Looking for a real unbiased HoverWatch Review? I’m fed up reading terrible reviews online from people who obviously have never tried the products. At AcisNI.com -The Spy Software Guide – I use and test every spy app that I review – no fakes here!
If you have had a look around this website you will notice that I only actually recommend a few of the best spy software apps. Ones that I have used for a long time and can vouch for without question.
Why … because I care about people getting ripped off.
Does Hoverwatch spy make my top list? I’m afraid not but read on to find out why. Before you make any decision check out my mSpy Review and find out why mSpy is recommended.
Then if you are still interested see my FlexiSPY review – and learn about FlexiSPY and it’s most advanced features. The latest recommended spy app on my list is uMobix – you can read my review and learn how this might be an alternative worth considering. These are three of my favorite spy apps today.
HoverWatch Spy App Reviews
The HoverWatch app has been around for a long time – since 2002 according to their website. The thing about the reviews you’ll see online is that most are fake. The few who have actually tested HoverWatch will not be recommending it. It is that simple!
With so many spy apps available today there is no valid reason to pick HoverWatch. It just doesn’t measure up. It lags behind the competition in so many ways – I’ll cover some of these below.
The first glaring problem is that it only monitors Android phones and Windows and Mac PC’s. Hoverwatch does not work on any Apple iPhone model.
Features – What Can You Monitor on the Target Device?
As a spying software for Android devices, HoverWatch offers all sorts of useful features. Unfortunately most users don’t seem to have such a smooth ride when using some of these features.
Call Recording
You might think calls are off-limits for a monitoring app, but not this time. HoverWatch actually provides you with a copy of the audio recording of the conversation which means you can listen to them whenever you want.
You can check if your employees are leaking confidential information or if your kid is up talking on the phone when they shouldn’t be.
This feature also provides you with the date and time of the call, how long it lasted, as well as the participant number and name. Additionally, you can know the type of call; incoming or outgoing, and where it took place if the geolocation option is enabled.
Calls pack so much more information than texts and you can learn a lot from such access. All you have to do is turn on this feature (disabled by default) and the data will be saved and served on your dashboard.
In my testing the call recording feature did not work. And when you look online it isn’t just me! Lots of complaints about call recording not working. This isn’t surprising – in my experience, FlexiSPY is the only reliable call recording and listening app.
Internet Browsing History
HoverWatch saves a detailed list of websites visited by your target device with the exact timing, not just those accessed via the default browser though, but also ones opened using Google Chrome. This option is enabled by default.
For kids as well as teens, this option is super helpful for keeping an eye on their browsing habits. You can always be aware of the kind of content they’re subjected to and take actions accordingly.
For employees, the internet is a constant distraction that you can definitely do without. This is why knowing what they’re up to when you’re not looking is a pretty appealing idea.
HoverWatch SMS Tracking
While it’s obvious how popular instant messaging is, many people still use the old SMS via carriers, which is why you want to be able to monitor what’s in those texts.
HoverWatch allows you to view all message content sent and received on the target phone, even photos and videos. You also get to know the numbers of participants with an accurate time stamp.
Using this feature, you no longer have to wonder what your kids are typing all the time or if your employees are really working on their phones. This feature works well in HoverWatch but let’s face it this is the most basic monitoring you would expect in any phone spy software.
Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber Monitoring, and the List goes on
We all know social media is basically the heart and soul of online communication. Everybody uses them, no matter their age, which means so much information you can learn if you can track messages on those platforms.
This feature grants you access to all outgoing and incoming texts, including pictures, audio recordings, and videos. Now you can spy on their Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Viber chats in complete secrecy.
Does Hover Watch make my list of Facebook hacking tools? – read more to find out but I think you can guess – right? One thing to note – HoverWatch does Not work on Snapchat.
Does Location Tracking Work Using HoverWatch?
Another extremely valuable feature presented by HoverWatch is location tracking. Did you ever wonder if your kids are skipping classes or sneaking out? Are you suspicious of the places your employers go during working hours?
Well, since you can’t control them or constantly follow them around, HoverWatch can do it on your behalf. This is also useful if the targeted phone gets stolen.
The app tells you the exact location of the targeted device even if they have the Wi-Fi and GPS turned off. That’s possible because HoverWatch uses the closest cell phone towers (GSM) to extract the needed location details.
Moreover, you can track the route of commute right on your map. Geo-locations, where your targeted phone has been, are marked with blue dots which gradually turn red if they repeatedly go to the same place.
You can easily change the frequency of this feature from your account and don’t have to root your mobile phone to use it. (or so they claim!)
That all sounds great and pretty standard these days for decent phone tracking apps. Unfortunately, HoverWatch did not track my target device accurately. In fact the reports were pretty useless. It seems that their tracking is out of date, relying on phone masts and results are poor at best.
This is a major problem. Phone tracking is such an important feature when it comes to parental control monitoring. Most other good apps have this down using updated technology compared to HoverWatch.
Contact Details
The HoverWatch app provides you with full data related to contacts on the target’s device. You get quick access to all saved contacts and whenever a new contact is created, it’s automatically uploaded to the HoverWatch server.
On top of that, all information corresponding to those contacts such as numbers, addresses, and emails are saved on the control panel.
Knowing the actual names of people your employees or kids are talking to, helps you better understand the situations you’re facing.
Monitoring To-Do Lists and Notes
If like me, you love being a step ahead, then you’ll be particularly pleased with this feature. You can constantly keep up with your targeted individual’s plans by tracking their notes, schedules, appointments, and reminders.
