10 Best Spying Apps For Android Phone (Hidden & No Root)

Are you interested in monitoring the activities of your children or employees on their Android devices? We have thoroughly reviewed the top mobile spy apps for Android. While these apps have similarities, each offers unique spying capabilities.

As time has progressed, the Android operating system has become more secure and increasingly emphasized privacy protection. However, installing and using spy apps for tracking purposes is still possible.

Given the vast number of Android spying apps available, both free and paid, it can be overwhelming to evaluate each one and choose the most suitable option manually. This process can be time-consuming and complicated. Selecting a reliable spy app is crucial, as purchasing a subscription from an untrustworthy seller could result in being unable to receive a refund and having no alternative options.

We at BestForAndroid have done all the legwork and made a comprehensive review of the eight best spy apps for Android that you can start using right away to track your employees, kids, or whoever you want to spy on for their whereabouts and other activities related to the phone. We have discussed each spy app’s features, pricing, pros, and cons.

Disclaimer
Please be aware that you should only use these applications for valid reasons, such as monitoring your children’s or employees’ online activities. In certain situations, using these apps may be unacceptable or illegal. Therefore, please ensure that you have the legal right to do so. If you use these apps without the proper authorization, you may be held responsible for any consequences that arise.

1. XNSPY – (Recommended)

XNSPY is one of the leading spying software for mobile devices, providing complete remote control over the targeted Android mobile device, whether a mobile phone or a tablet device. This solution comes loaded with advanced monitoring and eavesdropping features. There is also a location tracking solution that comes native in the spying software, which means this software is not just limited to providing surveillance solutions for parents and kids, but it’s a lot more than that.

XNSPY allows you to monitor messages and phone calls and gives you access to all the instant messaging apps installed on the target device and all the multimedia messages sent or received through these chatting apps. You can snoop on the web browsing activities and all the emails sent/received, along with an option to gain control over the target device. You can access the location and track where the device travels, including data and information like location history, current location, and even geofencing.

XNSPY monitoring app is compatible with a wide range of Android devices running the Android operating system, including Android version 4 Ice Cream Sandwich/Jelly Bean/KitKat, 5 Lollipop, 6 Marshmallow, 7 Nougat, and 8 Oreo.

Features

The XNSPY has a lot of handy features that help you keep an eye on the activities of your loved ones or any target Android device. Some of those features are as follows:

• Monitor Calls And Messages – Track who your kids or employees are talking to via messages or phone calls, including the call logs and text message logs, and even let you configure a watchlist.
• Remotely Control Target Device – You can remotely control your targeted device, including remote wiping data, viewing a list of installed apps, live screenshots, and even a keylogger.
• Track GPS Location – Ability to track the real-time location of your kids or employees and find out where they spend their time during lunch breaks. You will get info like current locations, the history of the position, and an option to get alerts for a specific area.
• Monitoring Online Activities – You can spy on their online activities, including reading their email messages, checking their web browsing history, scrutinizing browser bookmarks, and even checking the WiFi network logs.
• View Multimedia – You will get access to all the multimedia files, including the option to view photos and videos stored in the targeted device’s internal and external storage.

Pros

• Support for offline tracking and the option to upload all the tracked data to the web account whenever the device is connected to the Internet.
• Greater than thirty key features to provide you with a broad spying solution.
• Option to get the XNSPY app remotely installed on the targeted device with the help of the official team.

Cons

• Don’t provide a free trial version for testing purposes.
• You can track one device at a time with a single XNSPY license.

Pricing

The pricing structure of XNSPY is simplified, and the spying solution comes in two editions, i.e., the basic and premium editions. The XNSPY Basic Edition costs $4.99 for a month if you choose to pay annually. Meanwhile, the XNSPY Premium Edition will cost $7.49 monthly if you pay annually.

2. Highster Mobile Android Spy App

Highster Mobile is a cell phone spy and tracking software that helps you spy on the GPS location, Facebook Messages, WhatsApp conversations, Internet browser history, videos, pictures, text messages, call logs (even if they are deleted), and whatnot. All of this information can be retrieved easily through remote access capability, which means you don’t need to have physical access to that specific phone.

Highster Mobile Android Spy remote access tool works with all Android devices and is compatible with all Android OS versions, and this spying software doesn’t require you to be tech-savvy to operate it. You must follow the specific instructions, and the secret spying app will perform the rest of the work.

