Overview on the similarities of both cellphone spies :
- Both of these work internationally, as long as the phone can connect to the internet.
- Both can read sent, stored, and deleted text messages.
- Both have GPS tracking that make use of Google Maps.
- Both have a phonebook viewer.
- Both have a call details log.
- Both can be installed in multiple phones that you own.
Update March 2012 : Cellphone spy 2 (sniper spy) has been discontinued. I will look for a suitable replacement once I've tried software that lets you capture videos, isn't loaded with overkill features, and isn't overpriced.
I posted an article "Cell phone spy overview" almost 2 years ago, and people ask the same question over and over. I posted that article in hopes of providing something to help GUIDE you into picking your own cellphone spy software to catch a cheating spouse. I've been answering your individual comments when I have time, but I know I'm not always quick in getting it done (I have a life too you know) so I decided to do a follow up to it that will hopefully answer your more specific question "What do I use to spy on my spouse's *insert phone here*"
If you stumbled onto this page first and want a general overview on the different types of cell phone spies available, check the first post. It briefly describes the usual cellphonespy softwares you are likely to find, there are more but those 3 are the most common ranging from cheapest($30-40) to most expensive ($100+).
The most commonly asked question is "What can I use to spy on my spouse's iPhone/blackberry/Android/Symbian ?". Since most of the comments don't like the generic cellphone spy software descriptions, I'll get into specifics on this one.
I picked a cellphone spy that is useable in almost any smart phone (iPhone/blackberry/android/symbian), is moderately priced ($60), has a 60 day money back guarantee, and comes with all the features most of us want in a cellphone spy. I consider this a steal because of all the features available and of course the 60day guarantee.
Cellphone Spy 1 overview - Click here for the actual software
Currently on discount.One time fee, no subscriptions.
If you have an old phone, you are stuck to using hardware based simcard readers, this is software that is designed for smartphones (iphone/blackberry/etc)
Cellphone Spy 1 Works with the following phones :
- Android phones 1.0 or higher
- BlackBerry phones OS 4.2.1 or higher
- iPhone OS 2.x, 3.x and 4.x
- Symbian S60 3rd Edition, 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1, 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 and 5th Edition Phones
- Windows Mobile 5.x and 6.x
UPDATE May 2012 :
New feature added - Phototracker
Photo Tracking - You will now be able to see all pictures sent and received by the particular phone you're using. This software just keeps getting better, and is still a one time fee- no subs.
SMS/text message viewer - The core feature that we want. SMS Tracking allows us to view text messages on your spouse's cellphone remotely, no hardware necessary. Hardware SMS tracking requires you to remove your spouse's simcard and insert it into the card reader to extract data. You won't need that with this software. It not only lets you read it remotely through the website you register on, it will also show you EVERY text message, whether it's still in the inbox or not. Yes, DELETED text messages are shown to you.
Call tracking - An additional bonus, you get to see call specific details. Such as the NAME of the caller, or who your spouse called (if it is a registered number), the cellphone number, the exact time the call was made or received and how long the conversation lasted. I think this is sufficient enough, the cellphone spies that actually record calls or allows you to listen in costs around $500+, which is a bit too much an unnecessary in most cases.
Phone Book spying - You can get to spy on your wife/husband's phonebook on their cellphone. It lists every number on the website so you can do it remotely.
GPS tracking - This cellphone spy also gives you the ability to track the exact location of the cellphone ANYWHERE in the world. It also has a function that lets you see exactly where they are on Google Maps. Another core feature that is a necessity in my opinion. If you're looking for GPS tracking this is actually cheaper then getting the stand alone GPS trackers found on amazon ($50-100+ depending on models).
Ease of use - This software spy is a "set and forget" type of thing. Once you install it (takes around a minute), it is undetectable and you don't even need access again to your husband or wife's phone. Just install it, log on to the website and remotely monitor your spouse's phone activities or track their location via Google Maps/GPS tracking.
Multiple phones - You can use this to track not only your spouse's phone but also your kids. For $60 you can monitor unlimited phones, which is why I called it a steal, because if we rely on hardware we are limited to just 1 phone / cellphone spy.
Security - Did I mention that it is undetectable? Well it is. It's invisible once you're done installing. Never touch your spouse's phone after you install, all you need to do is log in to the software's website and you can remotely monitor all phones you installed the software on. They GUARANTEE it cannot be detected. If it does get detected, you'll get 100% of your money back. It's not difficult recommending something that has a 60 day 100% money back guarantee.
