Having more than 2.7 billion users, Facebook is the most actively used social media platform for a very long time. In fact, all your friends are likely on Facebook, your family is on Facebook, and probably even your neighbor’s dog is on Facebook. Facebook has quickly become a virtual world for everyone and not just kids these days.
While Facebook can be used to catch up with friends, it has quickly turned into a platform where you can talk to strangers, meet new people, and even share secrets with people you’ve never seen. This can be a major concern for parents and it is imperative to keep track of their kid’s Facebook chats and messages as a means of monitoring their children’s online activity.
Obviously, your kids aren’t going to give you their Facebook login credentials. However, you’re still able to read someone’s Facebook messages without their knowledge and their password. One of the ways is to install an Android hidden tracking app into their phone. There are also some Facebook messenger spy apps available that let you read their messages remotely, without having their phone physically on hand. In this guide, we will be talking about how they work as well as some of the top best Facebook Messenger spy apps that actually work.
How can I spy on Facebook Messenger without the phone?
Spying on Facebook Messenger is super easy with top Facebook messenger spy apps. You only need access to the device once to install the app and after that, you’ll be able to monitor all their Facebook text from another phone without needing the phone on hand.
Best of all, this can all be done secretly as the app can be set to stealth mode and will run hidden in the background. This way, your target won’t even know that you’re monitoring them online especially when you are spying on your spouse.
A Buyer’s Guide – How to Choose the Best Facebook Messenger Spy Apps
Before we head on to our list, let us first spend a little time talking about a few aspects that you need to consider before purchasing a membership with a Facebook spy app as well as the factors that differentiate a good and reliable spy app from the rest.
Are you using Android or iPhone?
The first question you need to ask yourself is the type of device you and your target are using. You need to understand that the top Facebook spy app for Android is not necessarily also the best for iPhone devices. iPhones and Android have different operating systems where certain functionalities and capabilities are limited within themselves. While most features are compatible with either of them, there are certain unique features that are only available on certain Facebook spy apps for Androids while some are only available for iPhones. Thus, there is one article where they introduce top iPhone spying apps
Do you plan to jailbreak or root the device?
Yes, there are plenty of Facebook spy apps that let you keep track of your target device’s data, however, a great deal of information can be provided if the device is rooted or jailbroken into. The procedure for doing so can be a little more complex, but it provides absolute access to everything on the phone.
The iOS system offers a notable exception that lets you get most data out of an iPhone without jailbreaking or even installing the app on your target device. Instead, all you need is your target’s iCloud login credentials. The Facebook spy app will then give you remote access to everything that’s backed up onto iCloud.
Other Key Features
Although you’re mainly using a Facebook messenger spy app to spy on Facebook messages, spying apps come with other useful features to make your monitoring experience even more complete and meaningful. Here are a few important features of a quality spy app:
GPS Phone Tracking
One of the most important pieces of information that many concerned parents need to know is their child’s whereabouts. Fortunately, many Facebook spy apps now allow location tracking by taking advantage of the smartphone’s GPS. In fact, some even take things a step further by showing you a recording of location history with timestamps so you’ll know exactly where and when your child was at.
Certain spying apps even have the option for parents to set up safe zones via geo-fencing capability. This way you can set up multiple safe zones and receive instant notification when the app detects your child wandering away from the boundaries.
Monitoring Text Messages
Many people now communicate via messages and feel comfortable enough to talk about their personal life, business, and even share some of their deepest secrets online. There’s no doubt that there is plenty of information and details that you can extract from texts alone and that’s why it is an important feature that spy apps should have.
Some Facebook messenger spy apps even let you log all the texts, including those that were later deleted by the target, to be downloaded and read at a later time. Another great feature a phone spy app may have is the ability to notify you when certain phrases or keywords such as “give me your address”, “are you alone?”, and “are your parents home?” appear anywhere in your target device.
Call Logs
A good facebook monitoring app should also let you check the call history. While this is a standard feature in most mobile spy apps, some even go the extra mile to let you listen in on their conversation with their friends and make a live call intercept. Some Facebook spy apps will even record all calls on the phone for you to access and eavesdrop later.
Best Facebook Messenger Spy Apps
Here are some of the best Facebook spy apps available on the market for you to take full advantage of and keep an eye on your kids or partner.
1. mSpy – Overall best Facebook Messenger spy app
mSpy is highly rated and praised for its user interface that makes parental control very convenient. It comes equipped with useful monitoring features including Facebook messenger spy to access your child’s Facebook messages, photos, and videos. This is a useful functionality to help parents keep a close eye on their children and keep them safe from potential cyberbullying.
