Best Phone Tracking Apps for Android [Reviewed & Tested, 2023]

A phone tracking app for Android is software that allows users to monitor and track the location, activities, and usage of an Android device.

Are you searching for a way to track your child’s Android device and ensure their safety? Or perhaps you want to have peace of mind about the well-being of your partner? Maybe you have unfortunately lost your phone and are desperately trying to locate it. In today’s world, GPS technology has expanded beyond simple car navigation. It now offers the capability to navigate through online maps and track a person’s movements.

The HeyLocate team set out to explore the best phone-tracking apps available for Android devices. In this article, we will delve into the features and functionality of phone tracker apps, providing valuable insights into their effectiveness. Whether you are a concerned parent, a cautious partner, or a victim of a lost phone, we have you covered.

Interesting fact: A recent study showed that 46% of parents actively monitor their young teens online activities. Moreover, law enforcement is known for using location-tracking tools to find individuals in real-time. These statistics highlight the positive impact of phone tracking apps when used responsibly and within legal boundaries.

Paid or Free Tracking App: What to Choose?

Our research encountered over 30 Android phone tracking apps. After we tested them in practice, we found out that some are completely free while others offer a free trial before purchasing a monthly subscription. Here’s what we discovered when comparing free and paid Android phone tracking apps.

Table of Best Android Phone Tracking Apps

Services Reviewed: 30+

Services Selected: 18

We took some resources from the top reviews of the best, and almost all of them were awful. So trust only verified sources of information or blogs of specialized services related to telecommunications. For example, like our HeyLocate blog.

Review of Monitoring and Location Apps for Android

Let’s delve into the details of each app and see the results of our experimenting with it. For the test, I used a Samsung A33 with the Android 13 operating system.

mSpy

mSpy is an outstanding phone tracker app for Android. It has since garnered 18K followers on Youtube and 35,000 followers on Facebook. mSpy’s users exceeded the 1M mark in 2014, four years after it launched in 2010.

Features:

• location tracking;
• texts & email monitoring;
• social media monitoring;
• built-in keylogger;
• websites and apps monitoring;
• media tracking.

Compatibility:

• Android 4+;
• iOS 11 – 14.8.1.

Price:

• $48.99/mo;
• 3-month plan – $28/mo;
• annual plan – $11.67/mo.

User Experience:

I needed physical access to the target phone to install mSpy. After that, I could track features on the phone remotely on the mSpy dashboard.

mSpy’s has a location tracking and geofence feature. The app displayed the phone’s location history by showing its geographical longitude and latitude. It also showed the address and the phone’s time at that location. I could also view the location address on a map.

mSpy updated the phone’s location every five to 30 minutes. Hence, I could track the target Android device in real-time. The geofence feature allowed me to set safe and dangerous zones, and the app notified me whenever my kid was in and out of zones in real-time.

Since mSpy is not the cheapest Android tracker app, I experimented with other features to see how accurately they work on the target Android phone. I found mSpy to be an effective social media monitoring app for Android. The app allowed me to track WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, Snapchat, Hangouts, Skype, etc.

Other features I liked were the keylogger which tracked keystrokes, and the screen recorder.

After experimenting with mSpy, we found that it’s the best phone tracking app for Android phones belonging to kids. This is because it has access to nearly all features on an Android, including the browser history and the capability to block Wi-Fi, apps, and websites.

Moreover, mSpy operates in stealth mode, hence you can use it anonymously without your kid uninstalling it. Here is the fullest mSpy review on the HeyLocate blog.

Try mSpy

Eyezy

Eyezy Android tracker app launched in 2021. It has since gained popularity among parents. The GPS location tracking app has 500K+ downloads from the Google play store. Customers on Trustpilot gave it 4.1 stars rating, which is impressive for an app that has been around for less than five years.

Features:

• real-time location tracking;
• text messages monitoring;
• keywords tracking;
• phone analyzer;
• apps & websites blocker.

Compatibility:

• Android 4+;
• iOS 7 – 13.

Price:

• $47.99/mo;
• $27.99/mo on quarterly plan;
• $9.99/mo on annual plan.