Support staff - This mobile spy software comes with support on their website, it also has an added optional fee($10) if you want premium support. Not sure why anyone would need that though because it's simple to install and track the cellphone's activities. As long as you read the phones they work with you'll be okay and not need to use the support. (I listed above the phones the software works with)
Will my phone work with this software?
This cellphone spy software requires an internet connection, the complete list of phones(exact names) that work with this phone is attached at the bottom of the page.
How does this spy software work?
Step 1. After you buy the software, it will allow you to download it.
Step 2. Install on a mobile phone that you own. ( Please do your own research on your own state laws regarding spy devices that monitor cell phones or other types of conversations. Read the official site's disclaimers before you buy anything)
Step 3. Log in to the website and monitor the phone you installed it on.
How this particular cell spy software works is once installed, it can then communicate with the server and feed it all the details. It is undetected by the phone user, but still transmits data from the phone to the server, and all you do is log into the website and access the data there.
I numbered it Cellphone spy 1 because I'm researching more alternatives and decided to start on the one time payment software spies. This by far is the best for it's price, features, and money back guarantee, I don't really want to recommend something that will cost several hundred dollars or is just plain bad and does not work (no guarantee). For hundreds of dollar you could just hire a private investigator. I'll update when something better comes along.
Update January 2011: Added a more complex mobile spy, with image, video, website and more features.
CellphoneSpy 2 overview - Click here for the actual software (discontinued as of March 2012)
Update : I'll update this with a similar cell phone spy as soon as I find and test one. This has been discontinued as of march 2012.Update 2013 : There's no need for an alternative. Cell Phone spy 1 does everything now, and competitors are a tad more expensive.
Unlike the first cell phone spy, this has an $80 per year subscription.
Cellphone Spy 2's difference from cellphone spy 1 is that it is far more complex, with video, image and web usage tracking. If you only want to view your spouse's text messages/call times and duration/GPS location, get cellphone spy 1. Why I recommend cellphone spy 1 over this is because it's a one time fee of $49. Cellphone spy 2 is a YEARLY subscription.
Why is there a subscription? Simple because you use up more storage than you would with cellphone spy 1. With this mobile spy, you get everything you get from Cellphone spy 1 with some additional features. See pictures and descriptions below :
SMS tracking - Same as the first mobile spy discussed here, you get to view all texts that were made by the phone, deleted or not.
Call logs - Again, same as cellphone spy 1, you get to view the call details such as who called who, what numbers were in the call, what time did the call happen, and how long the call lasted.
GPS logs - Still the same as above, you will get the location of the phone and a link to where it is positioned on the map (via google maps).
Website logs - pretty self explanatory, all websites visited on that phone will be logged in your online account.
Photo logs - This will store all photos AND videos taken with the phone, and display them in your online account at full size/resolution. Think about this feature before you subscribe to this software, do you REALLY need to see your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend send dirty pictures? For some I think this is a bit too much, and would rather just see the texts and GPS locations.
Contact logs - Same as the above, your spouse's phonebook will be saved and will be viewable in your online account.
Email logs - This feature saves emails sent/received from your spouse's phone.
All the other features are pretty much self explanatory.
This cellphone spy is the EXACT, and I mean carbon copy, of this mobile spy(update 2013 : discontinued) but guess what, this only costs $80 per year, while the other mobile spy costs $50 every 4 months, or $100 per year. So if you buy cellspy 2, you'll save $70 vs their 4 month plan, or $20 vs their 1 year plan. I have no idea why they charge more if they have the exact same software. I guess some people feel safer buying from a website that says "USA based company". Whichever you choose, both cell phone spying software are identical, so if you want the cheaper version, get cellphone spy 2 (discontinued, mobile spy still exists), if you want to pay $70/$20 more for the same thing, go with this mobile spy(update 2013 : discontinued).
If you don't care about video, image, website, email tracking that cellphone spy 2 has, then go with cellphone spy 1 for it's basic 1 time payment cell spying features. It's what I recommend and I do not think it is necessary at all to try and catch you spouse sending or receiving nude photos or videos. That's a bit too much information and if they are doing that then you can definitely be sure they are "sexting" anyway. That's just my opinion, I do not need to see my spouse sending pictures of that sort because it will be too painful to handle and may impair reason.
