SpyX Review: The Hidden Truth About How It Really Works

Easy accessibility and curiosity can be a dangerous combination for children. Without proper checks and balances, things can easily go south. Communication channels, social media apps, and entertainment channels all have age restrictions; however, they are not so strict that the digital generation cannot bypass them. So the responsibility falls on parents to impose rules and restrictions regarding digital activities. 

The best way to understand what children are doing on the internet is to use parental monitoring apps, but it’s not that simple. Choosing an app requires research and testing because not every app can bypass the phone’s security. 

To cut through the noise, we decided to test one of the most talked-about options right now – SpyX. It claims to offer powerful parental controls, but is SpyX legit? Let’s find out. 

SpyX Overview 

SpyX is a phone monitoring or surveillance app that provides a complete overview of what someone is doing on their phone. It has various features that offer real-time insights into calls, messages, GPS locations, and social media activity. 

The app is not limited to parental monitoring and is often regarded as a spy app. The most notable characteristic of SpyX is that it doesn’t require installation on the target device. Although they emphasize this point, the SpyX app reviews online state that only a few features are accessible through this method. 

There is a lot of negativity around the app, but we wanted to test it ourselves. So we purchased the subscription and used SpyX for about a month. We test each feature multiple times to verify the accuracy of its claims online. Here is how our journey went. 

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SpyX Cost 

The first step was to purchase the subscription. SpyX offers a straightforward plan, which can be purchased on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. 

The monthly subscription costs, $49.98/month, the 2-month plan costs $28.32/month, and the yearly subscription costs $11.66/month. 

SpyX doesn’t offer multiple device coverage or SpyX Family plans. You need to purchase an additional plan to track another device. We purchased the 2-month plan to understand how the app works fully. The next step was to install the app on the target device. 

SpyX Compatibility, Download, Ease of Use

Most apps are compatible with both iOS and Android, and so is SpyX. On their website, they have not specified the versions they are compatible with; however, they are generally compatible with any Android device, including Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, LG, Motorola, and iPhone. 

If you want further information, you have to contact their customer service. To access their customer service, you must first sign up for their website, which seems unusual. Even if you have a presales question, you have to use the SpyX login. 

After purchasing the subscription, we proceeded with the installation process. SpyX advertises that you don’t need to install the app on the target device; however, this is not the case. This method does work, but you have access to a limited number of features. 

Additionally, you will need the target person’s credentials. To access all features, including social media and remote capabilities, you must install the app on the target device. Honestly, we didn’t understand the point of using credentials. The installation process is not overly complex, but in case you encounter any issues, customer service can be challenging to reach. 

Once the app is installed, you can track the activities using the SpyX dashboard. It is web-based, so you can access it from anywhere. The main dashboard is easy to use, but it is slightly different from the demo. Some of the features are entirely different. 

The home page features social media apps and displays information about the number of messages and top apps, based on usage. You can also view the location and screen time summary. Overall, it’s okay, but it would be nice to view the call summary as well. 

How Does SpyX Work – Reviewing Its Features

SpyX offers many features, but one can not judge the app based on the number of features. We reviewed them based on their use and performance. Here is what we experienced. 

SMS and Calls 

SpyX captures all incoming and outgoing SMS messages, including details such as timestamps, contact names, and full message content. All call and message data is saved on the dashboard, allowing you to view both deleted call records and messages. During our testing, the feature worked fine at first. 

The SpyX app recorded many calls, but later, the update time was extended, and it also began to miss many calls, especially those under 5 to 6 minutes in length. Another thing that we missed was filters or search options. If the list is too long, it takes time to review all the records and locate the required contact. 

The lengthy lists also make it very difficult to identify which contacts are problematic and require attention. You need to review the entire list and assess the following steps, as there is no call recording available either.  

Another feature we missed in SpyX was the inability to block or watchlist contacts. When it comes to parental control, a few remote commands are essential, and checking up on contacts is one of them. 

