uMobix Review 2023: How We Tested This Cell Phone Tracker for iPhone and Android

If you’re looking for the best way to monitor your child’s phone, you’ve inevitably come across uMobix. Is it effective and worth your money? The HeyLocate team tested uMobix and has all the specifics about how this app works for both iOS and Android.

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Still doubting that you need so comprehensive monitoring of your child’s phone?

Well, then you need to consider some unpleasant statistics, for ex., that 54% of teenagers are exposed to online pornographic content before the age of 13, and 500,000 online predators pose a threat to kids going online daily.

In fact, children are exposed to various online dangers, not just inappropriate content and sextortion, from addiction to cyberbullying, invasion of privacy, identity, theft, grooming, etc.

This uMobix review looks into all the features on uMobix and how you can use them to help your kid navigate the online world safely.

What is uMobix

uMobix is a cell phone monitoring app, a product by Ersten Group Limited, based in the UK.

The company launched in 2019 and is now on every social media app, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We estimate that uMobix monitoring app has around 1K followers on various social media platforms.

The uMobix blog provides helpful information for parents. For example, you can learn what is child identity theft or what to do if your child is exposed to pornographic content.

On uMobix’s YouTube channel, the videos are primarily about how to use the app effectively.

Is uMobix Legit and Safe?

The uMobix app is designed for parental control on cell phones and tablets for children under 18 years old. It is a safe and legitimate app that must be used with your phone or device. You also need to have consent from your kids.

uMobix is ideal for ethical controlling purposes. We found that the website receives lots of traffic, according to Tranco, and DNSfilter considers the uMobix website safe to use. To this end, you need a personalized account using your data, such as your email address. You cannot assign or transfer your account for privacy purposes.

How Does uMobix Work?

uMobix works by collecting information from a target device. It can track call logs, text messages, social media apps, and location. The app has a comprehensive list of features that helps it to track all aspects of a target phone. Let’s look into the ins and outs of this phone monitoring app.

How to Install uMobix on Android

For Android, I needed physical access to the target device. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Create an Account
   You will need a valid email to create a uMobix account. I also agreed to the terms of service.
   
2. Choose a Device
   I then chose an Android device, since I was installing uMobix on my Samsung phone with the Android 13 operating system.
   
3. Choose a Subscription Plan
   I had free access to the uMobix dashboard for this review. However, at this stage, it requires paying a monthly fee to install uMobix app on the target device.
   
4. Install uMobix on Target Android Device
   I had access to the target device and needed an internet connection to download the app. Before downloading uMobix, I scanned a QR Code, which opened the link to download the file. uMobix is only 11.9 MB, so the download happened quite fast.
   
   I allowed permission to download the app from the internet and turned off PlayProtect services from the Google Play Store.
   
5. Set Up uMobix
   Before using uMobix to monitor the target device’s activity, I enabled Keylogger and then turned on Play Services. These permissions allowed uMobix to install automatically, allowing advanced blocks such as call/SMS.
   
   uMobix completed the installation process automatically by enabling whichever settings it needed in the target device. It was also hidden automatically from the apps installed on the cell phone. 
   After completing an installation on the phone, I accessed the online dashboard, where uMobix synced the settings automatically. I clicked “Done,” and uMobix opened its dashboard showing the phone’s information.

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How to Install uMobix on an iPhone

I also attempted to use this application on an iPhone. To complete the installation process and access most of the app’s features, I required physical access to the target device, the corresponding iCloud login credentials and the screen passcode. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Create an Account
   That involves providing a valid email address and agreeing to the terms of service.
   
2. Choose a Device
   As I was installing uMobix on my iPhone 12 running iOS 16.4.1 (a), I selected an Apple device from the available options.
   
3. Install uMobix on Target iPhone
   I had physical access to my iPhone 12 and needed to complete the configuration process before downloading the app. Before downloading uMobix, I scanned a QR code that opened a link to download the app’s file from the Safari browser.
   
4. Set Up uMobix
   Once I completed the configuration and download process, I proceeded to set up uMobix by navigating to “General” > “About” > “Certificate Trust Settings” located at the bottom of my iPhone screen. I then enabled the “iCloud Security” toggle to allow the app to view the phone’s data. 
   After this, the uMobix tool was able to sync the data, so I logged in to my uMobix dashboard and click the “Get Data” icon. The entire process took approximately 3 minutes to complete.