What’s interesting about the Highster Mobile Spy app for Android is that there are no monthly fees, and you will get a lifetime’s worth of upgrades without additional charges. Once configured correctly, this spying software can extract files from any Android device and automatically uploads a copy of all the recovered/extracted data files to your online account. And then from there, you can access and download all the data.

Features

Highster Mobile Android Spy app comes bundled with many features, and some of the notable ones are as follows:

• Call Logs – This shows you details of each call, including the phone number, date, time, and total duration of the call.
• Email Tracking – This type of tracking is only possible via a web browser, meaning any email sent/received by logging into the web browser will be tracked.
• Browsing History – You can see the list of all the websites accessed by the target user on their Android device.
• GPS Location Tracking – Ability to track the location of the target Android device whenever you want or in case the device is lost or stolen.
• Text Messages Tracking – Option to track SMS or text messages where you can even spy on the removed messages along with the details like when they were received/sent and who the sender was.
• Access To Multimedia Files – Once installed, it will let you see and view all the pictures and video files stored on the target device.

Pros

• You can spy on social media channels, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Skype, and WeChat.
• Let you, the controller of a spy device, take a photo whenever you want.
• One-time payment, rather than the usual subscription-based pricing structure, you will receive a lifetime of updates for free.

Cons

• Non-compatibility with desktop computers.
• A one-time payment structure might be a bit of a turn-off for someone looking for a short-term spying tool.
• It might not be fully compatible with low-end Android phones or tablet devices.

Pricing

As highlighted in the intro, the Highster Android Spy app has no monthly fees or charges. They only provide you with a Premium package that costs a one-time price of $69.99, and this package comes with a lifetime worth of upgrades for a nominal additional cost of $29.99.

3. SpyX

SpyX mobile tracker is the most popular Android spy app on the market. It has a very wide range of users. SpyX can be used to monitor everyone you care about. (For example: parents monitor their children to ensure their safety, employers monitor their employees to improve work efficiency and protect company data security, partners monitor each other to seek a transparent relationship, self-monitor for data backup, etc.).

SpyX is also the only Android spy app that can use cloud solutions. The release of its cloud solution has greatly improved the convenience for users to connect devices. In terms of device connection, it provides users with a variety of connection options. Users do not need to download an app, jailbreak, or even physically enter the target device to achieve remote monitoring.

Using the SpyX monitoring app, you can monitor all activities on the target device without the person being monitored knowing. SpyX can help you track the real-time location of your phone and see all the user’s operations on the device. For example, which apps are installed on his device, when he uses these apps, and what he does on the apps. All these processes will be presented in the form of screenshots. And SpyX supports exporting data on the target device to another device. No matter what type of phone you have (Android or iOS), SpyX can be perfectly adapted.

Features

SpyX Android spy app can monitor dozens of functions, covering various types of data. Here are some of SpyX’s standout features: 

• Track GPS Location: It can track the real-time location of the target Android and view the historical location. Moreover, users can set the area range according to their own needs. When the target device leaves the area you set, you will receive an alert.
• Monitor SMS: View all sent, received, and even deleted messages. View the name, number, time and date of the person who sent the text message.
• Call Logs tracking: SpyX can help you track all call records (incoming, outgoing, missed) on the target Android. You can know who the target users are talking to, the time, date and duration of their calls.
• Photos & Videos monitoring: You can see all the photos and videos stored on your phone, whether taken by your phone or saved in other ways.
• View Browsing History: You can see what they searched for using their browser and what bookmarks they saved.
• Spying on Social Media: SpyX is a powerful social media tracker that can monitor most popular social media software on the market. Like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, LINE, YouTube, TitTok, Snapchat, Messenger, Wechat and more. You can see all the chats, posts, likes, comments, follows, etc. of target Android users on these software.
• Keylogger: This is a very useful feature. Keylogger can record all the information typed by the user on the device, including account passwords.

Pros

• SpyX has a variety of connectivity solutions for easy remote operation.
• Ability to monitor 30+ features.
• Support data export.
• Compatible with all iOS & Android.
• Sync data in real time.
• Works in stealth mode and strictly encrypts transmitted data.

Cons

• One drawback of SpyX is that it does not offer a free trial.

Pricing

SpyX Android spy app provides users with three subscription plans. Users can choose to order a one-month plan for $49.98 according to their needs, or they can choose to order a three-month plan. If they order a three-month plan, the average monthly plan is $28.32. Of course, the most cost-effective one is the one-year subscription plan. When you choose to subscribe to SpyX for one year, you only spend $11.66 per month.