Will my phone work with this software?
This cellphone spy software requires an internet connection, the complete list of phones(exact names) that work with this phone is attached at the bottom of the page.
What does the cellphone GPS tracking look like?
This is for both cellphone spy 1 and cellphone spy 2, although the graphical interface for both are different, the results are similar.
Step 1
Go to the main menu and look for the GPS logs section or GPS tracking section.
Step 2
Select a time and click "View Map". You can also adjust the frequency at which these locations are taken and saved. Don't be too aggressive and set it to scan their location every 10 minutes or something. Every hour (default) should be a good setting.
If you've been together with your partner for a long time, you'll know exactly where they go (work, bar, etc) so you can easily tell if they are lying when they are no at the place they claim to be.
Step 3
You'll then be taken to Google Maps with a green marker pointing to where exactly the cellphone currently is at that time you specified. From the Google Maps page you now have even MORE options. One is getting directions to that location and two is viewing the location via webcam (if it's available), using Google Earth, for a 3D image of the place, and viewing actual pictures of the place from a specific point of view. Here are a few pictures of what I found using both cellphone spies.
To get the exact address, either look at the picture to the top left and copy that address (landmark should be labeled using the Red A marker). You can get the directions from that landmark, or you can ask google (by clicking "get directions") to give you the exact directions to get to the actual green marker marked by your cellphone spy. The current location
of the red landmark is seen on the picture to the right.If you would like to view webcams on that area, you can check the left side or directly on the map if it is available.
You will also be able to view pictures of the actual area from different point of views. Just drag the little yellow person icon and drop it on one of the blue marker dots. Those blue marker dots are where people took pictures, so you can view those and see the area from the exact coordinates of the blue marker on the map. To do this, follow the example picture below.
I think these two are the only cellphone spy programs I'll recommend, since the others cost hundreds of dollars and have features I consider over kill ("silent calling" a phone to spy on immediate surrounding). If you would like to read the guide on how to pick your own cellphone spy, check out the sidebar link to that article. Be sure to read the comment section of that post as well.
After reading both articles, I'm sure you'll agree cell phone trackers are the cheapest tracking devices to use against cheating spouses when you factor in all the features. If you were planning to get a private eye, GPS device or, keylogger, I hope this has changed your mind. This is basically an all in one spy gadget, the most you will ever need.
Some FAQs :
Do I need to jailbreak my iPhone?
Yes.
Is jailbreaking legal?
Yes, the US Government says it's legal to jailbreak an iphone.
How do I jailbreak my phone?
Both sites have that included in their installation guide.
If my husband installed a spy software like this on my phone, and I change my number, will I still get spied on?
Yes, if you leave the phone's software untouched. You have to reformat your mobile before you can get rid of the spy program.
Will this work for x phone?
Scroll down to the list of cell phones below this section, I've listed pretty much all the phones they work with. You could also click on the cell phone spy you are interested in and check their list, or send an email to their support team.
How do I know the software is doing it's job?
After you've follow the manufacturer's installation guide, send a text message from your phone to the phone you installed the spyware on. Wait a few minutes, make sure the target's phone has internet access, then log on to their website. Your text message should appear in your online account's SMS log.
How do I spy on a non-smartphone cell phone? (old phones)
You won't be able to use ANY of these softwares listed for older cell phones, your choices are down to simcard readers. Simcard readers can read text messages on a simcard, that you physically insert into the card reader. If you have no access to your simcard, you will not be able to read the data in it.
Other than catching your spouse cheating, a cellphone tracker can be used for :
1. Know exactly where the phone is in case you lose it. Makes reporting it to the police much easier.
2. Make sure your teenagers are safe when they take trips out of town, and know exactly where they are when they have sleepovers.
3. If you provide cellphones to your employees, make sure they are using it properly and know where the location of the phone is at all times.
4. A replacement for a standalone GPS tracker. This is a pretty brilliant idea, especially if you want a GPS tracker that works internationally. Just buy the cheapest cellphone you can find that fits the requirements and install the phone there. It would also be a good idea to get not just the cheapest, but the smallest phone, so you can keep it hidden in a car. That's a lifetime one payment(lifetime subscription) GPS tracker that will last you as long as the cellphone would last(for cellphone spy 1 only). We're starting to think like professional spies :)
If cell phone trackers are not something you would want to use, or because your state laws prohibit you from using them, you might want to consider just settling for using hardware keyloggers for your home computer, maybe hidden cameras to monitor your home when you are not there.
