Best Phone Tracker Apps Without Permission — Top 10 Reviewed for 2024

Ensuring our loved ones are safe in today’s online world is becoming increasingly crucial. Parents, in particular, frequently worry about their kids’ locations and activities, while businesses may need to monitor their employees’ whereabouts for legal reasons. Using phone tracker apps without permission can therefore be extremely useful in maintaining safety and ensuring productivity.

This article will examine the best apps for tracking phones without the need for the device owner’s permission. Our goal is simple — we want to give you all the information you need about these apps so that you can make an informed decision on the one best suited to your needs to keep those closest to you safe.

10 Best Phone Tracking Apps Without Permission – At a Glance

We’ll jump into the more in-depth reviews later in this article, but for now, let’s take a quick look at the top 10 best-rated tools on the market:

1. mSpy — The best overall phone tracking app thanks to its extensive range of features, including geo-fencing, remote access, and call monitoring.
2. EyeZy — A great tracking app for those on a budget that don’t want to miss out on advanced features like keylogging — It costs just $9.99/month.
3. uMobix — A reliable option for Android users, and it boasts advanced remote access capabilities like listening to the device’s surroundings.
4. Cocospy — An excellent option for beginners thanks to its easy setup and user-friendly interface – plus, no rooting or jailbreak is necessary.
5. Hoverwatch — The best tracking tool for businesses and large families, as you can track up to 25 devices at a very affordable price point.
6. XNSpy — A budget-friendly option that boasts ample advanced capabilities like screen time management, keyword alerts, and remote device access.
7. Spybubblepro — Designed to give peace of mind to suspicious partners as it offers in-depth tracking for both online and offline activities.
8. Geofinder.mobi — The best option if you’re after just location tracking features, and it lets you track unlimited devices without installing any apps.
9. Spyera — An excellent option for those who want to monitor a range of devices, including phones, laptops, and tablets.
10. Spyic — A good budget-friendly option that boasts ample plans suitable for various needs and budgets — You can track up to 25 devices.

Each app on our list was compared using some key factors like price, ease of use, and core features to ensure that there’s an option for everyone. So whether you’re a cautious parent, suspicious partner, or business owner — you’ll be able to find the right tool for your needs and budget.

10 Best Phone Tracking Apps Reviewed

To help you find the best of the bunch for your needs, we’ll be taking a deeper look into our top 10 phone tracking apps below — including their key features, pricing, and leading pros and cons, as expressed by real users.

1. mSpy — Overall, the Best Phone Tracking App

mSpy is a highly capable phone monitoring app that can track practically all of your child’s internet actions and a few of their offline ones. Thanks to the keylogging feature, you can also monitor calls and texts and even keep tabs on their social media activity — all remotely and 100% discreetly.

That said, once you’ve navigated the setup, you’re met with a very user-friendly interface that puts all the vital details at your fingertips, such as the target user’s location, messages, call logs, and so on. There’s a lot going on, but after a short period, you should start to pick up on how everything works.

With mSpy, you can even access your child’s bookmarks, browsing history, and the Wi-Fi networks they’ve used to get online. Plus, the Android app lets you limit access to websites by category, and you can set up custom keyword alerts to monitor whether your child, spouse, or employees are accessing offensive material.

Beyond all this, the excellent app manager in mSpy tracks all the applications the user has installed, and you can also disable inappropriate apps on Android or monitor your children’s activities with a screen recorder and, of course, the keylogger, which displays everything typed across apps.

You can also highlight the smartphone on a map using Android Exclusive location features and even set up geofencing to specify important locations for your child (such as home, school, or a relative’s house) and receive alerts when they enter or exit these and “out-of-bound” locations.

Pricing

All these ultra-premium features come at an incredibly competitive price point for unrivaled access to your targeted device and some top-notch features, so it’s money well spent. Below is a breakdown of what you can expect to pay for mSpy:

• 1 Month – $48.99/month
• 3 Months – $27.99/month
• 12 Months – $11.66/month

As evident by the plan’s pricing, signing up for an annual plan offers the best value for money. While these amounts may seem high, it’s important to remember the feature set you get with a mSpy plan.

2. EyeZy — A Great Tracking App for Those on a Budget 

EyeZy is another powerful tracking app that can be installed without permission. It boasts several monitoring tools, including the ability to follow the position of the target person, view their search history, monitor text and call logs, and much more.