4. The Truth Spy

TheTruthSpy for Android has become the latest addition in the mobile phone and tablet snooping world. This Android app is designed to keep employers and parents in mind and ensure they can easily install it on the targeted and compatible device. They will also get proper consent to monitor the target device without restrictions.

Once you have correctly installed and configured The Truth Spy app on the targeted Android device, the app will start logging all the relevant activities and information like call information, text messages, GPS signals, coordinates, and other selected information.

Since you are the one who will be receiving all the spied data and information, you will be able to gain access to all these snooped data using a provided web address, which can easily be accessed through any web browser whether the browser is on a mobile phone, PC, or Mac.

The Truth Spy Android spying app is compatible with various Android operating systems, including Android 5 Lollipop, Android 6 Marshmallow, and Android 7 Nougat.

Features

The Truth Spy offers a handful of essential features and functionalities to help you spy on any targeted Android device. Some of the key features are outlined below:

• Call Recording – You can record all the calls received or sent from the targeted Android device, which is a helpful feature when you cannot snoop on the calls in real time.
• WhatsApp Spying – Helps you keep track of and continuously spy on WhatsApp conversations, along with easy access to photos, videos, and other multimedia files.
• Ambient Listening – Ability to turn on the microphone and listen to or record all the surrounding noise or voices around the targeted device without letting the owner know.
• Monitor Internet Activities – Internet activity monitoring will let you view and monitor all the URLs being visited using the targeted Android device, and you will be able to find all the details like website URL, browsing history, and other site information.
• Key Logger – The best feature of all. As the name suggests, it is designed to let you access all the keystrokes that are input on the device you are snooping on, which means you can find the username, passwords, and all the other information being typed by the owner.

Pros

• Sends a silent notification whenever a SIM card is changed on the device you are spying on.
• Ability to monitor and track social media and instant messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Viber.
• Remote access to all the data through the provided official website link.
• Offers 48 48-hour free trial version with all the premium features fully working.

Cons

• It is not fully compatible with the latest Android versions, including Android 8.0 and Android 9.0.

Pricing

The Truth Spy is available in three different variants, including the Standard version, which costs $10.91 monthly, the premium version for $13.24, and the Gold version for $15.41 monthly. These prices are only available if you choose to pay for the spying service for a period of 12 months.

5. Mobile Spy (mSpy Android Spy)

Mobile Spy software for Android, also known as mSpy Android, is designed to protect your kids and loved ones from all kinds of online dangers when you have access to a mobile or tablet device with constant Internet access. This advanced spying app will help you track what is happening in their digital life if there is any danger that you should be aware of, and ensure that whether it is your employee, kids, or loved ones, they are using their mobile device responsibly.

The mSpy app is a reliable Android spy app as it records all the activities of the targeted Android device and uploads the data onto their official and secured servers. You can then easily access all those snooped data from any web browser. This way, you can keep yourself updated with all the activities of your kids, loved ones, or employees.

Compatibility is a significant issue when snooping onto Android devices because every other device runs a different Android OS version. So make sure the Mobile Spy for Android app is compatible with the targeted device you want to eavesdrop on. The spying app is compatible with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and above.

Features

Some of the most notable features of the Mobile Spy Android app are outlined below:

• Contacts – See all the contacts stored in the target Android device and the ability to block specific numbers from sending messages or calling.
• Track Instant Messaging and Social Media Activity – Watch over all the conversations through instant messaging apps like Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, and Snapchat.
• Spying on Multimedia – Spy over all the multimedia stored or captured using the targeted Android device, including all the incoming and outgoing videos and photos.
• Geofencing and GPS Location – Easily track the device’s current location to spy on whether your child or an employee uses it.
• Call Logs – Ability to access the target device’s complete call logs, including details like phone number, contact name, date, time, and duration of every incoming and outgoing call.

Pros

• 24/7 support for customers in multiple languages.
• Compatible with a wide range of Android devices and different Android operating systems.

Cons

• Requires physical access to the target Android device to install and configure the spying app.
• Spying on instant messaging apps requires root access.

Pricing

mSpy Android snooping app is available in two variants, i.e., Basic and Premium. The basic version comes with a basic set of features, is less expensive, and will cost about $29.99 monthly. The premium version has all the spying features, making it more costly, and it will cost you $16.66 monthly if you select a yearly plan.