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However, some features, such as WhatsApp, messages, and calls, did not provide the required data just after logging. To access this data, I had to complete an additional step of backing up the target iPhone and providing the iCloud credentials and password. Thanks to the support team, the process was made simple.

Is uMobix Detectable?

uMobix is not detectable on the target device. I searched for it in the apps, but it did not show an app icon. It disguises itself with the name Play Services. In addition, it won’t open when you click on it.

Similarly, uMobix remains undetectable on the target iPhone. I searched for it on my app list, but it was not visible. It is installed as a profile file that only becomes apparent when you scan the QR code and download the file. After installation and granting permission to “iCloud Security,” the app or file cannot be detected.

Nonetheless, uMobix displays a screencast in the top-right corner of the phone. If you have a techie kid, they are likely to dig deeper into their phone until they find what’s causing the screencast. This could lead them to restore the phone’s factory settings, which would automatically uninstall uMobix from their device.

Thus, we give 9 of 10 scores to uMobix anonymity.

uMobix Features

In this section of uMobix review, I’ll look at each of the features of uMobix.

Calls – Scores 9/10

uMobix displayed all incoming and outgoing phone calls on the monitored device. It showed whether the call was outgoing or incoming, and whether it was accepted or declined. uMobix also showed the duration of the call and the time it occurred.

Similarly, uMobix provided the call feature for monitoring iPhones. It displayed the call status and duration of the call. However, only phone numbers were shown, and caller names were not displayed.

I wouldn’t say I liked that uMobix showed only the cell phone number, not the caller ID. I wouldn’t know if the number was saved on my child’s device. Since 93% of child predators are people who know the kid, it’s imperative to know who your child speaks with on their phone.

Although there was no caller ID on the call logs, it’s possible to know who is calling by their phone number. Moreover, I could block callers right from the dashboard if I suspected my kid was receiving lots of calls from an unknown caller, or they were getting bullied over the phone.

Call History

Address Book – Scores 10/10

I used the Address book feature to access my child’s contacts list. It gave me access to the entire phone book, which means I could use it to call their friends if they were not answering their phone. Apart from the person’s name, the phone app displayed the contact’s physical address and photo.

uMobix also displayed any deleted contacts because it stores its data online. It’s a helpful method of discovering the people my child talks to.

Meanwhile, when I tested it on an iPhone, the address book feature only displayed the contacts’ names and phone numbers. It did not show their physical addresses or photos. However, I observed that the updates were accurate and included each recently added contact in the target phone. This provides valuable information on any new contacts your children may have added to their contact lists.

Contact List

Location Tracking – Scores 10/10

Location tracking with uMobix was fast and easy. On a map, I could check the phone’s real-time location and the last visited locations. uMobix uses GPS location tracking to determine the position of a phone. As such, I could see myself using it if the phone ever got lost.

The location tracking tool was also available while monitoring an iPhone. However, the location addresses were not entirely clear. Despite this, using the correct coordinates and Google Maps view was helpful in getting an idea of the location and tracking the target iPhone’s whereabouts.

Overall, I liked the location tracking functionality, since it allowed me always to see where my child was. Furthermore, I could quickly locate my child in case of an emergency. As a parent, keeping track of a child’s whereabouts is essential, and uMobix made it easy.

Location GPS Tracking

Text Messages – Scores 10/10

uMobix can also track text messages. I used this monitoring feature to read text messages on the target device. uMobix displayed the sender’s name, a highlight of the message’s content, and the time it was sent. I could open the chat to see the entire message, or block the sender to restrict the device from receiving messages from that sender.

However, the text message feature is not identical when testing on an iPhone. Certain functionalities such as blocking the sender were not available, and some sender names were not displayed. Nevertheless, the feature was still useful in determining the messages that were being sent to the target device.

With kids and teenagers more prone to texting all day and night, seeing who they chat with is crucial. This feature is valuable since it can potentially expose cyberbullying or inappropriate messages.

Another feature I liked on uMobix messages monitoring is that it could show deleted text messages. It highlights the deleted messages, so my child would not hide them from me.

read someones text messages

TikTok – Scores 7/10

TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps, and uMobix can track it. This parental control app displayed all the videos that were watched on TikTok. It took screenshots of the time the child stayed on a particular video, whether they opened comments, sent the video, or searched for similar content.

I liked this feature since it exposed the content my child is drawn to. Unlike other parental control apps that show only the time spent on an app, I could see everything my child does on TikTok. However, I could not go into their TikTok profile to view other features like private messages or search history.

