Whenever you are about to choose from hidden SMS spying apps, go for the one that is the best value for your money. Don’t rush into picking the first text message spy app that you come across, you must evaluate your options first. Don’t go for a cheap one or an expensive one either. Consider the following factors when you shop for a text message spying app or any other app to clone a cell phone to see text messages:
Pick a reliable app. Never choose the one that creates a noticeable lag on the target phone. It should send you all the data that you want to see whether it's text messages, photos, or call logs. Unreliable apps typically impair the performance of the target phone or force you to reinstall. You can never count on such apps for any kind of snooping. Of course, it is hard to figure that out unless you use the app but to stay safe, look for genuine customer reviews. If the app has any complications, you will get to know about it.
Since you want to keep tabs on another person, the particular app to see other people’s texts must work in stealth mode. Look for those SMS spy apps that are 100 percent undetectable. The ones that are hidden under code names can be easily spotted by the owner of the phone. You must choose an app with a proven track record of stealth monitoring. The app you are using must be designed and developed by experienced professionals.
When there are many apps to see who someone is texting offering different features, a user who hasn’t done his homework can get overwhelmed. Since you are looking for an app to track messages on someone else’s phone, your focus should be on the text message tracking feature in particular. Make sure you don’t have to root or jailbreak the device for monitoring. After this, you can always check other features.
Do not pick a complicated app that offers extra features. What's the point of buying an app with features you don't even need? Go for an app that is easy to use. You can test an app's interface by either signing up for a free trial or checking its live demo version. Navigate the app and only invest in it if you are comfortable with the interface.
Price typically changes if you want more than just a basic feature. The good thing is that all basic versions of spying apps support text message spying. So if you are looking for apps to read other people's texts, buying the basic version would just be fine. In case you want advanced features too, then you can always buy the premium version.
Support matters big time. If the features are great and the price is nominal, too, but the customer support is not, then you are simply wasting money on that particular product. How can you use an app effectively if there is no one from the customer support team available to hear your concerns or help you with a technical problem? Check if the app's website has detailed instructions on installation and how-to guides on its features. Also, make sure that you get 24/7 customer support.
With this guide, you’ll know how to pick stealth app to see texts on other people’s smartphones. You will also know of our top recommendation, and will be able to make an informed purchase decision. The ball is in your court. Go ahead, and pick an app that meets your spying needs.
Users are often spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting text message spy applications. A lot of companies vie for the luxury of retention on today’s smartphones, and most have all the offering on paper, but still struggle. This is because the end-user of today understands that only a handful of subscriptions can be accounted for every month before they start to hurt the wallet. And that selecting the all-around best option is the safest investment for most. Here are some considerations you should know to make the best choice in this category:
While the product may be flawless in operation and have all the functionality you could want, in the event things don’t quite work the way you want, its company should have a hotline for immediate support and resolution. This is important as software is bound to fail at some point. Text message monitoring apps aren’t an exception. Ensure the company you pick has active customer support portals, and an online number you can ring for technical support.
What do you do if a product you’ve paid for (and in most cases, paid a few hundred dollars at once) doesn’t work as intended? Or when it isn’t the right software for you, or you’ve had second thoughts over the purchase? Does the company you select offer a refund policy? It’s important to pick a company that respects the customer’s decision to ask for their money back in case of dissatisfaction or otherwise. Companies offering a free trial, or those with a working live demo for you to try before purchasing are also just as good.
Brand presence can be defined as having a solid and consistent persona either physically or online. This means that users should look for companies that have a legitimate physical location from where they operate, and have a solid online presence on social media platforms and a stable and information-rich website. Choosing a company that is located near you can enable you to avoid time zone constraints if you run into problems and require immediate support. Similarly, a leading text message spy app developer would have a comprehensive website with features, tutorials, FAQs, and guides.
Yes, totally, all you need is to have a text messages tracker like Xnspy, and you are all set. Once downloaded on a phone, you can access all sent and received texts from your Xnspy web account.