The messages feature displayed the messages in a conversation format, which was beneficial, but it required a lot of reading and reviewing the messages to identify the contacts that needed to be blocked. 

Voicemail and FaceTime 

SpyX includes FaceTime call tracking and voicemail features as well. The FaceTime feature only shows the incoming, outgoing, and missed calls. Similar to call records, it is difficult to search through all the lists. Although this feature can be helpful, it has limited usage as it is not as widely used as a few other connecting apps. 

The voicemail feature doesn’t work as well as we hoped. It just captured 2 or 3 voicemails. For our SpyX review, we sent multiple voicemails, but most of them didn’t reach the app, and the rest had voice issues. 

During testing, FaceTime logs usually appeared 2 to 3 hours late, and so did the voicemails. FaceTime records can be helpful for parents, but usually, children don’t use voicemails. Overall, the feature provides basic awareness of who is contacting the child, but without immediate updates or audio playback, it functions more as a record-keeping tool than a proactive monitoring function.

Internet Usage

SpyX app tracks the websites visited on the target device, along with the time and date of access. The feature worked fine and didn’t miss many websites, but it didn’t show the search queries. 

Another major issue with this feature is that to access website history, you need to have your child’s Google credentials. Primarily, the feature is available in the app version that doesn’t require you to install the app on the target device. 

If you simply want to view your child’s internet history, you can provide the login details and obtain the necessary information. In their demo, the website blocker feature is available, but it is not available in the actual app. You can confirm it with the SpyX reviews by other customers. 

In addition, private browsing, i.e, the incognito mode or specific browsers, may bypass detection entirely. Overall, it’s a helpful monitoring tool, but it doesn’t paint the whole picture. 

Keylogger and Keyword

SpyX advertises a keylogger that records keystrokes typed on the target device, along with keyword alerts that notify you when specific terms are used. In reality, the keylogger’s performance is inconsistent; some apps and browsers capture data, others do not. Also, some of the data was missed from the ones it captured. 

Specifically for this test, we added multiple keywords with emojis, but the keyword alerts also depend on how frequently the device syncs. It means that we didn’t get any real-time notifications. 

The delays in notification by SpyX can be an issue as parents with teens would not want to miss if their children are watching something inappropriate on the internet. It highlights the importance of protecting children from the adult content they encounter online. 

Locations

SpyX’s location feature worked well. It didn’t show the real-time location, and the updating time was inconsistent. Sometimes it updated the location within a few minutes, and occasionally it took hours, mainly depending on the connectivity and internet issues. The delayed time can be hazardous in the event of an issue. Otherwise, the SpyX app captured most of the locations, creating the history one may require. 

In addition to that, SpyX also offers geofencing features. This feature allows you to save specific locations marked as save and send you a notification when your child enters or leaves that location. 

While SpyX offers geofencing, the process of adding locations is more challenging and requires a certain level of geographical knowledge. For example, when you click on the ” add new place” button, it asks you to provide longitude, latitude, and radius. Most people have to Google if they want to add a location. 

As far as functionality is concerned, SpyX didn’t send notifications most of the time, and sometimes you get a notification after the target device was already home. This drawback doesn’t make SpyX a reliable app for protecting children online. 

Social Networks

SpyX supports a wide range of social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok, and more. The demo shows that it only tracks conversations; however, in reality, it takes screenshots. 

During our testing, we used all of the apps that provide screenshots. Most of the time, the app failed to detect the apps that are being used on the target device. At other times, it would send a ton of screenshots of the app later, which makes it challenging to dig through the screenshots to find concerning information. 

However, the delays in screenshots happened two or three times. The bigger issue was SpyX missing a large amount of time. Initially, it worked decently, but later, the screenshots became almost nonexistent. 

One thing we missed was the actual conversations of the apps. SpyX does have a keylogger; however, you cannot see the messages of all apps with contact information. For instance, if you are going through WhatsApp chats through screenshots, imagine how much time it would take to go through all of them to find problematic chats. With screenshots, you can get the idea about the content choices, but tracking messages is energy-consuming and time-consuming. 