Another amazing feature we love about mSpy is its ability to track all received and sent Facebook messages, access browser history, track GPS location, and even access full reports on sent, received and deleted emails on the target device. While this is a great Facebook spy app, you’ll need to jailbreak or root the device in order to actually spy on Facebook messenger. Other than that, the mSPy is one of the best spy apps that’s compatible with Android and iOS phones at a relatively affordable price.
Pros
- Easy-to-use remote control panel.
- GPS tracking capability.
- Consistent and smooth operation.
Cons
- The device needs to be jailbroken or rooted for Facebook spying.
2. Spyic
Spyic is another popular Facebook Messenger spy app that’s relied on by thousands of users every day. In fact, the company understands the importance of social media monitoring that they provided over 35 different Facebook spy features for users to take full advantage of.
With this spy app, parents can easily access private and group chats on Facebook to check what kind of discussion their kids are involved in. Parents will also be able to monitor the profiles and profile pictures of the people their kids engage with on Facebook. Other than Facebook, Spyic also helps you track activities on WhatsApp, Viber, Snapchat, and Instagram.
In terms of operability, Spyic has a user-friendly interface that makes it very easy to use. All the features are presented neatly in a tab on the left side and you shouldn’t have a difficult time navigating the app. The Facebook spying app also works well on iPhones, iPads, and any Android phone and tablet.
Pros
- Over 35 best Facebook spy features.
- Intuitive app interface that’s easy to navigate.
- Affordable pricing.
Cons
- Facebook spy feature not available for iOS devices.
3. CocoSpy
Cocospy was featured on multiple platforms including Forbes and TechRadar for its powerful digital surveillance. This is one of the best spying apps around and is most often used by employers to check their employee’s productivity as well as to see if they’re doing what they’re supposed to do in the workplace.
Cocospy delivers a bug-less smooth user experience to ensure the best monitoring experience. One of the best things about this spy software is that it lets you spy on Facebook messenger without rooting or jailbreaking the target device. Additionally, the app also runs in the background without the knowledge of the user without consuming too much battery life. However, while the app is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, Facebook messenger spying only works for Android devices.
Pros
- Smooth and bug-free operation.
- No jailbreak or root solution.
- Runs stealthily in the background with minimal battery drainage.
- Easy installation.
Cons
- Facebook Messenger spying only available for Android devices.
4. Hoverwatch
Hoverwatch is another great parental control app that lets you spy on Facebook messenger reliability and stealthily. The app runs in stealth mode to stay hidden from the user by running in the background. This gives you more confidence in operating the app, especially if you have older kids.
Not only can this app be used for spying on Facebook messages, but it can also be used to track other social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Viber, Snapchat, and others. For the Android version, this app even lets you record phone calls, show smartphone history, mobile tracker for web browser, and even SMS messages tracking.
On top of an easy-to-use interface, Hoverwatch has a team of customer support that offers great help. Whether you need advice on installation or any tech-related trouble, their friendly support team is always ready to help you out and provide you with useful solutions. However, similar to the other spy apps, Hoverwatch does not support spying on Facebook on iOS devices.
Pros
- User-friendly interface.
- Suitable to monitor other social media apps.
- Excellent customer support team.
Cons
- Facebook Messenger spying not available for iOS devices.
5. XNSpy
XNSpy is an innovative spying software that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. It also offers users the capability to read text messages, track the phone’s current location, and spy on their phone activities without alerting the target. An additional spying feature that XNSpy offers is social media monitoring for apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter.
All the data collected by XNSpy will be uploaded onto their Live Control Panel which you can access anytime to monitor multiple devices. The app has been designed to let you switch between each device on your dashboard seamlessly to save you plenty of time and effort. This is especially great for those with larger families or who have a lot of data to check.
One drawback to using XNSPY is that their free customer service isn’t worth shouting as they have a poor response time. In any case, the company has taken the initiative to list out solutions to commonly asked questions online for you to search on their website before needing to contact their team. Overall, XNSPY is still a solid choice with all the common functionalities you’d expect to spy on Facebook Messenger.
Pros
- XNSpy has good analytic features.
- Alert updates on certain keywords.
- Budget-friendly.
- Conveniently tracks multiple devices.
Cons
- Spy on Facebook messenger only available on Android devices.
- iOS devices need to be rooted.