Due to the way apps to monitor text messages work, it isn't possible to view messages remotely without software fetching the data. That is why all the apps mentioned above require installation to work.
Tracking the location from where a text message is sent isn’t possible with Xnspy. However, users can see where the tracked phone is on the map when replying to the message. They can do this with Xnspy’s geolocation tracker.
Almost every program to track phones requires a one-time installation of the software. Or simply put, text spying without target phone is only possible once you have installed the app on it. In the case of Xnspy, you can remotely spy on all text messages if you are subscribed to either Basic or Premium packages of Xnspy.
You need to download a discreet monitoring program like Xnspy on their phones. Xnspy quietly records all text messages of your children without them ever noticing any suspicion.
Apps
Rating
Features Offered
Price
XNSPY
9.0/10
30+
Basic: $4.99/month
Premium: $7.49/month
TheWiSpy
8.6/10
20+
Basic: $8.33/month
Premium: 13.33/month
Platinum: $19.99/month
eyeZy
8.2/10
20+
$47.99/month
iKeyMonitor
8.0/10
20+
Family: $16.66/month
Business: $9.99/month per device
mSpy
7.8/10
18+
Basic: $16.66/month
Premium: $29.99/month
XNSPY
9.0/10
30+
Basic: $4.99/month
Premium: $7.49/month
TheWiSpy
8.6/10
20+
Basic: $8.33/month
Premium: 13.33/month
Platinum: $19.99/month
eyeZy
8.2/10
20+
$47.99/month
uMobix
7.5/10
20+
Monthly: $49.99
Quarterly: $27.99
Yearly: $11.66
Spyzie
7.2/10
15+
Premium: $29.99/month
Ultimate: $39.99/month
SpyEra
7.0/10
15+
$32/month
Flexispy
6.9/10
12+
Lite: $29.95/month
Premium: $68/month
Extreme: $199.99/three months
Mobi Stealth
6.6/10
10+
Pro: $59.99/month
Pro-X: $69.99/month
Highster
6.3/10
8+
One-time Fee: $69.99/month
Hoverwatch
5.9/10
8+
Personal: $24.95/month
Professional: $9.99/month per device
Business: $6/month per device
iKeyMonitor
8.0/10
20+
Family: $16.66/month
Business: $9.99/month per device
mSpy
7.8/10
18+
Basic: $16.66/month
Premium: $29.99/month
uMobix
7.5/10
20+
Monthly: $49.99
Quarterly: $27.99
Yearly: $11.66
Spyzie
7.2/10
15+
Premium: $29.99/month
Ultimate: $39.99/month
SpyEra
7.0/10
15+
$32/month
Flexispy
6.9/10
12+
Lite: $29.95/month
Premium: $68/month
Extreme: $199.99/three months
Mobi Stealth
6.6/10
10+
Pro: $59.99/month
Pro-X: $69.99/month
Highster
6.3/10
8+
One-time Fee: $69.99/month
Hoverwatch
5.9/10
8+
Personal: $24.95/month
Professional: $9.99/month per device
Business: $6/month per device
Xnspy is our top choice as the app to see who someone is texting. It’s pretty user-friendly and comes with basic and advanced spying features. It allows you to clone a cell phone to see text messages so that you can remotely track all sent and received SMS on both Android and iOS. You can check the name and number of the sender and also view the time and date stamps. Xnspy allows a user to watchlist certain words so they can get alerts whenever those words are used in text message conversations. That saves you from the trouble of going through all the long text messages.
The best thing about Xnspy is that it lets you view even the conversations deleted by the target user. The deleted messages will still be in Xnspy’s control panel as long as a backup was created.