Remote Control

SpyX has remote monitoring features like screenshots, audio/video recording, and cloud-based data capture. However, in practice, these capabilities are hit or miss. Screenshots may not always match the live activity, which means that it takes excessive time to read the command and send it to the target device. 

Moreover, the remote audio/video recordings sometimes fail to initiate or capture poor-quality output. All these SpyX features may overlap with the benefit. For example, it offers taking videos and photos remotely. During our testing, the video recording feature worked just once or twice. Additionally, all the remote features interfered with the device’s functionality, compromising its stealth mode, which was undesirable. 

SpyX Pros and Cons

SpyX Pros

• SpyX can operate without installing the app on the target device, offering limited features.
• Voicemail and FaceTime features can become handy. 

SpyX Cons

• A few features are missing, like SpyX doesn’t offer call recording or contact blocking options.
• Customer support is not 24/7 and can be slow and unresponsive sometimes. 
• The demo version differs significantly from the real product.
• The app doesn’t offer subscriptions like Spyx Family, etc. 

SpyX App Reviews By Actual Customers

Is SpyX Legit, Or is There Another App Perfect Fit for Your Parenting Style?

SpyX is a legitimate monitoring app that tracks calls, messages, locations, and some social media activity. All these features combined can provide complete protection, and some of the features, like FaceTime, can become handy in understanding children. However, the app is more of a surveillance app than a tool to protect children from the online world. The feature, at times, gives intrusive elements that can cause issues between parents and children. 

Additionally, its performance inconsistencies, delayed updates, and lack of advanced parental control features mean it’s not the ideal choice for every parent. If you want oversight and are comfortable with occasional gaps in monitoring, SpyX can be sufficient.

On the other hand, if your parenting style demands real-time updates, reliable alerts, and a more interactive app, Xnspy can be a good fit. We compared both apps side by side to check if our SpyX app reviews are harsh, and here is what we found. 

Xnspy Overview 

Xnspy is a parental phone monitoring application that offers a wider range of parental tracking features. Due to the well-designed features, the app can be used for employee monitoring and monitoring loved ones for protection. 

Xnspy places a strong emphasis on protecting children from the dangers of the digital world, providing parents with the opportunity to understand their children and help them create a stronger bond. 

Xnspy is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. You can directly check the compatibility of your device using the online compatibility checker on their website or contact their customer service, which is available 24/7. Generally, the app works with Android 4.0 and later, as well as iOS 6.0 and above.

Once you have purchased the app, you will be provided with the link that allows you to download and link the target device. You need the target device once, and when the installation is complete, Xnspy hides itself and starts working discreetly in the background, syncing data to a web-based dashboard accessible from any device.

Xnspy is direct about their installation and login processes and doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to access without installation options and other complicated SpyX login systems. Once installed, it runs continuously and captures data even in offline situations, uploading it to the dashboard. 

The dashboard is intuitive and straightforward; you can find the required data easily on the control pane. Additionally, it offers a straightforward setup that enables you to tailor the features to your specific needs. For example, you can turn off the recordings and call logs if you feel that you are being too intrusive. 

Its social media monitoring is also more robust, supporting popular platforms with both chat logs and multimedia access.

Xnspy Cost 

Xnspy offers two subscription plans: Basic and Premium. The Premium plan has the complete feature set, including call recording, advanced social media monitoring, and screen recording. Prices vary depending on subscription length. 

The monthly cost for the premium plan is $35.99. The monthly cost is $19.99/month for a quarterly subscription, and $7.49/month for a yearly subscription. 

The Premium plan offers the best value for long-term monitoring, as the monthly cost decreases significantly with an annual subscription. 

Xnspy Highlighted Features  

Let’s go through the most highlighted features of Xnspy and how they worked in comparison to SpyX. 

SMS and Calls 

Xnspy logs all incoming and outgoing SMS and call records. It shows timestamps, contact names, and durations so you know the exact details. It has search filters that enable you to locate the information on the required contacts. To save parents’ time and energy, Xnspy provides analysis reports. 

