Looking for a reliable way to spy on iPhone text messages? Monitoring texts on an iPhone or Apple device has always had its problems, until recently. Now you can choose from a range of methods that really work.
I’ll explain how everything works without boring you to death with technical jargon! I’ll explain why spying on the iPhone is different to Android phones. Then I’ll tell you about the best iMessage spy apps available today.
I’ll also explain how it is possible to spy on iMessages without having access to the target phone – in some circumstances.
Let’s get started.
What’s the Difference Between iMessage and SMS Texts?
What is iMessage exactly? iMessage is Apple’s own messaging service; it comes with every iPhone and iPad. You can send and receive texts from your friends and family using a Wi-Fi or mobile data internet connection. If you use Wi-Fi it is free of charge. You can send messages, photos and videos.
That sounds awesome, right? The only problem is that you need the other person to have an Apple device too! IMessages use Apple’s own encryption so you can only communicate between Apple devices.
But don’t worry that doesn’t mean you can’t send and receive messages with other phones such as Android or Windows.
Did you see my article about how to know if someone blocked you on iMessage. Thought that might be interesting while you are here.
iMessage is found in your default (or native) messaging app on your iPhone. The messages are color coded to show if they are SMS text messages (green) or iMessages (blue). On the iPhone you can send iMessages or regular text messages.
It happens automatically – the iPhone texting app will recognize if the recipient is using an Android phone and the message will be sent as a SMS (Short Messaging Service text message) or a MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).
SMS messages are sent using your phone carrier and will cost you credits whereas iMessages are sent over the data connection.
Why Spying on an iPhone is More Difficult Than Android
Spying on Android phones is really easy. You can install an application that will capture all text messages, photos and videos sent over the data network. They often run in stealth mode so the user won’t know they are being spied on.
These spy apps are also available for the iPhone but there’s a HUGE difference between the two. Because of Apple’s restrictive practices, it has always been more difficult to install and use spy apps on the iPhone.
To do so you first need to Jailbreak the iPhone. I won’t go into details here but if you want to learn more about Jailbreaking check out my article – How to Jailbreak an iPhone.
Up until a few years ago this was the only way to spy on iPhone text messages. It became an even bigger problem when Jailbreaking couldn’t keep up with Apples new Operating system updates (iOS). Every time they released an new version of their iOS, hackers had to try and come up with updated Jailbreaks.
At present you can’t Jailbreak the latest iPhone operating system – and it has been this way for a few years. This caused huge problems for parents needing to use spy apps to monitor their kids texts on the iPhone. They couldn’t Jailbreak their phones and so couldn’t install the spy apps.
No Jailbreak iMessage Spy Apps
Thankfully the spy app companies came up with another solution. mSpy were the first to come up with their No Jailbreak monitoring system. Using this method no software is actually installed on the target iPhone. It works by monitoring Apple’s free iCloud backup system. This is the backup system that runs every night so you don’t lose data in case your phone gets stolen or damaged.
mSpy clone all iMessage texts, call logs and loads more data to their server using Apple’s iCloud backups. The spy app uploads this information to mSpy’s online dashboard which you access from a web browser. You can see all the logs (text messages, etc.) for as long as you like, whenever you like.
This makes spying on iPhone text messages much easier than having to Jailbreak the phone and install spy software directly onto it. Best of all you don’t need to worry about Apple’s latest operating system updates as No Jailbreak iPhone monitoring works on the most up-to-date iOS versions.
The main drawback for this new system is that you must have the Apple ID and Password of the users iPhone. Oh, and iCloud backups must be enabled. But it certainly offers a great alternative to the hassle of Jailbreaking.
So now you can spy on iPhone text messages using full version spy apps that require Jailbreaking or the latest No Jailbreak version. mSpy aren’t the only company offering this service – but they are still the best!
iMessage Spy Without Access to the Target Phone?
You’ll see a few spy programs claiming things like remote installation of spy apps (read that article) or remote monitoring. Remote installation is NOT possible and in most cases these other claims are misleading.
They nearly always mean that once the app is installed on the target phone all reporting is done remotely. Which is true of most spying apps anyway!
But in some cases, you can spy on iMessages without having access to the target iPhone. If you use the No Jailbreak system as mentioned above this can be possible in certain circumstances.
Remember you still need the user’s Apple ID and Password. If you have their details, iCloud backups are already enabled and they have disabled Two Factor Authentication (2FA) then you can spy on an iPhone without having the target phone. If any of these conditions are not met then you will need to have their phone to change some settings.
Next up I’ll look at the best iMessage spy apps available today.
The Best iMessage Spy App?
For me, the best iMessage spy app has to be mSpy. It works on any model of iPhone and it’s easy to install. Best of all their online dashboard is packed with features that allow you to see everything that happens on your child or employees phone. You can even read text messages after they are deleted!
They offer their full version software for Jailbroken iPhones or their No Jailbreak Version. It’s a totally new way of spying and for this reason I believe mSpy are the best company offering iMessage spy apps.
Of course with this spy app you’ll get to see much more than just iMessages and regular texts. You can monitor all messages sent using a wide range of messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Instagram and more. You can track their iPhone and see where they are or where they have been.
Monitoring emails, Web Browsing history, all photos and videos on the phone, detailed call logs – all are available in the reports.
You can check out my full review of mSpy to see what you think:
Another iPhone spy app worth a look is uMobix. It is a relatively new app that is growing in popularity. It competes with mSpy in many areas. It is worth noting that uMobix only offers the No Jailbreak version for the iPhone – they don’t have a download for Jailbroken phones.
They have a good range of features and of course offer iMessage tracking. Definitely worth a closer look, so check out my main uMobix review:
Free iMessage Spy Apps?
I love it – people always ask for free apps. Unfortunately you will not find any free iMessage spy apps. In fact you won’t find any free spy apps at all. This tech is quite advanced and no company is going to offer these services for nothing.
Some do offer free trials from time to time and I have a special discount from mSpy on my main review page. But if you see someone offering a totally free iMessage spy app – beware. It will certainly be a scam of some kind.
Summing Up
That just about covers all you need to get started with iMessage spy apps. I have covered the differences between iPhone and Android spy software and how they work. I’ve done my best to explain how you can spy on iPhone text messages – plus a whole lot more.
With the changes in technology and the introduction of iCloud monitoring, spying on an iPhone has never been easier. Just remember to stay within the laws where you live.
Have a good look around the site – I cover lots more information about iPhone spying and monitoring apps in general. Oh and go check my reviews. Good luck and thanks for reading.