6. Mobistealth

Mobistealth is a powerful little app for Android as well as other mobile platforms that allows you to snoop onto any Android device and track all your activities, including social media networks, instant messaging apps, monitoring phone calls and messages, and the option to record and listening to the surrounding voices through the device’s built-in speaker.

The significant aspect of Mobistealth is the ability to spy on the Android device without gaining root access to the targeted device, which means you can snoop on the devices without performing any additional steps. All you need to do is install the Mobistealth app and configure it; that’s it. Now, you will receive data and information and can view it through the web management platform.

Regarding the compatibility of Mobistealth, the spying app is compatible with almost all Android mobile phone and tablet devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and all the latest Android OS.

Features

• Location Tracking – This is a simplified and easy way to monitor the location and track the targeted Android device, even when the GPS location service is inactive.
• SMS and Calls Monitoring – Option to monitor all incoming and outgoing SMS and phone calls, including detailed information like the phone number and timestamp.
• Keylogging – Keeps a log of all the inputs performed on the targeted Android device and sends the data to the secure Mobistealth web account, which can be accessed from anywhere remotely.
• Monitor Web Activity, Multimedia, and App List – Monitor web browsing activity, multimedia files like photos and videos, and the list of apps installed on the device.

Mobistealth offers widespread Android spying and monitoring solutions without compromising on quality. Here are some of the highlights:

Pros

• Freedom to switch the targeted tracking phone unlimited times under a single license.
• Offers a fifteen-day money-back guarantee in case you are unsatisfied with the services.
• The target device does not need root access to monitor or spy on its activities.

Cons

• Chat logs of Skype, Viber, and WhatsApp require root access on the targeted device.
• The Pro version doesn’t include social media tracking like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Viber.

Pricing

Like other spying solutions, the Mobistealth Android spying app also comes in two editions, i.e., Pro and Pro-X. The Mobistealth Pro edition will cost you $12.49 monthly if you select a 12-month plan. While the Mobistealth Pro-X edition will cost you $14.99 per month if you pay for 12 months.

7. Spyera

Spyera is one of the most influential and undetectable monitoring and spying apps for mobile devices running the Android operating system. It helps you remotely monitor Android smartphones and tablet devices.

This app can be installed on your kid’s phone or tablet to track their every move and keep a record of whom they interact with while connected to the online world. Moreover, business owners who provide phones to their employees can keep track of their business phone calls and message usage along with the ability to maintain a record of their location and find out where they spend most of their time, and this will help you protect your business in the long run.

The Spyera Android app is easy to install and configure on most Android devices. In contrast, the user-friendly web-based control panel will help you review all the gathered snooped information and find out what’s happening on your targeted Android device.

Features

Spyera is one of the most feature-rich Android-based mobile spying and monitoring tools, with free updates and remote upgrades for the apps installed on your targeted Android device. A few of the key features are as follows:

• Live Call Listening & Recording – Listen to the live phone calls and even have the option to record them. You can also configure the software to record calls received or dialed to specific numbers.
• Listen To Surroundings & Record It – There is an option to listen and hear the device’s surroundings using the built-in microphone. The spying software even allows you to record and upload your surroundings to the web account.
• Spy On Chat Apps, SMS, & Emails – You can spy and snoop on various chat apps, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Skype. You can even capture all the SMS messages that are sent or received, along with the contact name and phone number.
• Camera Spying – Remotely capture photos from the targeted Android device using its front or back camera, and all the captured images will be uploaded directly to the web portal.
• Undetectable Spying Solution – The spying software is entirely undetectable and continues to run in the background without any sign of negatively affecting the battery or phone’s performance.

Pros

• Root access on the targeted Android device will provide the best spying experience.
• Freedom to easily switch from one targeted Android device to another whenever possible.
• HTTPS encryption of all the data and information stored in the web account of Spyera.

Cons

• You must first gain root access to the targeted Android device to use some advanced spying and snooping features.
• Because of the number of features the spying software offers, the price is a little bit on the higher side.

Pricing

Spyera offers a slightly more comprehensive range of products and significantly discounts its high-end All-In-One package. However, since we are discussing Android, you can opt for the Spyera SmartPhone edition, which will cost you $32 monthly if you select to pay for 12 months.