User Experience:

Eyezy required physically accessing the monitored Android mobile phone to install it. I also disabled Play Protect on the Google Play Store. After configuring the app, I opened the app’s location tracking feature from the online dashboard.

Eyezy had an accurate GPS location tracker, which showed me the target phone’s exact location on a map. The synced location history was in a list of addresses. It helped me understand where the phone had been and see the places my kid visited. I liked that the app’s location tracker synced every five minutes.

I also used the tracker’s other phone-tracking features, such as keystroke and screenshot capabilities. The app recorded all keystrokes, the app they were made from, and the time they were created.

Furthermore, Eyezy tracked messages from 13 apps and could analyze call logs and contacts. My research indicated that you can not only track an Android GPS location live, but you can use EyeZy for tracking online activities on any Android device. Here is the most complete Eyezy review on the HeyLocate blog.

Try EyeZy

AirDroid

AirDroid boasts many parental control features, allowing parents to track kids’ online activities. It has 1M+ downloads from the Google Play Store. However, there are few online reviews of the app, with only eight people giving it 3.6 stars on Trustpilot.

Features:

• location tracking;
• geofencing;
• location history;
• app and screen time limit;
• online activity tracker;
• parent alerts.

Compatibility:

• Android 4+;
• iOS 11 or later.

Price:

• monthly – $9.99 for 2 devices;
• quarterly plan – $19.99/mo for 10 devices;
• annual plan – $59.99 for 10 devices.

User Experience:

I needed to download the AirDroid app and then pair it with my kid’s device to start monitoring. After this, I explored the various features, starting with the GPS tracking feature. This app allowed me to check the live location of the target device. I could refresh the GPS icon to see my kid’s movements in real-time.

AirDroid location history feature showed where my kid had been for the past 15 days. I found this period to be quite short, since other apps like mSpy store the location history for three months. However, I could see a proper timeline that helped to understand my child’s location in the tracked period.

AirDroid’s geofence feature helped me set up safe zones and get instant alerts whenever my child entered and left those zones. Moreover, tracking with the AirDroid parental control app is discreet, and my child did not know I was accessing their device remotely.

AirDroid has other features for parental control. They include “Activity Report” to see my child’s daily and weekly phone usage and “Usage Limits” to block apps and set up screen time.

Try AirDroid

uMobix

uMobix has some of the most useful features for Android phones. Its reputation is good, with its customers rating it 4.4 stars on Sitejabber. Moreover, 82% of reviews in the past 12 months have been positive on Sitejabber.

Features:

• call monitoring;
• GPS location tracking;
• keylogger;
• messenger & social media monitoring;
• internet monitoring;
• media streaming;
• deleted info.

Compatibility:

• Android 4.1+;
• all iOS devices.

Price:

• $29.99 for one month for basic features;
• $49.99/mo full features;
• $79.99 paid quarterly at $26.66/mo;
• $149.99 annually at $12.49/mo.

User Experience:

I installed uMobix on the target phone after scanning a QR code. The app has automatic installation, so the process was quite fast. uMobix’s GPS tracker showed me the phone’s real-time location on Google Maps. It also displayed the location history of the device.

The app’s GPS phone tracker was accurate to seven meters, one of the best among phone tracker apps.

uMobix has a set of advanced features that I checked out. The app for Android can track phone calls, photos, videos, browser history, keystrokes, and 15 social media apps. Based on my experience, the uMobix app can be useful for tracking a target phone remotely on kids’ and employee devices.

Try uMobix

ClevGuard

ClevGuard provides various parental control tools like the KidGuards Pro. The app has 3.6K followers on Facebook and an excellent 4.1-star rating on Trustpilot from 218 reviews.

Features:

• remote GPS tracking;
• call history tracking;
• social media monitoring;
• emails intercepting.

Compatibility:

• Android 7 – 13;
• iOS 9 to 13.

Price:

• $39.99/mo;
• 3-month plan – $19.99/mo billed at $59.99;
• yearly plan – $9.16/mo billed at $109.99.