These reports provide the top five contacts based on the frequency of calls. Even if the contact is not saved, Xnspy will capture the details. You can also view the top five contact lists, sorted by duration, based on the top five calls. With this information, you can easily identify the contacts that you need to keep track of without having to go through extensive lists. 

Once you have identified which contact you need to check up on, you can add them to the watchlists. So when that contact calls, you will get a notification and clear the doubts you have regarding it. 

Final Verdict: Xnspy wins with its call analysis reports, which provide valuable insights without requiring a significant amount of your time, a feature that we missed during our Spyx review.

Call Recording 

One of Xnspy’s standout features is call recording. This feature helps you clear all doubts that you have regarding the call logs. For example, if you have identified a problematic contact or someone is talking to your child 10 times a day, you can listen to the recording to confirm that the communication is harmless and your child is safe. Furthermore, you can also listen to calls received on communication apps, providing complete security. 

Xnspy doesn’t offer FaceTime and Voicemail listening options. Depending on your child’s phone usage, most children don’t send or receive voicemails, but make a lot of calls. Similarly, depending on the phone and region, most children don’t FaceTime all the time. So, call recording offers more value in tracking children’s activities. 

Final Verdict: The call recording is a considerable advantage over SpyX, as it provides the full context of conversations rather than just metadata. However, if you consider the FaceTime and Voicemail features, the SpyX app wins that category. 

Browsing History 

Xnspy records all websites visited on the target device, complete with timestamps, URLs, and frequency of visits. In comparison to SpyX, which requires Google credentials and often misses private browsing, Xnspy captures browsing history directly from the device, even in incognito mode. 

Additionally, just like call records analysis, Xnspy offers website analysis. You can view the Top five URLs that are visited the most. If there are problematic URLs, you can communicate with the children and guide them on the responsible use of the internet. 

Final Verdict: Xnspy wins in this category, as SpyX’s web tracking feels incomplete without search queries and is often bypassed by private browsing. With its website analysis and visit frequency, as well as the ease of use, which doesn’t require additional setup to access basic internet history, Xnspy offers increased transparency. 

Keylogger and Keyword

Xnspy’s keylogger records every keystroke typed on the device, including messages, search terms, usernames, and notes. You can also set up keyword alerts, which instantly notify you if their child types sensitive terms like “drugs,” “meet up,” or inappropriate content. 

During our tests, Xnspy captured texts from search queries, comments posted on social media apps, and even less popular apps. In comparison to SpyX, the keyword notification rate was much higher, and Xnspy also allowed us to add various kinds of keywords. 

Final Verdict: Xnspy’s keylogger and real-time keyword alerts worked better than SpyX. Instead of inconsistent logs and delayed updates, Xnspy provides timely insights and clear organization, making it a practical safety tool rather than just a record-keeping feature.

Locations

Xnspy provides detailed GPS tracking with frequent updates, allowing you to view your child’s past locations and their current position. With Xnspy, you can also view real-time updates, even with a weak internet connection. Xnspy was much quicker to read the information. 

Additionally, the app provides a more straightforward way to add geofence locations. You simply need to enter the address, or you can use the search bar to choose the radius and specify whether you want a notification for check-in or check-out. It doesn’t give you a hard time figuring out the longitude and latitude of the location. 

Final Verdict: Xnspy takes the edge here with accurate real-time updates and a user-friendly geofencing setup. Also, based on SpyX reviews, the geofence notifications are not very consistent on the app, whereas Xnpy is much more accurate and consistent. 

Screen Recorder

Xnspy’s screen recorder feature captures periodic screenshots of social media apps, including WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and more. You can view every detail, including stories, posts, feed, profiles, and chat. 

In comparison to SpyX, the screenshots were more consistent, and most of the time, they were captured and saved in real time. The occasional delays only happened when there were internet issues. Other times, the feature worked consistently. 