That said, the information recorded will remain private between you and the target individual, making it great for the security of your loved ones. Additionally, because it’s invisible, neither your children nor your spouse will be aware that a spy app has been installed on their phone, allowing you to monitor them secretly.

What we love most about EyeZy is that there are some powerful features that allow the user to be in total control. For example, you’re able to see a screen recording of the target device, which is especially useful if you suspect they’re doing something they shouldn’t be and need a live feed into their activity.

Additionally, there’s the ‘Social Spotlight’ tab, which contains several key features like social media monitoring, which allows you to keep tabs on all the major platforms, view call and text logs in real-time and downloadable reports.

Beyond this, EyeZy’s keylogger lets you can flag certain terms that you deem important to ensure the user’s safety. In fact, that’s why it’s renowned for being one of the best keylogger apps.

And last but not least, you also have the ability to track the user’s movements, provided they’re connected to the internet. From here, you can see the live location of the user via GPS, and you can even set safe zones like friends’ houses or a certain radius to get notified if they stray outside of these.

Pricing

EyeZy is one of the more affordable tracking apps out there, and they offer three pricing plans for you to choose from. Better still, you can try a free demo, plus there’s a useful 14-day refund policy if you’re unsatisfied:

• Monthly — $47.99/month
• Quarterly — $27.99/month
• Yearly — $9.99/month

3. uMobix — The Best Option for Remote Access to the Target Device

uMobix is another excellent phone tracker app that combines a wide range of advanced features, most notably on Android, alongside competitive prices. For starters, it has an excellent keylogging feature that works on regular browsers and, uniquely, even on incognito modes.

In terms of usability, there’s an easy-to-navigate dashboard that gives you access to some key features from the get-go and displays some basic data on call and SMS activity. You can also see a helpful overview of browsing patterns, such as the most visited websites or search terms.

Beyond this, you can view the call history information for the target phone, including missed, deleted, and incoming ones; plus the caller’s contact information, phone number, call time and date, and length.

It’s also worth noting that uMobix syncs with the smartphone every five minutes, updating call logs and informing you of events as close to in real-time as possible — including live location data.

As mentioned before, uMobix is ideally tailored for use on Android devices, particularly if they’re rooted. While there is an app for iOS, it lacks some of the key features, like accurate location tracking, for example.

That said, one standout feature that’s worth a mention is the Remote Access you can have with uMobix; for example, you’re able to block incoming calls and messages to the user’s device if you suspect they’re unwanted or offensive. This allows you to really look out for your child and can be especially useful if they’re subject to any cyberbullying.

Pricing

In terms of cost, uMobix is pretty level on par with most of the other providers on this list, with cheaper plans available for those who sign up for longer subscriptions. There’s also a 14-day refund policy in place for those who aren’t satisfied with the app’s performance.

• Monthly — $49.99/month
• Quarterly — $27.99/month
• Annual — $11.66/month

4. Cocospy — The Best No-Jailbreak and Rooting Tracker App for Beginners

Cocospy is a popular phone tracking app that combines a few advanced features alongside affordable annual plans. It allows you to monitor a host of social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, and it even offers Tinder spying, so you can ensure your child’s safety.

Cocospy includes practically all the monitoring features needed to spy on someone, and it can track both Android and iPhone devices without rooting or jailbreaking the target device. And the target user won’t have any indication the app is installed, and it has no effect on the user’s device, like slowing it down or heating it up.

Beyond this, there’s an excellent real-time location tracker on hand as well, and it offers superb accuracy, where you’ll even get a timestamp to see when the user was at a certain location. Plus, it seamlessly integrates with Google Maps, and it’s pretty easy to get to grips with.

To top it off, you can also keep an eye on any social media activity from any of the major platforms using the dedicated social media monitoring tool, which captures screenshots periodically, or simply check the keylogger to see what’s being typed in messages, statuses, or the search bars.

For extra safety, you can even monitor photos and videos to ensure nothing explicit is being shared. In fact, you can check any that are stored on the device by exploring the files remotely from your own user device — all of this is achieved without the need for rooting or jailbreaking the device.

Pricing

You can choose from two different Cocospy plans depending on which device you want to be tracked, and each comes with a 14-day refund policy:

• Monthly — $49.99/month
• Quarterly — $29.99/month
• Annual — $12.50/month

5. Hoverwatch — The Best Tracking Tool for Businesses and Families

Hoverwatch is a reliable tracking app that can be installed on various devices, such as phones, tablets, and computers. Beyond this unique USP, it also has a ton of premium features like real-time location and message storage at an affordable price.

