mSpy Review — Is This Parental Control Software Right for You?

mSpy parental control software is essentially spyware. Your child can't do anything on their phone without you knowing about it. Some features feel overly invasive, such as call recording, live screen streaming, and remote camera access.

Our family safety experts don't recommend mSpy as a first-line parental control app. It's missing key guard rails, such as screen time schedules, contact management, photo screening, and the ability to shut down the camera or internet as needed. mSpy may be appropriate in extreme cases, such as when a child's behavior may cause harm, but using the more invasive features may damage your relationship. Proceed with caution. 

mSpy essentially gives parents a full view of their child's phone.

Here are some of the features that we think are reasonable and on par with other parental control options:

• Read chats, texts, emails, and more: Parents can view full  conversations on 10 social media platforms, two AI chat programs, text messages, iMessage, email, and Google Chat. Such thorough access can help you look for signs of cyberbullying, predation, or other concerning interactions. (Full social monitoring available in Extreme plan only.)
• View keystroke log: Worried your child will find a way to chat without your knowledge? The keylogger shows everything they've ever typed. (Available in Extreme plan only.)
• Set up keyword alerts: Don't have time to constantly read through your child's messages? Tell mSpy to notify you whenever a concerning keyword appears on your child's phone. Stay up-to-date on texting codes, emojis, and slang so you know what to look for.
• View photo and video gallery: Concerned your child is sending or receiving inappropriate photos and videos? View all content stored on their phone.
• Monitor web usage: See their browsing history, favorite websites, and bookmarks. Block websites you don't want them to visit.
• Block apps: View all installed apps and stop your child from accessing any app you don't approve of. 
• View contacts, call logs,  and calendar: Find out who they communicate with, who they're calling, and where they plan to be. 
• Location tracking and geofencing: Get alerts when your child enters or leaves a specific area, or view their GPS location in real-time. mSpy also shows frequent Wi-Fi network connections, which can give you additional clues to their whereabouts. 
• Audio drop-in: mSpy allows parents to remotely listen in to their child's surroundings. This is a common feature on kids smartwatches and can give parents peace of mind during an emergency or help them spot bullying from afar. (Available in Extreme plan only.)

Here are the features that seem unusually invasive:

• Call recordings: Listen to the entire conversation on iPhone or Android. 
• Remote camera access: View your child's surroundings through their camera phone. We can see how this could be helpful in an emergency, but could also be a huge violation of privacy. (Available in Extreme plan only.)
• View and record live screen: Stream your child's phone screen directly to your phone to see everything they see in real time.
• Screen recorder: View screenshots of past activity to read messages that may have been deleted. (Available in Extreme plan only.)

mSpy is designed to hide in the background of your child's device so that they won't know you're monitoring them.

We think this is a flawed and unsustainable approach for two main reasons:

• Your child will definitely know they're being monitored once you block websites or apps.
• You should be able to freely have conversations about your child's phone activity. "Hey, I've been spying on you without your knowledge" isn't a great opener. 

The hidden design also means mSpy lacks some common parental control features.

• No contact management: You can't block unknown or unwanted numbers from calling your child's phone.
• No screen time schedules: Your kid will have full access to their phone at all hours of the day or night.
• No app time limits: You won't have an easy way to enforce breaks from specific apps. 
• No image scanning or sexting prevention: mSpy can't interpret the content of images or videos, so you'll need to manually review these files to look for anything concerning.

mSpy could be an excellent parental control app in the right circumstances. Here's what we recommend:

• Purchase the annual plan for the best deal, as the month-to-month plan is outrageously expensive. 
• Tell your child you'll be monitoring their phone. You don't necessarily have to reveal the full capabilities of mSpy, but being upfront about what you're doing will make future conversations so much easier. 
• Explain why you're monitoring their phone. Are you cracking down on problematic behavior or merely looking for opportunities to provide guidance? 
• Resist the urge to use the invasive features unless you have probable cause.