Apart from these screenshots, Xnspy also provides the option to view chat of communication channels separately. For example, if you want to view WhatsApp messages, you can use the Xnspy Messenger feature. Here, all the chats can be reviewed separately, offering a filtering option to view the required chats directly. 

Final Verdict: Xnspy wins here with the consistency of screenshots and ease of tracking messages. 

Remote Control

Xnspy includes remote features such as ambient recording, ambient screenshots, data wiping, and device locking. These controls help you intervene if your child’s safety is at risk. For example, you can remotely lock the device if it’s lost or wipe sensitive data in case your child’s private data is at risk. 

Ambient recording allows you to capture background sounds, offering insight into your child’s environment. SpyX, on the other hand, focuses more on spying rather than protection with remote camera and video options. Although these remote features don’t offer as much security as the phone itself, they still provide some protection. In our experience, features like data wipe and remote locking offer more value.

Final Verdict: Xnspy dominates in remote control, as it offers a wide range of features that ensure your child’s safety and their personal data on their phone is protected. Additionally, SpyX’s inconsistent performance and intrusive glitches fail to provide dependable parental oversight.

Xnspy Pros and Cons

The following are the pros and Cons of the Xnspy app. 

Xnspy Pros

• Xnspy offers more reliable, consistent data syncing than SpyX. 
• It offers more value-oriented features, such as call recording, remote phone locking, and data wiping. 
• The interface is much more user-friendly than the SpyX dashboard. 
• Xnspy offers 24/7 customer service options. 

Xnspy Cons

• Requires physical installation on most devices.
• Xnspy doesn’t offer a free trial. 

Xnspy Reviews By Real Users

Xnspy vs. SpyX: A Quick Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature	Xnspy	SpyX
Calls & SMS Monitoring	Reliable logs, search filters, contact watchlists, and analysis reports  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Logs available but inconsistent, no filters, and missing call recording  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Call Recording	Records phone & VoIP calls for full context  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Not available  ⭐⭐⭐
Voicemail & FaceTime	Not available, but covers VoIP calls  ⭐⭐⭐	Tracks FaceTime & voicemail, though delayed  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Browsing History	Captures incognito browsing + top website reports  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Requires Google credentials, misses private browsing, no search queries  ⭐⭐⭐
Keylogger & Keyword Alerts	Real-time alerts, accurate keystroke logging across apps  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Inconsistent logs, delayed alerts, missed data  ⭐⭐⭐
Location Tracking & Geofencing	Real-time updates, easy setup with address search  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Inconsistent updates, complex setup with longitude/latitude  ⭐⭐⭐
Social Media Monitoring	Robust chat logs + multimedia + consistent screen recorder  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Screenshot-based, delayed updates, misses conversations  ⭐⭐⭐
Remote Control	Lock device, wipe data, ambient recording & screenshots  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Remote photos/videos inconsistent, poor stealth mode  ⭐⭐⭐
Dashboard & Ease of Use	Intuitive, customizable, quick search/filter options  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Clean dashboard but limited and demo differs from reality  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Customer Support	24/7 support with presales and troubleshooting  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Must sign up for queries, slow response  ⭐⭐⭐
Pricing	$7.49/month annually (Premium). Great long-term value  ⭐⭐⭐⭐	$11.66/month annually. Limited plans, no family options  ⭐⭐⭐

Final Verdict 

When it comes to parental monitoring, both SpyX and Xnspy offer valuable tools, but their intent may be slightly different. SpyX feels more like a spy app than a parental monitoring app, especially if you understand how it actually works.  

It functions without installation in limited cases and provides basic features like call logs, FaceTime records, and internet history. While it has performance gaps and delayed updates, it can still help parents gain a general idea of their child’s phone activity.

On the other hand, Xnspy delivers a more consistent monitoring experience. With features such as call recording, detailed analysis reports, real-time location updates, and social media tracking, it provides more options for concerned parents to gain actionable insights.

Ultimately, both apps can be helpful depending on what you’re looking for. If you require occasional oversight, SpyX may be suitable, but for reliable, real-time monitoring, Xnspy is the more plausible choice.