Reminder :
Before you buy please double check the compatibility on the official sites for any changes that I may have missed. If your phone does not work with either of the two cellphone spy softwares you can request a 100% refund (within their 60 day guarantee). Don't forget to use the help sections or ask for tech support if you are lost. Both sites offer tech support and a user help section with guides.
Disclaimer :
Please remember that monitoring a cellphone YOU DON'T OWN is illegal. So is attaching a GPS device on a car you don't own. Any kind of monitoring you do should be on a piece of equipment or property that YOU DO OWN. You are responsible for your own actions and the actions of the people you hire (private investigators).
24 comments:
What if the phone has no internet connection?
If it has no internet connection then your spouse's phone will not be able to send the data back to the server. If the server doesn't get the date, you won't be able to track your spouse's cellphone activities.
Cell phone spy software serves you as a personal investigator. Once you install it on the target cell phone i.e. the mobile of your spouse, it secretly works for you every tick around the clock. The biggest advantage of using cell phone spy software is that you don’t have to personally spy out your spouse to overhear their talk.
Why is cellspy 1 free yet two has a recurring fee? They do the same things..
what if you had an iphone and you thought your husband added one of these to your phone. you got rid of your iphone BUT you kept the same phone number and now have a sprint EVO phone. is he still able to track your phone now that you have a diff phone but still have the old phone number???
To the person who posted at 10:11:
No, this is a software based keylogger that only works on phones that they are INSTALLED on. So it doesn't matter if you have the same number, if you completely changed the phone, you won't have problems with your husband spying on you.
This mobil spy which one better?
The post is super detailed, please take the time to read the whole post and decide for yourself what best suits your needs.
these cell phone spy fully functional trials?
There are no trial softwares available, but they do both come with a 60 day money back guarantee.
what if I cant get a hold of my partners phone? will I be able to still use cel phone spy 1 without installing to his phone?
You need to be able to install software on your phone, or you won't be able to monitor it's activities.
All these cell phone spy softwares function the same; after installation, you'll have access to the logs through your online account with whichever cell spy you're using.
What if your spouse has locked their phone? can you still install this software without the phone's password?
will these work on iphone 4s
Yes they do, you'll need to follow their installation guide depending on what type of iPhone you have.
Hi! Are Cellphone Spy 1&2 the same as SpyBubble?
You say they can recover deleted messages. Does this mean that messages that were deleted before installing the software can also be recovered or will it only recover messages that were deleted after Cellphone Spy was installed?
If they don't, do you know of any software that can recover previously deleted messages please. My husband cheated on me for 6 months and I just found out 1month ago. I just want to know what was going on.
Thank you.
They are same in some aspects, like text logging and GPS location.
You can't recover deleted texts if it was deleted before you've installed both softwares, unless it's an older cell phone and you use a sim card reader.
I don't know of any software that does what a sim card reader does, but you'll need a really old phone for sim card readers to work. I'm quite happy with my softwares, and I only really use them now to monitor my children's location.
Sorry for the delay, it's the holidays and we'll be out for another 4 weeks so I'll have to shut down comments until then.
Good luck.
What about these new softwares that say you don't even need access to the phone, you simply call and keep the caller on the phone for 30 seconds to install?
Don't think such thing exists, unless you read the part where you can "silent" call a cell phone to effectively turn it into a "bug", where you can hear what's happening in the surrounding area of the phone.
If they say as you mentioned "you simply call and keep the caller on the phone for 30 seconds to install", I wouldn't believe that. If it IS true, it will probably get "patched" or fixed almost instantly because that is a serious defect on the phone manufacturer's part. Anyway, you know what they say about if it seems too good to be true, it's probably not.
Happy holidays.
Will it track messaging apps like "WhatsApp" which are not traditional SMS loaded onto an IPhone ?
The first cell phone spy can't, it only tracks when a certain program is used. The second one has been discontinued.
I'll try and find a suitable phone keylogger.
I would want to know, if the phone I want to spy has a password and i managed to install the software before it was switched off will i be able to spy on the mobile?
If you have access, and are able to install, then yes.
What if the phone has a password? Would this still work? If not, what can I do?
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