8. iSpyoo

iSpyoo Android spying toolkit is a perfectly designed app for those Android smartphones and tablet devices that are being used by kids or maybe your employees. And it’s hard to have a complete track of their ins and outs if you are the one who has handed out the mobile phone to them, and then they begin to misuse that gadget.

The best way is to get the iSpyoo monitoring app installed on the target Android device, which will make sure that you have all the records of the activities that are being performed through that mobile device as well as the option to find out where they spend most of their time and who they talk the most to.

Features

Here in this section, I am going to discuss with you the key elements of the iSpyoo Android spy app:

• Monitor Internet Usage – You can monitor data usage and all the visited websites and URLs bookmarked by the user on any web browser.
• Track Instant Messaging Apps – Spy into the conversations of the most popular IM and social media messaging apps, including Skype, Snapchat, Viber, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp.
• Record Surroundings & Calls – Listen to all the phone calls received or dialed through the targeted Android phone. And you can listen to the surroundings through the mic.
• Access to Multimedia – Gain access to all the multimedia files, including videos, photos, voice memos, and other media files stored on the device.

Pros

• It offers free signup and a free trial version that will work for 48 hours.
• Toll-free support is available seven days a week, round the clock.
• Ability to configure and implement restrictions onto the Android device.

Cons

• Few features require you to have root access on the target Android phone.
• Lack of support for a broader range of Android devices and operating system versions might be a bit of a turn-off for you.

Pricing

The iSpyoo Android spying and snooping app comes in three different plans: Standard, Premium, and Gold. The iSpyoo Standard pricing plan is $9.49 per month, the Premium plan is available for $10.99 monthly, and the Gold plan is $12.49 monthly. These pricing structures will be available only if you opt for a 12-month package.

9. FlexiSpy Android Spy

The FlexiSpy Android Spy app is one of the most affordable, reliable, and comprehensive Android spying apps. It comes bundled with unique spying features that aren’t usually found in other mobile phone monitoring apps. However, some advanced features require root access on the target device so that the FlexiSpy app can access all the data and send it to your account for further tracking.

FlexiSpy for Android is an excellent spying app for a variety of people and individuals, including business owners, parents as well as for those people who are looking for a way to keep their personal information safe in case the device is lost or stolen so they will always have a backup of their essential data.

FlexiSpy Android Spy monitoring app is compatible with various Android OS versions ranging from Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and up to Android 8.1 Oreo. And support for the latest Android operating systems will be added soon.

Moreover, regardless of the Android operating system running on your Android phone or tablet device, you won’t experience any hassle in the installation process of FlexiSpy on your target device, and the process will be smooth and straightforward.

Features

FlexiSpy Android Spy tool gives you more than a hundred spying features to help you monitor or spy on your targeted Android phone or tablet device:

• Location Tracking – Track the location and every movement of the Android device, which can later be exported to use in Google Maps.
• Spy on Chat and Instant Messaging Apps – You can spy on over 13 popular messaging apps, including Facebook Messenger, Tinder, WhatsApp, Hangouts, and Viber.
• Calls Spying – Listen or spy on phone calls, whether they will be live or you can record those calls and listen to them later.
• Key Logging – The keylogging feature will help you log everything
• Listen To The Surroundings – You can hear the surroundings and listen to what’s happening around the device, along with the option to record them.
• Internet Browsing History Spying – Spy on the Web browsing history and all bookmarked pages, including their URLs, date, and time of visit.

Pros

• Live location tracking will benefit parents looking for a way to keep track of their children’s movement.
• It doesn’t require advanced knowledge about the spying app, which makes it easy to install and configure on any Android device.
• Run the spying and monitoring service in hidden mode.

Cons

• Some advanced features, like spying on instant messaging services, require root access on the target device.
• Features like call interception, SMS spoofing, VOIP call recording, and remote SMS commands might not function properly on the latest Android OS.

Pricing

FlexiSpy is slightly on the expensive side because of the number of features being offered by the app. Like the other spying apps, FlexiSpy also comes in Premium and Extreme versions. The FlexiSpy Premium will cost you $12.41 per month, and the FlexiSpy Extreme will cost you $29.08 per month only if you opt for a 12-month package.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, if you’re in need of a reliable and discreet spying app for your Android phone, look no further. Our thorough research and testing have ranked the top spying apps that provide hidden features without requiring a root. With these apps, monitoring messages, calls, social media, and GPS locations has never been easier, giving you peace of mind and control over your loved one’s safety and well-being. Upgrade your Android experience today with the best spying apps available on the market!