You can choose from various subscriptions that offer total device coverage, so you can keep track of your children and loved ones at a price that best fits your budget. This also means you can install the app on all of your kid’s devices, not just their phones.

Moreover, there’s a useful screenshot feature that allows you to see a live image of what the user is doing at any given time. For example, should the user receive a message, either via SMS or through social media, you’ll get a notification informing you, so you can make sure it’s safe.

This also works with web browsing, and if the user enters a keyword that’s flagged, you’ll receive a notification informing you of their actions. This helps you in stopping your child from accessing explicit content online that may have slipped through the SafeSearch filters provided by your ISP.

Another useful extra feature on offer with Hoverwatch is that it allows you to monitor the front-facing camera of the target device. This happens every time the phone is unlocked, so you can ensure that it’s your child using the device and not a friend or stranger.

Pricing

You can choose from three tiers of pricing, depending on the number of devices you need to be covered. These are the monthly plans on offer:

• Personal (1 Device) — $24.95/month
• Professional (5 Devices) — $9.99/device/month
• Business (25 Devices) — $6/device/month

6. XNSpy — A Budget-Friendly Option With Advanced Capabilities

With XNSpy, you can see your children’s SMS, emails, contacts, and much more at an affordable price. In addition, you’ll always know where they are, thanks to its excellent location monitoring — in fact, it’s one of the best geofencing solutions, and you can even set an alert if an unrecognized number calls them.

Beyond this, another incredibly unique and powerful feature on offer with XNSpy is the ability to listen in on the device’s microphone. So, if the target user is at a party or maybe just around a friend’s house, you can listen in to make sure there isn’t anyone there who shouldn’t be or the conversation isn’t explicit in some way.

You can also set your own keywords that’ll alert you if they’re searched for. For example, you could have ‘self-harm’ or ‘sex’ flagged, so you’ll be notified if the user searches for these words.

That said, if you simply want to manage the user’s screen time, you can do this via the app without using the other features. Young people spend a lot of time on social media nowadays, and it can be a good way to display how much time they’ve spent on a certain website to ensure a healthy digital balance.

Pricing

Like most of the best phone tracking apps, XNSpy has three main price plans you can choose from, with the best savings coming from an annual plan:

• Monthly — $35.99/month
• Quarterly — $20/month
• Annual — $7.50/month

7. Spybubble Pro — Top Choice for Tracking Your Partner

SpyBubble Pro is one of the best phone tracker apps for monitoring an unfaithful boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. It was designed specifically with the purpose of catching a cheating partner, as opposed to others on this list that are aimed more at parental control needs.

That said, for those who have trouble believing their spouse when they tell them where they are, there’s a location tracking tool you can use to watch their live location. Additionally, you get access to their SMS and WhatsApp messages to make sure they aren’t speaking with any ex-boyfriends or girlfriends.

You can even view all shared media files and hidden or deleted chats, including outgoing and incoming messages in both of these scenarios. And, if you’re concerned with what your partner is up to on social media, you can also monitor the accounts and messages on all major platforms.

This means you can read messages, and view sent photos, and much more. However, as with most spy apps, you’ll need to have access to the intended user’s device, which, if they are up to no good, can be difficult.

But once it’s installed, you won’t need physical access to the device again, and the target user won’t have any idea that a tracking app is installed, so you don’t need to worry.

Pricing

You can pay for Spybubblepro in three ways, depending on how long you want to keep the tracking going. If you decide it’s not the app for you, you can request your money back within 14 days. The plans are listed below:

• Monthly — $42.49/month
• Quarterly — $25.49/month
• Annual — $10.62/month

8. Geofinder.mobi — The Best for Tracking a User’s Location With Just a Phone Number

Geofinder.mobi takes a slightly different take on phone tracking, and the setup is much easier, as all you need is the recipient’s phone number to get started. That said, it’s worth noting that this isn’t an intrusive app, so the target user will receive a notification and will only allow access if they’re comfortable sharing their live location.

Overall, the platform relies more on trust rather than tracking or spying on a user who is unaware — however, if you have access to the device, you can monitor their location without their knowledge.