Nonetheless, TikTok monitoring was helpful since it could show whether the video was live. Hence, I could know immediately if my child is on a live that could involve child predators.

Unfortunately, on monitoring an iPhone, the TikTok social media tool was not available, so this did not allow me to monitor the app usage on my kid’s phone.

monitoring Tiktok

Social Media Apps – Scores 9/10

Knowing that social media can be entertaining and dangerous, it was good to see its tracked content. uMobix gave me comprehensive data on my child’s activities on various social media apps.

Here’s a list of all the social media apps you can monitor on uMobix: WhatsApp; TikTok; Instagram; Facebook; Twitter; YouTube; Skype; Tinder; Zoom; Telegram; WeChat; Viber; Hangouts; Kik; Discord.

However, while testing uMobix on an iPhone, certain apps that were accessible on Android devices were not available on iPhone monitoring. The apps that were available on my dashboard included: WhatsApp; Instagram; Facebook; Tinder; Skype; Line.

uMobix is one of those parental control apps that does not just display the time spent on an app. I could see all content viewed on Facebook and Instagram.

uMobix Instagram monitoring showed all searches and photos viewed on the target device. It also revealed DM messages and profile info. This means I could see if my child was using their real Instagram account or an account designed for parents to see.

uMobix Facebook monitoring on Android phones displays screenshots only. The screenshots are taken every 5-6 seconds, so they collect lots of data. Nonetheless, uMobix does not have full access to Facebook on Android devices, but it has full Facebook access on iOS devices.

To this end, you can log into Facebook or Instagram on an iOS device without physical access. As such, you can manage various features, such as unfollowing inappropriate content or blocking certain users.

During my testing, I could also see if my kid accessed dating apps like Tinder. I found that kids can pose as adults on Tinder; hence, I would like to know if my kid ever does this.

Moreover, I no longer depended on my kid to tell me what was wrong. I could access any messaging app like WhatsApp on the online dashboard. Here, I looked for upsetting messages without physical access to the target device.

social monitoring apps

Media – Scores 8/10

The media feature monitors photos, videos, audio & video streams, and photo snapshots. uMobix showed me media data on the Android phone I was monitoring. It displayed saved photos and videos with their media type and the time the photo or video was saved on the device. If there was an audio or video stream, I could access them too.

However, in terms of monitoring an Apple device, uMobix only provided the camera tool under the media feature. Unfortunately, it did not provide access to any media files such as photos, audio, or videos saved on the target iPhone.

monitoring of media files

Spyware Scanner – Scores 7/10

Another great feature that I used on uMobix is the Spyware scanner. This feature also allowed me to scan the device’s apps for malware or harmful apps.

Spy apps can be used to steal personal information from the device. If such an app was hiding, uMobix monitoring could detect that spy software. As a parent, I want to ensure my child’s privacy, and uMobix confirmed my child’s device was secure.

Regrettably, this feature was unavailable when monitoring an iPhone, so I couldn’t utilize it.

Spy apps detector

Apps Monitoring – Scores 10/10

Another important feature of uMobix is monitoring apps. It allowed me to monitor my child’s app usage since I could see all the apps installed and uninstalled on my child’s device.

However, when using uMobix to monitor an iPhone, the app feature was slightly different. It provided a list of apps installed on the iPhone, but I could not see the uninstalled apps. Additionally, it provided extra information such as the app’s browsing history, cookies, and any downloads made when using the apps.

uMobix can see which app is currently in use and how long my child has used it. In addition, I could block specific apps if I saw the need. This monitoring feature can be helpful when you want to limit your child’s screen time. A new report shows that 50% of teens feel addicted to mobile devices.

view the list of installed app

Internet Monitoring – Scores 10/10

uMobix allowed me to track my child’s browser activity. I could see the frequently visited websites and how long they spent on a particular website. uMobix also displayed the bookmarked websites. Seeing the browser history meant that I could protect my kid from inappropriate content.

I liked that uMobix took screenshots of the target’s activities on a website. This information was under browsers, meaning I didn’t just see the URL, but also the browser used to access the website. The dashboard displaced the browser history, deleted web history, and timestamps of visited websites.

uMobix could also record searches made in incognito and private mode. Since most people use the incognito mode to prevent the device from creating a browser history, uMobix recorded everything accessed online from the target device.

Another useful attribute under internet monitoring is access to emails sent and received from the target device. uMobix could track emails from various email clients such as Gmail, ProtonMail, AOL, Gmail Go, and Microsoft Outlook.