Here are some other features of Xnspy that deserve your attention:
Xnspy is compatible with both Android and iOS, as aforementioned. It also has two versions for iPhone, i.e., Jailbreak and No Jailbreak. Here is a compatibility chart for that:
Android
iPhone (JailBreak)
iPhone (No JailBreak)
4.x, 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
6.x, 7.x, 8. up to 9.0.2
6.x, 7.x, 8.x up to 17.0.3
Xnspy has two editions: The Basic edition costs $4.99 a month, and the Premium edition costs $7.49 a month. Apart from the monthly subscription plan, quarterly and annual subscriptions are also available.
The WiSpy is another great hidden text monitoring app for Android and iOS. Users can use this app to check messages on another phone with relative ease since all messages can be tracked and displayed using WiSpy. Besides this, you can also view their names and contact numbers. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of reading all the text messages, then you can set alerts on certain words or even contacts to get notified.
Have a look at the features of TheWiSpy:
TheWiSpy is compatible with both Android and iPhone (no jailbreak). Check the compatibility chart below to see if it supports your device:
Android
iPhone (No JailBreak)
4.x, 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, 10, 11, 12
6.x, 7.x, 8.x up to 15+
TheWiSpy has three versions. The Basic version costs $8.33/month, the Premium comes in at $13.33/month, and the Platinum costs $19.99/month.
eyeZy is also one of the more capable text tracking apps for smartphones running on any OS framework. The tool advertises itself as one of the most powerful phone monitoring software, and that holds considering the sheer number of features it has. The eyeZy app allows an easy way to spy on messages and instant messenger chats. It can effortlessly fetch all incoming and outgoing messaging data from a phone and report it to a dashboard.
Have a look at the features of eyeZy:
This message spy app works on iPhones as well as Android phones.
Android
iPhone (No JailBreak)
7.x, 8.x, 9.x, 10, 11 and 12
6.x, 7.x, 8.x up to 15 and up
The eyeZy text monitoring app costs $47.99/month, $27.99/month for three months, and $9.99/month for 12 months.
Another great app to see texts on any mobile phone is iKeyMonitor. In fact, this is the first entry on our list that can spy on messages on Mac and Windows devices, too. Sold as a parental monitoring tool, iKeyMonitor’s versatility makes it one of the best phone message tracking apps out there. The app can easily detect any messages that come in and go from a device and present these chats in a neat UI dashboard. iKeyMonitor is also an app that lets you see other people’s text messages after the fact as well and isn't just limited to messages that have come through recently. It is a powerful tool for parents looking to protect children from inappropriate and harmful content, cyberbullying, and sexual predators.
Have a look at the features of iKeyMonitor:
The iKeyMonitor phone message tracking app runs on both Android and iPhone. Check the compatibility chart below to see if it supports your device:
Android
iPhone (No JailBreak)
4.x, 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, 10, 11
2.3 and up to 12.
iKeyMonitor also has compatibility for Windows and Macs. Macs running 10.7 and above work, whereas Windows machines running 7 to 10 function.
This text message monitoring app costs $16.66/month for the Family plan and $9.99/month for each device on the Business Plan.
In the list of top text message tracking apps, mSpy is a notable candidate which is designed for concerned parents who want to keep their kids safe from the dangers of the online world. With mSpy, you can spy text messages and monitor someone’s incoming and outgoing messages remotely. Along with the text messages, you can also view the sender’s information and time and date stamps with the messages.
Have a look at the other features of these message spy apps for Android and iPhone:
The mSpy phone message tracking app is compatible with Android and iPhone. It has separate versions for iPhone jailbreak and iPhone without jailbreak. Here is a compatibility chart for mSpy:
Android
iPhone (JailBreak)
iPhone (No JailBreak)
4.x, 5.x, 6.x, 7.x & 8.x
8.4, 9.0 up to 9.1
7.x, 8.x up to 11
The mSpy message spy app has three bundles. The first one is the Basic Bundle which costs $29.99 per month. The second one is the Premium bundle which costs $16.66 a month, and it's the most popular one. The third one is the no-jailbreak bundle that costs $39.99 a month. The basic bundle is only available on monthly subscriptions. Premium and no-jailbreak bundles are available in 1-month, 3-month, and 12-month subscriptions.
uMobix is a solid app to see texts on another cell phone remotely while remaining undetectable. With uMobix, users can read all the sent and received messages remotely from an online control panel without touching the device. As uMobix is a parental monitoring app, it comes with a whole host of other features that make it a compelling option. Features such as social media and instant message monitoring are one, and geolocation tracking functionality is another.