User Experience:

I only needed one-time access to the target phone to download ClevGuard. The app’s GPS phone tracker showed the live location address, location time, and the option to view the location on Google Maps. In addition, it had a geofence that allowed me to see when my child entered and left the set zones.

ClevGuard other features are phone files access like call logs and messages, social media tracking, and it can live record phone calls, surroundings, and the phone’s screen. Moreover, ClevGuard could remotely control the phone to take screenshots, photos, and track keywords.

During my test, ClevGuard was completely invisible and operated in stealth mode. However, I noticed its customer support was slow to respond after some features stopped working.

Try ClevGuard

Hovervatch

Hovervatch has 1.25K YouTube subscribers. It has also gained attention in the market and has since received a 4.45-star rating from users on Reviews.io.

Features:

• location tracking;
• calls and messages tracking;
• social media monitoring;
• media access;
• internet monitoring.

Compatibility:

• Android 4+;
• all iOS.

Price:

• 5-days free trial;
• $24.99 per month;
• 3-month plan at $59.95;
• 1-year plan at $99.95;
• professional plan – $9.99 per month per device on up to 5 devices.

User Experience:

I needed physical access to the target device to install the Hovervatch app. I then accessed the location tracking feature to monitor my child’s whereabouts. This feature allowed me to choose the desired accuracy level from 500 meters to 10 kilometers.

Hovervatch has a built-in GPS tracker that syncs the location data in real-time. This meant I could monitor my child’s location as it updated, providing me peace of mind.

I liked Hovervatch’s ability to remain completely invisible on the target device. During my experimenting with it, the app proved to be an excellent monitoring solution. Apart from location tracking, I could track my child’s calls and messages, monitor their social media activities, access media files on their phone, and even monitor their internet usage.

Try Hovervatch

XNSPY

XNSPY is a powerful phone tracking app offering comprehensive Android device monitoring features. It has a large user base and impressive reviews. The app has gained a reputation as one of the top Android tracking apps in the market, with 4.2 stars on Sitejabber and 4.97 stars on Reviews.io.

Features:

• location tracking on Google Maps;
• phone logs;
• keystroke logger;
• screen recorder;
• keyword alerts.

Compatibility:

• Android 4+;
• all iOS.

Price:

Basic:

• $29.99/mo;
• quarterly at $13.99/mo billed at $41.99;
• yearly for $4.99/mo billed at $59.99.

Premium:

• $35.99/mo;
• quarterly at $20 billed at $59.99;
• yearly at $7.49 billed at $89.99.

User Experience:

I accessed my child’s mobile device to download XNSPY. After allowing the keylogger tracking feature, the app configured automatically on the cell phone.

I used XNSPY’s precise location tracking to view the exact location of my child on a map. It also revealed detailed address information. The real-time tracking feature of XNSPY worked as long as my child’s phone had internet access.

However, if the device was offline, XNSPY recorded and synced the locations once the phone regained an internet connection. XNSPY changes its name to “Play Services” and remains hidden from the list of installed apps. Its anonymity allowed me to monitor my child’s device without arousing suspicion.

XNSPY’s had other monitoring features like tracking phone logs. It also monitored Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Tinder, Zoom, etc. In addition, XNSPY could access Wi-Fi connections and media files stored on the device to understand my child’s digital activities.

Based on my research and personal experience, XNSPY is the best phone tracking app for Android for location and social media monitoring.

Try XNSPY

FamiSafe

FamiSafe is a reliable location tracker and screen time control app. Wondershare is the company behind FamiSafe and the app has received 4.3 stars on Trustpilot. It boasts 5M+ downloads from Google Play Store.

Features:

• screen time control;
• web filter;
• app blocker;
• browser history;
• location history;
• activity reports.

Compatibility:

• Android 4.4 – 10;
• iOS 9 – 13.

Price:

• $10.99/mo;
• quarterly – $20.99;
• annually – $60.99.

User Experience:

FamiSafe comes in two apps, one for the parent device and the other for the child’s phone. I required access to my son’s device to install the app. In addition, I set up a password to ensure my child did not access the app on my phone and delete any data.