The internet monitoring tool is also accessible for monitoring an iPhone using uMobix. It enables the tracking of all browsing activities, even deleted web history, along with timestamps of visited websites. Additionally, URLs to the visited pages and screenshots of the target device’s online access are available.

Internet Monitoring

Keylogger – Scores 8/10

Keylogger tracks everything typed by the target user. I could see what my child searched for and the app they used. For example, if they searched a song on YouTube, uMobix could record that search and the date and time the information was tracked.

With Keylogger, I could see all the keystrokes enabling me to see their registered accounts and even the messages they hesitated to send. Not to mention seeing passwords I couldn’t see with regular screenshots from other apps.

However, the uMobix keylogger threw in a few inaccurate phrases, but it worked better than other parental control apps with the same feature.

Additionally, the keylogger feature was not available when tracking an iPhone, at least during my testing of it.

Keylogger

uMobix Cost

uMobix cost plans vary by device. On iOS devices, the basic package costs $29.99 for a month. If you want all the features, a full monthly subscription costs $49.99, while a 3-month subscription will cost $26.66, paid quarterly at $79.99. A 12-month uMobix price is $149.99 for $12.49 on a target iOS device.

uMobix cost for Android is a bit higher since it has more features. The app costs $29.99 for a basic one-month plan, while a full-featured uMobix plan costs $59.99 for one month. A quarterly plan costs $33.33 per month, paid quarterly at $99.99 or $14.99 per month, paid annually at $179.

uMobix doesn’t have a free trial, but special for HeyLocate readers, we got a uMobix coupon code: HL15 – 15% discount.

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How to Uninstall uMobix and Get a Refund

uMobix offers a 14-day money-back guarantee on its subscription plans. If unsatisfied with the uMobix app, you can request a refund within 14 days of purchase by contacting the uMobix customer support team.

The refund process is relatively straightforward. You need to contact the uMobix customer support team and provide them with your order information, such as your email address. You will also be asked to explain why you are requesting a refund.

Once uMobix receives your refund request, they will review it and determine whether you are eligible for a refund. They will process the refund within a few days if you are eligible. It’s important to note that uMobix may not issue a refund in certain circumstances, such as if the app has been misused or if you have violated their terms and conditions.

To uninstall the uMobix app, you will need to access the online dashboard and the apps on the monitored device. Remember, it’s a parental control app, so it will not be easy to find on the target device.

Uninstalling uMobix on a target cell phone requires physical access to it. Go to Settings > Accesibility > Installed Apps > Play Services. From here, turn off Play Services. Next, go to Settings > Apps > Play Services. Deactivate the app and uninstall it completely. Finally, go to the uMobix control panel > Settings > Unlink device. This will stop any transmission from the target device.

To Uninstall the uMobix App on iPhone

You will need access to both the online dashboard and the target iPhone. Go to Settings > About > Certificate Trust Settings > Turn off the “iCloud Security” toggle.

Turn off the VPN option by opening the “Settings” app and selecting “VPN”. Choose the VPN with an Apple Inc and switch off the “Connect on Demand” toggle.

Lastly, navigate to the uMobix control panel and select “Settings”. From there, choose “Unlink Device” to halt any further transmission from the target device.

uMobix Reviews: Reddit, Twitter, etc.

uMobix has received numerous reviews from Reddit, Sitejabber, and Trustpilot web users. Many users have given the app five stars, stating it’s one of the best monitoring apps for tracking everything, including GPS location tracking and viewing messaging apps. Users also say uMobix has the best customer service and support, saying it always has someone who responds to queries.

It’s not all shiny reviews for uMobix since some users have noted that installing the app is not as easy as stated on the device. You may still require access to the target iOS device to install uMobix successfully. Some clients did not like that the features on iPhones are fewer than on Android devices.

uMobix vs. mSpy

Let’s compare the feature of the most popular phone monitoring app mSpy and uMobix.

Here is our full mSpy review and test on the HeyLocate blog:

uMobix Pros & Cons

To sum it up, our verdict:

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Conclusion

uMobix is a comprehensive parental control app with many features to help keep your children safe online. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be a step ahead of what happens on their child’s device. It fulfills its promises, since you don’t have to be with your kid all the time to know what is happening in their life.

Social media monitoring is one of the best features you will appreciate on the uMobix app, since kids are likely to engage with strangers on social media. Hence, you can learn who they meet online and sift the dangers without asking.

Get the uMobix monitoring app and monitor your child from a protective distance.