Have a look at the features of uMobix:
uMobix is compatible with both Android and iPhone. The compatibility chart below highlights the versions it supports.
Android
iPhone (JailBreak)
7.x, 8.x, 9.x, 10, 11 and 12
6.x, 7.x, 8.x up to 15+
uMobix has three plans based on their validity: the monthly, quarterly, and yearly plans. These plans are priced at $49.99/ month, $27.99/ month, and $11.66/ month, respectively.
Spyzie is another worthy app to see other people’s texts, as it is highly rated for this very feature. It allows you to view a complete record of all the sent and received messages, along with the name of the sender. You can also download the attachments sent along with the text messages on your phone. Spyzie has a cool feature that allows you to analyze the message history of the target device too. With that, you can instantly spy on text messages and judge who the most important contact is from the frequency of their messages.
Have a look at other features of Spyzie:
Spyzie is compatible with Android and iPhone (no rooting and jailbreak required). Here is a compatibility chart for Spyzie:
Android
iPhone (No JailBreak)
4.x to 8.0x
6.x to 11.0x
The Android version of Spyzie has two editions: The Ultimate Edition and the Premium Edition. The price of the Premium edition is $29.99 a month. The price of Ultimate Edition is $39.99 a month. Both these editions are available in one-, three-, and 12-month licenses. The iPhone edition costs $39.99 a month and is available as a monthly subscription only.
SpyEra was created as an SMS spy app, but later on, more features were added to help parents and employers keep tabs on the activities of another person.
Today, it is a versatile app that lets you see other people’s text messages and other aspects of their phones. Its control panel provides with you all the captured data from text messages in a single report. SpyEra captures sent and received text messages along with the ones that have been deleted. You can check details such as contact name, the phone number associated with the message, and also its date and time with this message spy app.
Apart from letting you spy on text messages, here are some other features supported by SpyEra:
Android
iPhone (JailBreak)
All OS up to v8.1
All iOS up to 11.3.1
SpyEra's subscription is available for $32 a month for Android devices and iPhones.
Flexispy is another powerful spy app that allows you to track someone’s mobile activities without letting them know. It gives you real-time access to the data on the monitored device. Flexispy’s text message tracker lets you read all the messages that have been sent or received on the device along with the date and time details. Through your web-based control panel, you can read all these messages anytime. It notifies you whenever the target device receives a text. Also, you can download all these messages in an excel file.
Have a look at the other features of Flexispy:
Flexispy is compatible with Android and iOS. Check the compatibility chart below for more details:
Android
iPhone
Supports up to v12
Supports up to v15
Flexispy is available in 3 packages; Lite, which costs $29.95 a month, Premium, which costs $68 a month and Extreme, which costs $199.99 for three months.
MobiStealth is the SMS spying app designed to empower parents and employees looking for answers or trying to keep their kids' or company's information safe. It allows you to read all the incoming and outgoing text messages on an Android or iOS device. You simply have to install it on the target device and let it do the spying. The text message spying feature in the MobiStealth is designed to provide you with the relevant data you need to stay informed and in control of what's going on in the life of your child or the work-life of your employees.
Here are the features of MobiStealth:
MobiStealth is compatible with Android and iPhone (no jailbreak required). Check the compatibility chart below for more details:
Android
iPhone (No JailBreak)
Supports up to 6x
Supports iPhone X/7Plus/7/6Plus/6 and all other models having iOS versions 9.0 and above.
Mobile stealth has two versions for Android; Pro-X and PRO. The former costs $69.99 a month, and the latter costs $59.99 a month. Premium Plus is meant for iPhones, and it costs $69.99 a month. There is a PC and a MAC version too.