Having said all that, the location tracking capabilities are incredibly accurate and can pinpoint the exact location of the target device. It integrates seamlessly with Google Maps, so you easily navigate your way to the other person; you can even explore nearby landmarks should you get lost.

One crafty feature is VPN detection, which is useful as many people use a VPN to mask their true location, so it can be pretty difficult to navigate around this. But with Geofinder.mobi, you’ll be able to flag hidden Wi-Fi addresses, making it easier to discover the true location of the target.

Another thing we quite like about this tool is that the interface is very user-friendly, and the setup takes just minutes, so you’ll have no problems navigating it. That said, it is worth noting that this tool is great for location tracking, but it lacks many of the features on offer with other top phone spy apps.

Pricing

You can trial the service for 48 hours, and it only costs $1. This allows you to test if it’s the right product for you, but moving forward, you only have the option to pay for the service monthly, and that’ll set you back $39.99/month.

Overall, considering the best phone tracker apps have a lot more features, we think this is overpriced, but if you’re after just a location tracking app, we’d recommend trying the trial before committing to the paid plan.

9. Spyera — An Excellent Option for Those Who Want to Monitor a Range of Devices

We’ve explored the best phone tracking apps for parents and children, as well as suspicious partners, but there’s another industry that can benefit from this service — a business. That’s where Spyera comes in handy, with its feature set aimed at monitoring the behavior of employees.

And despite it being one of the more expensive entries on our list, Spyera justifies its position thanks to its ability to range of use cases and unique features like VoIP spying, where it can connect to a VoIP number, as well as a traditional number, and monitor calls and messages.

Many businesses use VoIP services to make and receive calls, and this would allow employers to keep tabs on any incoming or outgoing communications. That said, you can also benefit from the excellent Remote Access feature.

With this, you can remotely access the target device camera & microphone, allowing you to capture videos and photos as well as record audio without the target person knowing about it.

And another reason many opt for Spyera is that it works across a range of devices, like Android, iOS, MacOS, and Windows — the primary systems used in business as well as at home. Also, the keylogging feature can be used across all these devices, so you can make sure all communications are in order.

Pricing

Spyera offers 4 main plans for you to pick from, depending on what your desired use is, with the option of monthly or annual billing:

• Smartphone — $389/year or $32/month
• Tablet — $279/year or $23/month
• Computer — $199/year or $16.50/month
• All-in-one — $479/year or $40/month

10. Spyic — A Good Budget-Friendly App With Plans for Every Need and Budget

Spyic is a well-known and reliable phone tracking app that offers a wide range of plans to suit all needs, whether it’s for family or business usage. That said, one of the factors that make it so popular is that you don’t need a rooted or jailbroken device to get installed and set up.

And unfortunately, because of this, it doesn’t offer quite the same range of advanced features as some of the best phone tracker apps on this list.

What you do get is a user-friendly interface and some good basic features like social media monitoring for both WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger and the ability to read chat logs from regular text messages.

Alongside this, there’s the ability to create safe spaces for your loved ones with geofencing. If they wander outside of this safe parameter, you’ll receive an alert on your phone, and then you can track the user’s location in real-time.

All things considered, the main selling point is undoubtedly to be the device coverage Spyic offers, which means it can be tailored to home or business use, with a flexible range of plans suitable for all.

Pricing

With Spyic, you can select from a range of different plans for Android and iOS:

Premium

• Android – $9.99/month
• iOS – $10.83/month

Family

• Android – $16.66/month – 3 devices
• iOS — $33.33/month – 5 devices

Business

• iOS – $83.33/month – 25 devices

A Comparison of the 10 Best Phone Tracker Apps

To help you easily compare the market’s leading apps for tracking a phone without permission, we’ve compiled the table below with all the key details:

What is a Phone Tracker App?

The ‘without permission’ aspect just means that the software or app is installed on a device without the consent of the device owner. Parents don’t need permission from their children to install these apps on their devices — but for other examples, such as partners or employers, you’d usually need to inform the user.

These tracking apps have GPS tracking to show the device’s location. Beyond this, some boast more advanced features, such as the ability to flag certain keywords that are entered into a device, to know whether suspicious or dangerous terms are used by the target user, such as “porn” or “suicide.”

The more premium apps even allow you to monitor social media accounts and see any incoming or outgoing messages, which is especially useful if you suspect your child is being bullied or exchanging messages they shouldn’t be.

How Does a Phone Tracker App Work?