The app’s location tracking feature was precise, since I could view my child’s real-time location. FamiSafe kept logs of wherever my son went at all times, so I could know where they were. It also had a location history and geofence feature that I could set up for up to 1,000 yards.

I liked that FamiSafe could alert me if my child turned off location services on their phone. FamiSafe is compatible with various apps, including YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Gmail.

FamiSafe showed me the watched videos and the option to block videos and add keywords to a blacklist. I also liked that FamiSafe has speed limits, so you can get an update if your teenager exceeds the speed limit.

Try FamiSafe

Phonsee

Phonsee is a parental control app by an Iceland-based company. The website is still new and has not yet gained popularity on social media. We’ll update you about customer reviews once the Phonsee app and website gains traction.

Features:

• GPS location;
• location data updates;
• calls and text messages monitoring;
• messenger & social apps monitoring;
• keylogger.

Compatibility:

• Android 4+;
• iOS 7 – 13+.

Price:

• $42.51/mo;
• quarterly plan – $24.79/mo;
• annual plan – $8.85/mo.

User Experience:

Phonsee does not need jailbreaking to install it on the target device. For my test, I installed the app using the provided link and allowing the necessary permissions.

Phonsee displayed the approximate location of the target device on a map. While it didn’t provide specific street addresses, it offered a reliable overview of their location.

Phonsee allowed real-time tracking. It was accurate to 9ft, ensuring I could monitor my child’s location as soon as it synced the location logs. However, the frequency of location updates depended on the device’s internet connectivity and movements.

Phonsee operated anonymously on the target device. Along with location tracking, the app provided web filtering, app monitoring, call and message tracking, and social media monitoring.

Try Phonsee

Moniterro

Moniterro is a recently launched cell phone monitoring app for location tracking and device monitoring. It is yet to gain a large following, and we did not find any reviews of the app around the web. However, we tried out the app to see if it’s a suitable option for tracking location on an Android device.

Features:

• GPS locations;
• read text messages and iMessages remotely;
• WhatsApp monitoring;
• screen recording;
• keylogger.

Compatibility:

• Android 4.0+;
• iOS 7 – 13+.

Price:

• $46.62/mo;
• 3 months – $27.19/mo;
• yearly – $9.71/mo.

User Experience:

I downloaded and installed Moniterro software on the target device and accessed its location data on the online dashboard.

Moniterro uses GPS technology to pinpoint the position of a device. I could view the phone’s location on a map and also see the address, longitude, and latitude location. The app could also show the location history, which I could sort by the date.

Motinerro operates in stealth mode and is not detectable on the monitored device. Besides viewing the device’s location, during my testing, Moniterro also allowed me to track text messages, iMessages, record the screen, and view all the keystrokes logged on the target phone.

Try Moniterro

Parentaler

Parentaler is an Android monitoring app that aims to help parents stay in the loop of what’s happening in their kids’ digital world. Based on our research, we found the website’s SSL certificate valid and DNSFilter finds it safe.

Features:

• GPS location;
• geofencing alerts;
• detailed location reports;
• restrict browser and apps;
• browser history tracking;
• text messages and iMessages monitoring.

Compatibility:

• Android 4+;
• iOS 7 – 13+.

Price:

• $42.69/mo;
• 3 months – $24.40/mo;
• yearly – $10.17/mo.

User Experience:

Parentaler needs a rooted Android device to access most of the features. After downloading Parentaler, I could track my kid’s location on the online dashboard.

The app uploaded the location logs every five minutes, meaning I could use it for live location tracking. I set alerts, and Parentaler notified me when my child entered restricted areas.

Parentaler could access social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Skype, WhatsApp, and Gmail. The app also allowed me to block content on websites, apps, and games.

During my experimenting with it, the many content filtering options helped me monitor the important aspects of my child’s phone.

Try Parentaler

Bark.us

Bark is a popular parental monitoring app that provides online safety. It does not allow the parent to track their kids’ digital activities actively, but it relies on alerts of potential issues on a child’s device. Bark has 100K+ followers on Facebook and Youtube.

Features:

• location updates;
• social media apps monitoring;
• screen time management;
• websites and apps blocking;
• digital activities insights.

