording, listening and even intercepting live phone calls. It also allows you to record calls made over the internet using apps such as Skype, Facebook, Viber, Line and so on, which means you will always know if your child receives a call from a stranger.
Note that you need to jailbreak the target’s iPhone to use FlexiSpy.
If you find it difficult to jailbreak, then you don’t have to worry as FlexiSPY offers you an iPhone that is preinstalled with the app, which you can buy or ask for the help of their trained technicians to jailbreak your child’s device immediately.
They not only provide services in spying iPhones but also iPads and Mac.
FexiSPY is more than just your regular parental control app, giving you complete control over your child’s device, which means you don’t have to worry at all about the safety of your child.
6) FamiSafe
Pricing: $9.9/month
Kids who are at the age of 3 and above are curious and can be easily influenced. It is crucial for you as a parent to make sure that they are not exposed to adult or inappropriate content, and that is where FamiSafe can help you.
You can monitor how much time they spend on their phones and even set the time limits using the Smart Schedule feature for their device usage. You can also track what apps are newly installed or deleted and view what apps are currently being used.
If you want your kids not to use their phones during lunch or bedtime, you can also temporarily block them from using their phones or even reward them with screen time if they complete certain chores or assignments.
You can protect your kids from specific websites and monitor their browsing history to ensure their safety. FamiSafe always keeps you alert and will notify you if suspicious text or photos are detected on your child’s phone.
Geofencing and Real-Time location tracking are also provided to allow you to know where your kids are at any time. Famisafe gives you a three-day trial for you to check out their features and gives you protection for up to five devices in their monthly plan.
7) Bark
Pricing: $14/month for the Bark Premium Plan
Do you need a parental control app that was made with the help of child psychologists, youth advisors and law enforcement professionals?
Say hello to Bark, the most kid-friendly and research-backed app designed to monitor, detect and alert you of potential threats and dangers.
Research conducted by them showed insights into what it is to grow up on the internet today. Bullying, Violence, Suicidal thoughts are some of the things that kids go through but are unable to express. This is where Bark steps in to help you connect with your children and help you monitor their every text message, post and email.
Bark has the most coverage of any monitoring tool, allowing you to monitor more than 30+ of the most popular apps and social media platforms.
It has one of the best user interfaces and an award-winning dashboard. Bark also provides you with a 7-day trial to check it out yourself and is the right tool for you to build trust with your kids.
8) Spyic
Pricing: $10.83/month for the Premium Plan.
Parental control apps can be a bit out of budget when all you need is to ensure the safety of your kids. That is why Spyic is a perfect choice due to its affordable pricing and user-friendly interface.
It has all the similar features such as Geofencing, tracking browser history and checking call logs without the need for installing it in your child’s phone.
Note that you will need to access your child’s phone if Two-Factor Authentication is enabled.
The social media apps that you can monitor using Spyic are Facebook, Whatsapp, Snapchat, Instagram and Viber.
One thing that makes Spyic stand out is that you can checkapps that are installed on your child’s phone and block them if your child is spending too much time on it. You can also look out for phone number changes with Spyic’s SIM Card Tracker, which can be helpful for you to track the location of your child’s phone is stolen or lost.
With 60-day money-back guarantee, Spyic gives you the promise that you can safeguard your loved ones by allowing you to monitor them remotely and discreetly.
9) OurPact
Pricing: FREE and $6.99/month for the Premium Plan
The app that was designed to be the perfect solution for parents to control the entire screen time of their kids no matter the family size is OurPact. It is divided into three pricing tiers, including a free version which competes with the pricing of Qustodio.
In the free version, you can manage only one device with five manual blocks and grants, while all other features are not accessible. In the premium version, you can manage up to 20 devices with unlimited blocks and grants. It will also give you access to all the premium features, including family locator, web filter and access to view private gallery.
OurPact has a unique system called App Rules, which gives you access to always allow or allow per schedule or always block specific apps, which is great since all apps are not made the same.
FAQs
1) Is it difficult to install these apps?
It is very simple to install these apps as all of these apps follow these basic three steps.
- Create an account and purchase the plan of your choice.
- Install and set up the app on your child’s iPhone.
- Monitor through the dashboard present in their web portal.
Note that all these apps have 24×7 customer support, and they can assist you at any time. They also provide a detailed instruction through mail as soon as your purchase from one of their premium plan.
2) Is it legal to use apps these apps?
In countries like the USA and UK, spying on an iPhone without consent is a crime, and you may end up in jail, but it is legal to use these apps if the child is under the age of 18 and is your legal child.
3) Do I need to jailbreak to use these apps?
Most of these apps don’t require you to jailbreak your child’s iPhone, but for some spy apps such as FlexiSPY and SPYERA, it is necessary to jailbreak if you want complete control over the device. In addition, you also get access to features such as listening to live calls or calls made over the internet using social media apps or turn on the camera and microphone to record their surrounding without their knowledge.
4) How can I know if someone is spying on me?
You can find out if you are being spied on by someone else by monitoring your battery and data consumption than usual. If you find a sudden and significant increase, then there is a possibility that your iPhone may be compromised. But you don’t have to worry as you can simply factory reset your iPhone to remove any spyware on your device.
5) Do I need to have physical access to monitor my child’s iPhone?
As long as you know the iCloud credentials of your child’s iPhone, there is no need for you to have physical access. But if 2F-authentication is enabled, then you have to physically disable it for you to install these apps.
6) What is the difference between iCloud spy apps and Jailbreak Spy Apps?
Apps that don’t need you to jailbreak the target’s device are called iCloud spy apps, and those that require you to jailbreak are called Jailbreak Spy Apps.
Final verdict
Parenting is tough when you have a job as well as the responsibility to ensure your child’s safety. That is why we feel that Kids Guard Pro for IOS and mSpy are the best solutions for you to monitor your child’s activities as you can keep a close watch on all their calls, text messages and browsing history to protect them from adult content.
But if you are looking for a parental control app, then Qustodio and Bark are the perfect choices as they’re affordable than most of other competitors while also offering you all the necessary features and access to monitor more than 40 social media platforms that your child may use which is vital to make sure your child isn’t cyberbullied.
We hope that this article helped you choose the right parent control app for your needs, and we feel that the best way for you to monitor your kids is to just talk to them as often good communication can solve most of their problems.