You’ll be able to view their list and full agenda whether independently or using the calendar. HoverWatch backs up all this information for you to view anytime, requiring no rooting.
Stealth Mode
The whole point of a spy program is to remain undetected. HoverWatch is no different, offering phone tracking in stealth mode.
Being invisible helps you achieve efficient monitoring knowing that your kid or employee didn’t change their behavior just because you’re watching.
Key Logging With HoverWatch?
I assumed that the keylogger function would work on my target device using the HoverWatch app. It seems the keylogger only works on Windows PC and Mac – Not on Android phones or tablet devices.
This is another major fail. A good quality modern monitoring app should have a keylogger as standard.
The Drawbacks
Although many HoverWatch app reviews claim it is dependable and secure, my testing and many comments online dispute that. I found it worked well on the most basic monitoring features only.
One of the biggest issues with HoverWatch is its compatibility limitations. Right now, it only works on Android, Windows, and Mac devices. However, there’s no iPhone version available.
As they market HoverWatch as one of the best Android spy apps – I’m afraid I can’t agree. Even with only working on Android they fail to compete with reliable phone tracking apps.
What Makes HoverWatch Special?
To highlight the lack of important tracking and monitoring features, HoverWatch lists a few things as “advanced phone tracking features”. Here are a few they mention:
SIM Card Change Detection
HoverWatch will notify you if the SIM card on the target device is changed. Once a change happens, a notification appears immediately on the user panel and you can view it from any device with an internet connection.
They claim this as an advanced feature when in fact every competing monitoring program has this feature as standard.
Selfie Capture
This feature is a bit of a gimmick. It sounds like a good idea, but in reality it is pretty useless. In no time your reporting dashboard is filled with photos of the phone user. If you turn this option on, it takes a photo every time they unlock their phone! Not to mention they are bound to notice the camera going off every time and when they see their camera gallery, they will know something is up!
They claim it is great if the phone is stolen, then you can get a photo of the thief. That might be true if you have the HoverWatch app installed on your own phone ( not the target device).
Using the phone camera hacking feature, the app takes a selfie picture every time a person unlocks the targeted phone. All images are stored on the user control panel and you can view them from any device with internet access. However, you do need to activate the “Front Camera Photos” option.
This is an advanced feature you can do without!
Auto Screenshots
Another interesting feature HoverWatch offers is taking screenshots. They explain “Sometimes, you need to go beyond audio calls or typed texts to obtain the information you’re looking for. It could be drawings, emoticons, stickers, or anything similar that reveals what you’re actually after.
If you decide you want such data, you can just switch on the Periodic screenshots option and choose the most suitable time interval. Screenshots are saved for 30 days before they get automatically deleted.”
Now, some other apps offer the ability to take a screenshot of the target device. But they work by triggering a screenshot at the time of your choosing. This way you might actually see something important.
With HoverWatch you need to specify a time interval in advance. For example, you can set it to take a screenshot every day at 6 pm or every 8 hours. I have to ask how useful this feature really is?
The fact that HoverWatch highlights these features as special or advanced tells me they are scrambling for something interesting to make them appear relevant. They would be better served trying to improve their basic features.
HoverWatch Pricing
HoverWatch tries to keep some buyers by offering comparatively low prices and discounts for multiple devices. They have 3 plans :
HoverWatch Personal – covers 1 device :
- $24.95 for 1 month
- $59.95 for 3 months
- $99.95 for 12 months
HoverWatch Professional – tracks up to 5 devices :
- $49.95 for 1 month
- $99.95 for 3 months
- $199.95 for 12 months
Their Business plan – for tracking up to 25 target devices :
- $149.95 for 1 month
- $299.95 for 3 months
- $499.95 for 12 months
Please don’t be tempted by these prices without doing your research. If you still want to try – test out their cheapest option. Their pricing model aims to look appealing to small business owners wanting to monitor several company cell phones cheaply.
But remember, sometimes you get what you pay for!
HoverWatch FAQ
Is Hoverwatch detectable?
In my tests, the HoverWatch app is well hidden from the user. You can hide the app icon and it does not show up in running processes.
Is Hoverwatch legal?
Like all phone monitoring apps HoverWatch is legal to use in certain circumstances. You can use it to monitor your own children’s cell phones and it can be used to track company-owned phones.
Can you use Hoverwatch on iPhone?
No HoverWatch is not available for any iPhone or iOS Apple device.
Alternatives to HoverWatch
On AcisNI I only recommend programs that I have fully tested and can stand over as reliable. For that reason the list is short. If an app isn’t up to scratch or doesn’t offer something extra in terms of value, I don’t promote it.
mSpy
Best social media monitoring
All iPhones supported
Best tracking features
FlexiSPY
Call listening and recording
Advanced feature list
Cheaper plans now available
Umobix
Good feature list
Good support for beginners
Best for a tight budget
That covers what I recommend as good alternatives to the HoverWatch monitoring app. I have some other reviews of products that are Not recommended – have a read to find out why:
Do I Recommend HoverWatch?
Having used and tested out the HoverWatch monitoring app on an Android phone I do not recommend this spy app. I have covered a few of its shortcomings above but there are more.
The fact that some of the most important features simply do not work as claimed is a huge issue. Add to that the fact that it only works on Android phones. As an Android phone tracking app, it proved unreliable and inaccurate.
HoverWatch has been around from the early days of spy app software but unfortunately, it has failed to keep up. It looks and feels like an old outdated app. The spy app market is very competitive today and several leading apps are way ahead of HoverWatch.
Some people may be tempted by what looks like good value pricing. You need to ask yourself is it good value if some main features just do not work reliably? There are better alternatives out there today.