6. Spyera
Spyera is among the best Facebook Messenger spy applications thanks to its unique set of monitoring features on offer for users. Spyera not only lets you check the phone contacts, allow call recording, but it even lets you intercept a live call. This is great to let you listen in on any conversation and figure out where your kids are.
In addition, Spyera is also a great choice for those who want to monitor multiple target devices. Spyera will work well with Android devices but most of its spying features can only be activated on a jailbroken iPhone. Jailbreaking a phone is not only a complicated procedure, but it may even increase the chances of the target person discovering your monitoring activities. Aside from this, Spyera is still one of the top target device spying apps to monitor your kids.
Pros
- Call interception.
- Real-time ambient listening.
- Monitor multiple devices simultaneously.
Cons
- iPhones require jailbreaking.
7. Highster Mobile
Highster Mobile spy app lets users track Facebook activities from any internet-connected device. The software was designed for use by less tech-savvy users who want to keep track of their target device without too many complexities.
While this is a relatively simple spy application, it has tons of features like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook messenger tracking, GPS tracker, text messages, and others. These are all basic spy tools to keep you updated on your kid’s online activities. The features offered by Highster Mobile are limited compared to its competitors but this may not necessarily be a bad thing as it means navigation the app is much less confusing.
The phone tracking app is compatible with both iOS and Android phones, which puts it as a top app among its competitors which are not able to support both platforms at once.
Pros
- Good app for those who are less tech-savvy
- Track Facebook messages feature available for both iOS and Android.
- The user interface is easy to navigate.
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
Cons
- Limited functions and features.
8. iKeyMonitor
iKeyMonitor is one of the most reliable spy tools that let you go through all the chats and even listen to voice messages sent and received by the target phone. Once you install the application, you can also read through the SMS messages, call logs, multi-media files, track GPS locations, access internet browser history, and monitor social network activity.
Furthermore, the app even has a keylogging feature that lets you keep track of every pressed key on the target phone. You can even take a screenshot of their phone any time of the day, making this a great tracking app for your employees. You also don’t have to be super tech-savvy in order to track Facebook with iKeyMonitor. You only need to install the app on the target device and log onto the cloud panel to start monitoring.
While the spying app can be used on both Android and iOS phones, facebook text messages can only be monitored if the phone is jailbroken. This is a downside as it increases the risk of your spying activity being detected.
Pros
- Free 3-day trial.
- Detailed email reports.
- Available in different languages.
Cons
- Facebook messenger tracking only for jailbroken iPhone
Conclusion
There are many ways and spying applications that you can choose to help you monitor a cellphone without notifying the target. However, most of them will require you to have physical access first in order to install the mobile tracking app into the target phone before giving you full control remotely. There are also several options that help you circumvent this requirement by giving you access to the cell phone’s information via iCloud, but this method only works on Apple devices.
To sum up, whether you need to rely on tracking software for your target device to help you keep track of your children’s mobile activities or employee monitoring, our list above offers some of the best Facebook tracking apps that you can count on. While there are other options available out there such as apps like Cocospy, iKeyMonitor, MobiStealth, SpyEra, MobileSpy, and Cerberus, mSpy is still my top recommendation as it offers great features at an affordable price.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I read Facebook messages without the person knowing?
You can install tracking apps such as mSpy, Spyic, Cocospy, iKeyMonitor, and more to help you monitor your target’s facebook activities such as chat and text messages, photos, and even videos posted online.
Can I monitor Facebook with just a phone number?
No, you cannot monitor Facebook with just a phone number. However, that doesn’t mean you cannot track your target’s Facebook activities. You will need to install a tracking app in order to start spying on their Facebook activity.
Can spyware be installed on an iPhone remotely?
Yes, just like how it is for its rival, Android, you can remotely install spyware on an iPhone if 2FA is turned on.
Are there any free spying apps for monitoring iPhone devices?
Yes, there are free spyware in the market that offer free monitoring. An example includes iKeyMonitor which we have included in our article today.
Are monitoring apps illegal?
No, it is not illegal to install monitoring apps on devices that you own. Hence, it is totally legal to have monitoring applications downloaded in your kid’s iOS cellphone that you purchased or company devices. However, it is illegal to install a tracking app that records, tracks, forwards calls, or messages on someone’s mobile without their permission. In fact, it could potentially be a felony, resulting in more than 1 year in jail.
Can someone see you through your mobile camera?
Yes, someone can hack into your mobile camera without you knowing with applications out there specifically made for such malicious intent. GhostCtrl is an infamous example of such spyware that works for Android and iPhone.