Compatibility:

• Android 6.0+;
• iOS 11 or later.

Price:

• 7-day free trial;
• Bark Premium – $14/mo;
• Bark Jr – $5/mo.

User Experience:

I needed to install the app on parent and child devices. Bark uses location check-in, where the child has to tap on the check-in icon to notify the parent app about their location. However, I could add a location from Google Maps.

The location automatically updates to all monitored mobile phones. I received notifications whenever my kid arrived or departed the set location, e.g., home, school, Walmart, or Target. In addition, Bark stored a 7-day history of arrivals and departures.

The Bark app does track in real time, since it relies on alerts to see the device’s location. Nonetheless, it runs quietly in the background, providing email, text, and push notification alerts.

Our research showed that this app connects to 30 platforms to monitor social activity for signs of harmful content. Bark could track text messages, photos & videos, and emails from Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, Comcast, and AOL. It also accessed Discord, Facebook, Flickr, Google Drive, Instagram, and Chrome.  The apps offered screen time management and app-blocking services to websites, gaming apps, streaming, and adult content.

Try Bark

Spyic

Spyic parental monitoring app tracks everything on a child’s phone and also caters to employee monitoring. Spyic has a 3.5-star rating on Trustpilot. Besides, the site appears to be safe, since FlashStart did not find phishing or malware activities on the site.

Features:

• GPS, Wi-Fi, and SIM Card tracking;
• messages monitoring;
• contacts and calls tracking;
• geofence;
• keylogger;
• browser history.

Compatibility:

• Android 4.0+;
• all iOS.

Price:

• $49.99/mo;
• quarterly – $19.99/mo billed at $59.99;
• annually – $8.33/mo billed at $99.99.

User Experience:

I downloaded the app on the target device and then logged into my online account. I did not need to jailbreak the Android phone since this GPS tracker app works with Android stock versions. Spyic shows the location address, longitude & latitude, and the time the target was at that location.

Spyic updates location logs every five minutes if the phone has an internet connection. Spyic also has geofence location tracker technology. I used it to monitor my child’s movements within different areas ranging from school, home, aunt’s & grandma’s place.

Spyic also uses network tower pings to determine the device’s location. I found it helpful in tracking the device if the global positioning system service was rendered inactive.

Spyic operates in the background. The app could monitor other phone data from social media apps. I used it to track phone calls and contacts, capture screenshots, and record surround sound. After experimenting with it, I found it ideal for children and employee cell tracking.

Try Spyic.pro

FlexiSPY

FlexiSPY is an advanced Android phone tracking app. Most people have had a positive experience with the app, which has received a high ranking of 4.09 stars on Sitejabber. Users on FlexiSPY’s review page have given it an average of 4.91 stars, with many customers raving about the app’s features working as they should.

Features:

• phone call recording & interception;
• location tracking;
• browsing activity monitoring;
• installed applications tracking;
• keylogger;
• media files tracking;
• remote phone control.

Compatibility:

• Android 4.0+;
• iOS 9.2 – 11.4.1.

Price:

• Lite – $29.95/mo;
• Premium – $79/mo;
• Extreme – $119/mo.

User Experience:

It took about 10 minutes to install FlexiSPY on my child’s device. It was configured as “Install Services,” and it hid from the list of installed apps.

FlexiSPY’s GPS location tracking feature showed current and previous locations. It also listed the time of all visited locations. FlexiSPY allowed me to mark safe and unsafe locations, use geofencing, and get alerts for marked locations.

FlexiSPY could track the phone’s location in real-time. It operated in the background and rarely affected the phone’s battery level.

Besides accurate location tracking, FlexiSPY has a plethora of features. The first is intercepting phone calls from the target mobile phone. Furthermore, it could track the phone’s main messaging app, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Telegram, etc. All tracked information comes with time stamps for proper monitoring.

Try FlexiSPY

Cocospy

Cocospy is touted as one of the best Android tracking apps. It was launched in New York in 2017 and currently has 3.08 stars rating on Sitejabber and 3 stars on Trustpilot. Most people are generally satisfied with Cocospy’s services.

