XNSPY is a mobile spy app offered on iPhone, that is for parental and employee monitoring. The spy app claims that it allows customers to monitor phone calls and messages, access instant messenger chat and multimedia, track GPS location, read emails, monitor online activities, record phone calls and surroundings, and remotely control the target device. We decided to test it for ourselves to ensure the app works as advertised, but sadly in the end, it did not. As detailed below, the recent Apple upgrade to iOS12 breaks the XNSPY app.
We purchased the iPhone (No Jailbreak) Monitoring 1-Month Premium subscription. With all the security measures Apple takes to protect their products, it is no longer possible to jailbreak an iPhone. XNSPY asks for the target device’s iCloud login and then generate a Two-Factor code from their phone.
Since iOS 12, Two-Factor Authentication has become standard which means the parent is required to get a one-time-use code from the child’s device each and every time they want to request data. XNSPY does not work with Two-Factor Authentication and we have found accounts with Two-Factor Authentication cannot request data through their interfaces therefore no data can be requested. Apple has made it impossible to disable Two-Factor Authentication with iOS 12, as Apple deems that this an important security feature for accounts, thus making XNSPY not work at all for iPhone users.
After backing up the target device on XNSPY’s Customer Dashboard, the only sections of data it was able to retrieve were Contacts, Location and Photos. The data retrieved was from a very old update and is not even on the iPhone any longer. Since XNSPY claims to backup data automatically, the days following we checked back in to see if there was more data on the Dashboard, but there was not.
A feature we found to be a major invasion of privacy, was the “Phone Surround Recordings”. It is only available for Android or iPhones with Jailbreak and what this feature does is record the target’s phone without having to make a call.
After reading customer reviews, many of the negative reviews mention how they were never able to retrieve any data from their target devices and more importantly how unhelpful customer service was.
Overall, our testing of XNSPY proved to us that the app did not work as advertised and did not update data overtime.
In contrast, WebWatcher has been updated to be completely compatible with iOS 12, as well as all prior versions. Rated the #1 iPhone monitoring app, WebWatcher allows parents to monitor a device discretely from a secure online account. In addition to iPhone/iPad, it is compatible with all other key operating systems (Android, PC, Mac & Chromebook). The company also offers 24/7 customer service via phone, e-mail and live chat, to ensure the best experience for their customers. WebWatcher‘s stand-out feature is its Alert Log tool. This feature scans all recorded data and uses intelligent filters to identify and highlight items deemed to be risky behavior. Parents receive real-time alerts of all identified risky behavior, which means they can focus on only important items while respecting privacy boundaries. Of course, all recorded data is available for review at any time if needed.
Click here to sign up for a risk-free trial
