How to Spy on iPhone Anonymously

Want to spy on somebody but don’t know how? You’ve come to the right place!

We’re here to give you a few methods of how to spy on an iPhone anonymously you could try. Our guide will teach you how to monitor GPS data, messages, web history, and more.

Whether you want to keep an eye on your spouse or make sure your kids are exploring the web safely, we’ve got you covered. No need to hire a hacker or break the law, you’ll be able to do everything by yourself!

Why Do You Need to Spy?

Despite what most people think, not all reasons for monitoring someone’s phone are actually malicious. Yeah, most people spy to get access to some private info (for both good and bad reasons), but you can also do it to prevent data from being leaked.

You can do it for so many reasons like checking if your partner is cheating or hiding something from you. Is it ok to do that? Well, we’re not here to judge. But it’s just one of the cases you may need to spy on someone. Common reasons include:

Parental Control

Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for parents to monitor their children’s phones, and there are way too many parental control apps out there. Some let you track your kid’s location at all times, and some apps let you control the screen time of your kids as well.

But spying goes beyond that. You can spy on your kids to check who they are chatting with (as there are way too many creeps lurking around the web), see what content they browse, and all that. It’s a simple way to ensure your kids don’t get around with questionable people or watch improper content without them knowing.

Employee Monitoring

In case you’re running a company and want to make sure your employees come to shifts on time and don’t go around during working hours, spying may help, too. There are actually apps to track the GPS of employees and monitor their attendance if needed. It can be a daunting task, especially for small businesses, and if you wanna take a step further, there are apps for clocking in and out, too.

As for the spying, you can use it to make sure company-given iPhones are not being used for entertainment (especially during shifts). The moral side of that is not even in question, because your goal is to get profit from your business, but it’s better to let your employees know you’re watching over them.

Is it Legal to Spy on Someone?

Well, the answer to that is not as one-sided as you may think, and it totally depends on the situation. Yeah, there is a federal law that makes it a crime to spy on a person’s phone without a valid legal reason (we’ll talk about it later).

It needs to be stated that spying without permission is not only illegal but fully unacceptable. It is considered a crime in the eyes of the law, and it is punishable. The punishment may vary according to the details of the case, it can be fines or even prison.

When Spying Is Legal?

As was already said, there are some cases where it is considered legal. Spying is not deemed a criminal activity when:

  • Taking Consent. As expected, is fully legal to spy on someone if you have permission from the target. And before you say it ruins the entire point of spying, think about how much trouble you may cause (to the target and yourself) if you try to do it without them knowing. You risk getting yourself into a major legal problem or ruining your relationship with the target.
  • Monitoring Your Kids. We’ve already mentioned parental control may be one of the reasons for spying, and it is, in fact, completely legal. You can do it to protect your kids from online threats. But it’s still important that you discuss it with your child (especially a teen) and make them understand it’s being used to keep them safe. Not only will it give you consent, but it will also let you gain their trust.
  • Tracking Your Employees. This one was already discussed, too. It’s also legal for the employer to monitor all the company-owned devices. Thus, you can ensure none of the confidential info will get leaked and that the phones are not misused. But once again, inform your employees of your action, so they won’t think you’re invading their privacy.

Best Apps To Spy on iPhone

Spy apps are becoming more and more popular in recent years, and there’s a reason for that. These apps let you check all kinds of data on other people’s iPhones, from messages and calls to location and more.

It’s getting done remotely and is an absolute gem if you wanna monitor your kid or spouse (or whatever legal usage case you’re having). Some of these apps even let you limit usage of some services and apps remotely, how cool is that?

And while all the apps claim to work, there are far too many of them to check all by yourself. That’s why we’ve done the work for you by picking up the best spy apps with free trial for Android & iOS you could try. We reviewed all the market’s best options based on ease of use, functionality, free trials, security, and all that.

Are iPhone Spy Apps Legal?

We’ve already talked about the legality of spying on someone, and it’s not that different when it comes to apps. It is illegal to install such apps without getting consent first, and it also applies to recording conversations (just in case you didn’t know that).

The majority of such apps claim to be completely legal to use, but it’s always better to check the features first and maybe go through reviews, terms, and conditions. As for the appropriate ways to use them, the legal usage still applies to kids, employees, and situations when you have consent.

In case you think someone spies on your phone or wants to prevent it from happening, check out the best anti-tracking apps for iPhone.

How to Spy on iPhone Without Apps?

Spy With Apple ID

You might not have thought of it, but it’s one of the best ways to do the spying. But you’ll need to know a few things for it to work, such as:

  • iCloud access info;
  • Access to the phone itself;
  • Internet.

Apple ID lets you view the entire backup registry. It contains iMessage history, pics, emails, search history, and GPS data.

Here’s how to make it happen:

  1. Get the iCloud (or Apple ID) info of the target phone.
  2. Go to the Settings of your device and log in with the info. At this point, you might be asked if you want to merge, and you’ll need to agree to that.
  3. In case the iCloud backup is not activated, you’ll need to turn it on manually on the target phone.

It gives you access to photos, contacts, and all that. In case your goal is to read messages, make sure to enable iMessage in the Settings too, and reenter the password. If you’re interested in meAnd that’s it, you’ll get to monitor activity of all kinds. The drawback is you can’t check social media or monitor in real-time (only after the sync is finished).

Spy With Find My iPhone

Although this feature is mostly here to let you locate your phone in case of loss, you can use it for spying, too.

Here’s how to pull it off:

  1. Connect to the web and ensure your Find My iPhone is enabled. To check, go to Settings > Your Name> Find My> Find My iPhone.
  2. Pick another device (phone or PC) and go to the iCloud website.
  3. Sign in with your Apple ID.
  4. Go to the Find iPhone section.

Then, you’ll see the map with the location of the connected phone. You can add multiple devices here, which is handy. Of course, it only gives access to GPS data, nothing else.

Spy With Find My Friends

It’s similar to the previous method, just slightly different. To do it, you’ll need to:

  1. Go to the Find My Friends app.
  2. Sign in, and you’ll see the map with your location and one of your friends who have shared their GPS data with you.
  3. To add new users, tap the “+” icon or pick some from your contacts.
  4. You can set up notifications when people arrive at a specific location and stop sharing your data temporarily.

That’s basically it. Now, you have a few methods on how to spy on someone’s iPhone without them knowing. Stay safe, stay smart, and make sure to use them with caution!

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Author
Anne Novikova
Enjoy finding leading apps of all kinds and share them with the world. An iOS user with an interest to all gadgets that make life easier and more fun.