Typically, a cell phone tracker app uses the GPS location data of the target device to give you live, real-time data to locate the target device. Beyond this, some applications also employ triangulation using Wi-Fi and cellular network data to provide a more precise position of the device.

However, the availability of GPS, cellular networks, and Wi-Fi signals may have an impact on how accurate the position data is. And it’s also worth noting that many of these apps also track the online activity happening on the target phone — social media activity, browser history, etc.

The app disguises itself as an ordinary one to avoid suspicion, and once installed, it tracks the activity happening on the device and sends the data to your dashboard to review — all remotely and discreetly.

That said, it’s crucial to remember that tracing someone’s phone without their permission is illegal in some countries unless you’re monitoring your child’s activity — so we’d recommend checking your local laws before you use one of these apps.

What Can You See When Using a Phone Tracking App?

A good phone tracking app allows you to monitor a target users device in multiple ways to ensure their safety and give you peace of mind. Whilst most will have a GPS tracker as standard, others have some slightly more advanced features.

For example, the best apps on this list allow you to remotely access the intended device’s microphone so you can listen to conversations they’re having, making sure there’s nothing explicit going on. Other more advanced features include keyword monitoring, which allows a parent to set certain keywords that will get flagged if searched for.

Beyond this, most apps also include call and text monitoring — including viewing the messages and activity happening on social media platforms. This can help stop the ongoing rise of cyberbullying, something that’s rife all around the world.

Why Use a Tracking App?

Although it may seem like a lack of trust, using a tracking app actually has very justifiable reasons, especially for concerned parents. Below is a list of reasons you should use a phone tracker app:

Ease of Mind

The internet can be a scary place for a young person, whether it’s the pressure of social media, bullying, harassment, explicit images — the list goes on. So an app like those reviewed here gives parents the ability to ensure their child’s safety, both online and offline, for complete peace of mind.

Some may just choose to turn on the location feature, so they can make sure their child doesn’t go anywhere dangerous. For others who may suspect their child is being cyberbullied, having the option to view messages could be life-changing and even offer protection.

Business Productivity

Some businesses may employ more basic tracking services to ensure the workflow is as it should be. Although, this usually requires permission, as you can’t just spy on your staff without letting them know.

Either way, it’s a good way to ensure employees aren’t sharing private information or even browsing websites they shouldn’t be on at work, and beyond this, it’s also a great way of ensuring field workers are on site when they should be.

Finding a Lost/Stolen Device

One of the most common reasons people use tracking apps is to find a device that has been lost or stolen, especially when it might contain private information. This is particularly useful for businesses that give out company devices.

As most of these apps have real-time location tracking, you’re able to see exactly where the device is and whether anyone is trying to access it. Plus, some of the best phone tracking apps have a feature where they can take a picture from the front-facing camera, so if someone is trying to unlock the device, you can see exactly who it is.

How to Set Up a Tracker App | A Step-by-Step Guide

It’s pretty easy to set up and navigate a phone tracker app, but just in case you don’t know, we’ll walk you through the process of how to do this on Android using our top pick mSpy:

Step 1 – Get a Subscription

Head over to the mSpy website and pick the plan that’s right for you. Then, create an account using a valid email address so mSpy can send you the instructions for use.

Step 2 – Select Your Plan

Choose a plan. For the best savings, we’d recommend signing up for an annual subscription:

Step 3 – Log In & Install

Login using the credentials you created earlier, then follow the installation wizard and configure the settings as explained on the screen.

Step 4 – Turn Off PlayProtect

PlayProtect’s security features must be turned off for a phone tracking app to function. With the help of the instructions mSpy provides, this is once more fairly simple.

After disabling, carry out the download procedure. When you’ve completed the steps outlined by mSpy and completed the installation, scroll through the apps on the device to find the “Update Service” icon.

Click the icon to complete the setup process — this entails accepting app permissions and following on-screen prompts to remove all traces of the installation.

Step 5 – Start Monitoring

Once finished, sign in to see all the activity synced to your control panel:

Conclusion

The best phone tracking apps can offer a partner or parent real peace of mind by allowing them to monitor the behavior of a loved one. That said, our top pick, mSpy, has an excellent set of features like social media monitoring and a real-time location tracker to ensure that your loved ones are safe, both online and offline.

It’s also pretty affordable if you sign up for an annual plan, and you can also benefit from mSpy’s 10-day money-back guarantee — try it now.

Phone Tracker FAQ