Features:

• GPS location tracking;
• call logs and contacts monitoring;
• read deleted messages;
• photos and videos viewing;
• keylogger;
• browser history checking.

Compatibility:

• Android 4.0+;
• all iOS devices.

Price:

• basic – $39.99/mo per device;
• premium – $49.99/mo per device;
• family – $69.99/mo for three devices.

User Experience:

I installed Cocospy in less than three minutes. I found the location option on the control panel, where Cocospy showed the target’s recent movements on a map. I could also view the detailed location report, including the location address and when the person was there.

My research and test showed that Cocospy cannot track the target in real-time, since it only updates it every six minutes. It remained completely anonymous, allowing me to keep tabs on my child without interfering with their phone use.

Cocospy has other features that I used and liked after experimenting with it. The keylogger recorded all keystrokes made on the target device. Hence, I could read messages, social media chats, notes, and calendar events.

I also used the geofence feature to mark zones on the map. The call tracker logged incoming and outgoing calls, while the social media tracker read all Facebook messages, Instagram, and Snapchat posts and interactions. Finally, I tracked the browser history.

Try Cocospy

Google Find My Device

Google Find My Device is a location-tracking solution that can track a cell phone, tablet, or smartwatch and remotely lock it. Users can also wipe their devices using this feature.

You can use Find My Device in your browser or download the app from Play Store. The app currently has over 100M downloads and 4.4 stars rating on Google Play.

Features:

• device location;
• remote lock device;
• remotely wipe device;
• remotely ring device.

Compatibility:

Android 4.0+.

Price:

Free.

User Experience:

I accessed Google Find My Device online portal to find my phone if it got lost or stolen. The service showed my phone’s location with a pin on a map. It allowed me to play sound on my device, even if it’s set to silent. I could also lock the device remotely if I suspect it’s stolen.

Alternatively, Google Find My Device had the option to secure the device by adding a message and phone number to the lock screen in case someone finds it and wants to return it.

Lastly, Google Find My Device could erase the device. I found this feature useful if you can’t recover the device and would not want your personal information to be in the wrong hands.

Since Google Find My Device is free, it does not have additional location features such as geofence or parental control.

Try Google Find My Device

SmartThings Find

SmartThings Find is a Samsung service that you can find in any browser. The service can remotely back up, and wipe a Samsung phone, tablet, or smartwatch. There are 41K users currently subscribed to the Samsung Youtube channel, which shares information about various Samsung services, including SmartThings Find.

Features:

• location tracking;
• erase device;
• lock device;
• extend battery life;
• remote ring;
• backup device.

Compatibility:

Samsung Galaxy device with Android v8 and above.

Price:

Free.

User Experience:

I needed a Samsung Account to access SmartThings Find. Afterward, I logged into my online account to access the location tracking feature for my Samsung A33 5G.

SmartThings Find could show my phone’s location every 15 minutes. The service showed an approximate location of the device, and I could not see a live location or track my phone in real-time.

SmartThings does not operate anonymously. I could find the service on my phone’s settings. However, I liked that SmartThings Find can ring the device, back up phone data, retrieve calls & messages, unlock the phone remotely, or erase the phone’s data in case it got stolen.

Try SmartThings Find

Track Android without App

Still, you can track any Android without installation of any app – just with its phone number.

Scannero.io

You can find a location without an app by using the target’s phone number using Scannero. This website lets you find someone’s location by sending a text message to the person’s device. Once they click on the location tracking link, Scannero will reveal their location on its website. You only need to type a convincing message. Here is the complete Scannero review on the HeyLocate blog.

Try Scannero.io

GEOfinder.mobi

GEOfinder can find someone’s location by sending a tracking link using a text message on their phone’s messenger app, WhatsApp, or Instagram. GEOfinder allows you to send unlimited geolocation requests with one subscription. Thus, if you’re tracking a lost person, you can guide them continuously as they link on the tracking links. Here is the GEOfinder review on the HeyLocate blog.

Try GEOfinder.mobi

Conclusion

These are the best Android tracking apps based on our research. With them, you can enjoy advanced location tracking capabilities like geofence and instant alerts.