Highster is a remote cellphone tracking software that also lets you spy on someone’s text messages. You can use this app for monitoring your teen, employees, and even other family members. You can view text messages on Android and iMessages on their Phone. Along with reading all the incoming and outgoing text messages, you can check the time and date stamps plus the contact name and number.
Here are some other features of Highster that make it our 10 top picks:
Highster is compatible with Android and iPhone; however, a jailbreak is required to monitor iOS devices. Check the compatibility chart here:
Android
iPhone (JailBreak)
Supports 2.3 and higher
Supports all iOS, including iOS 9.1
Highster is available for a one-time fee of $69.99.
Hoverwatch makes it to our list of apps to see someone else’s messages but is placed at the bottom for a few good reasons. While it is a capable monitoring software, it doesn't place a lot of effort into specifically monitoring text messages. That can be the point of contention for people who are looking for a tool that can do just that and do it well. Nevertheless, Hoverwatch provides users with some messages at a glimpse and is a solid entry to our list.
Here are some other features of Hoverwatch that make it our 10 top picks:
Hoverwatch is compatible with Android and iPhone. Check the compatibility chart here:
Android
iPhone
Supports 2.3 and higher
Supports all iOS, including iOS 15
Hoverwatch has three plans. The Personal plan starts from $24.95/month, the Professional from $9.99/month for each device, and the Business from $6/month for each device.
If you are looking for apps to see someone else’s messages, the decision is tough since most of the above-mentioned apps are offering pretty much the same features. They let you check the sent and received messages, check time and date stamps, and even view the contact names and numbers. However, your decision should be based on not just the text spying feature but also on app’s ability to remain undetectable, its compatibility, price, and support that an app offers. Plus, if you have been looking for some additional features on top of text spying, you should consider that, too. Keeping in view all these factors, our top pick among the best apps for spying on text messages is Xnspy.
Xnspy is a highly compatible app. It supports Android 12 and iOS 17.0.3, and you don't have to root or jailbreak your device for using its text message spying feature. None of the other apps mentioned above are compatible with the latest operating systems so this makes Xnspy score its first point.
You will have the ability to track someone’s text messages by simply subscribing to the Basic Edition of Xnspy, which costs $8.33 a month. Yes, if your priority is only to get a stealth app to track messages on someone else's phone, then you don't have to subscribe to its Premium Edition. You must be wondering isn't Highster cheaper since you have to pay a one-time fee only? It is cheaper, but it is not compatible with the latest OS; plus, it requires jailbreaking an iPhone.
Xnspy has exceptional customer support. They have 24/7 live chat support to help with all of your queries and concerns. Other than this, you will find valuable information in the form of how-to guides and video tutorials. You can also use Xnspy’s live demo version to check its user interface and experience how to monitor text messages on Android or iOS devices.
Whether you go for the Basic or Premium version of Xnspy, you'll get more than just one feature, making it an ideal app for text spying without a target phone for those on a tight budget.
Here are other features of Xnspy that make it a worthy spying app:
Xnspy not only provides users with the text message chat history but also the contact card and the timestamps accompanying it. You can view who sent the message by viewing the respective contact card.
Xnspy is one of the best well-hidden text tracking apps for iphone and as such, cannot be flagged easily. That is especially true for iPhones as all that Xnspy requires is access to the iCloud credentials. This back door enables it to sync all the data being uploaded to the iCloud account.
Users can take screenshots of conversations and text messages and have these screenshots saved on their devices. Like all other apps to monitor text messages, direct interaction with the text message isn't possible with Xnspy, yet, only viewing is allowed.
If the person you wish to track is using an Android phone, you can sideload the Xnspy APK to install it. On iPhones, access to the iCloud account connected to the phone is needed. After both of these methods, users can view all text messages from the Xnspy dashboard provided they are subscribed to an Xnspy plan.
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