How to Read Someone’s Text Messages Without Their Phone: 5 Apps You Should Pay Attention To

With people spending more time on SMS than calls, the ability to read someone’s text messages without their phone is a superpower. It’s like having a remote vision and the ability to walk through walls to see what people around you are doing. But this isn’t the stuff of science fiction or magical fantasies anymore.

It takes just choosing the right phone spying software. But you’ll have to distinguish fantasies from reality to do so successfully. A mountain load of apps piles up on a Google search for “how to read someone’s messages without their phone,” query, each making various claims. Many of these claims are just stuff of fantasy, like most of those claiming to show how to read someone’s text messages without their phone for free.

In this guide, we’ll help you navigate the tricky world of spy apps, describing the 5 best spy apps for safe monitoring. We’ll let you know what is possible and what isn’t and what to expect in general.

What Is an SMS Tracking App, and How Does It Work?

Before venturing into using a text message spy app without access to the phone, you need to be very clear on what exactly it is you’re looking for. Don’t just wait till a spy app vendor pops up and tells you what spy apps can do. You need to have what spy apps are and how they work at the back of your mind.

SMS tracking apps are software designed to give users remote access to other people’s SMS. They can do this by hacking either the target phone’s operating system or cloud backup.

For the most part, SMS trackers are simple and straightforward to use. But in certain instances, you might need extra technical skills, like when installing tracking features that work only on jailbroken or rooted phones.

Once you download and set up a spy app, it latches on the phone’s operating system or cloud storage, where it copies every message processed on the phone and stores them on a remote server that the user can access through their dashboard.

Rest assured you won’t ruffle a feather when using stealthy spy apps. Their stealthy operations enable you to zoom in and out of your target’s phone without leaving the slightest trail. The spy app sends you updates of your target’s activities constantly round the clock without using any significant amount of resources on the target phone – no drained batteries, suspicious junk files, or curious app symbols on their app menu or app drawer. 

Is It Legal to Read Someone’s Text Messages?

So spy apps are all nice and dandy with all these cool tracking features. But is it really cool to have them? Are they legal? That all depends on the user’s jurisdiction, not the methods of how to hack someone’s text messages from another phone in themselves. Most spy app vendors state explicitly in their terms of service that the apps are designed for legal use only. But of course, they can’t control what end users do with their spy apps at the end of the day, so they just divest themselves from any liability from illegal use.

These days, the subject of phone privacy is becoming increasingly contentious, and policymakers are being compelled to tighten the noose around companies feeding off people’s personal data.

In most Western states, you can read someone’s text messages but only with their consent. That means it’s illegal to use spy apps on others behind their back.

There are usually exceptions, though. Parents whose kids are below the age of consent can track their SMS with or without their permission. The use of spy apps can be justified in other instances where your benevolent motives can be proved. For instance, it’s justifiable if you can show that spy apps helped you or your target avoid serious emotional trauma by uncovering lies and deception around you.

Things usually get a bit messier in corporate settings. It’s hard to justify tracking your employees behind their back. Unlike parents, who’re accountable for the well-being of their kids, employers don’t have much of a purview to warrant tracking their employees without their consent. In fact, letting them know they’re being monitored can help advance the goal of the tracking, discouraging them from counterproductive conduct.

Important: Before using spy apps, check the rules in your jurisdiction to ensure compliance with the law.

Why Should I Monitor Someone’s Text Messages?

It’s clear you must have legitimate reasons to monitor someone’s text messages to avoid legal or moral consequences. But so long as your main goal is to prevent harm, you should be in the clear.

Monitoring text messages can help you prevent emotional trauma from betrayal. You can dispel clouds of doubt in your relationship, seeing your partner for who they really are.

As a parent, you can also rest easy knowing no online predator is trying to lure your kids into some nefarious schemes.

These days, text message monitoring can be a crucial part of employee monitoring, giving employers a firmer handle on workplace productivity.

Saying all of this doesn’t make things easier for you, does it? It doesn’t take away the fact that phone tracking can be a highly contentious issue. Better not cross that line unless you’re sure it’s worth it.

But here are some clear signs you need to learn how to see someone’s text messages:

Lack of Participation

A sudden lack of interest in essential things, wayward-mindedness, and a distracted mind are all telltale signs of serious changes in a person’s life. If your loved ones suddenly lose interest in things that were once important to them, you might need to brace up for the uncertainties ahead by learning how to get other people’s text messages.

Less Conversation

This is another symptom of waning interest in things that were once important. Less conversation could mean you’re sharing less in common with every passing day. If they’re replacing bonding time with personal screen time, learning how to read messages on another phone could at least give you a glimpse of what’s behind their new craze.

Isolation

Are they now choosing to be alone so that they can fondle with their phone? If they’ve increasingly isolated themselves recently, they’re either having a difficult time or trying to hide something from you. Either way, it could be best to find out things for yourself.

​​Secrecy

Secrets are always bad in a relationship. It shows a fundamental lack of trust – cracks that could undo the relationship. SMS tracking lets you see your target’s deepest darkest secrets – including the ones they constantly delete or hide on their phone.

Inappropriate Activities Can Be Traced

Sometimes, it’s not about protecting yourself from harm, but your loved ones from bringing harm on themselves. You need to be sure they’re not engaging in sleazy activities that can land them in serious emotional trouble, financial mess, or even worse, behind bars.

Is It Possible to Read Someone’s SMS Without Installing Software? 

Got reservations about installing tracking software to read someone’s SMS? It sounds a little cheesy and risky, right? There’s the dreadful moment of handling the target phone and the unnerving thought that your target might discover the hidden app and trace it back to you.

The good news is that you can read someone’s text messages without installing software on their phone. If your target uses an iPhone, all you need is their iCloud credentials.

Some spy apps can give you access to your target’s iCloud account, allowing you to see everything that’s backed up on their iPhone, including their SMS.

Important: You need to ensure that the target’s iPhone has an active iCloud backup that includes their SMS and that their iCloud isn’t protected by two-factor authentication.

Once you enter your target’s iCloud credentials on your spy app’s dashboard and make sure the phone has the appropriate iCloud settings, boom! You’ll be inside their iCloud in an instant. Whenever their text is synced to iCloud, you’re sure to find it on your dashboard.

NOTE: Text message spying without access to the phone is possible only on iOS devices because your target’s phone data is uploaded to the cloud. There’s no way to track an Android phone without installing software because there’s no online repository for Android phones that a spy app can tap into.

Since your target’s phone data is always stored on the phone’s memory, you need to install software on the phone to access the phone’s data.

You’ve probably come across spy apps promising remote monitoring without installing software both on Android and iOS. But unless the vendors explain to you complete understanding of how their software goes about doing that, it’s best just to ditch the whole idea entirely.

Some apps even claim to let you read someone’s text messages online for free, which is even more ridiculous. The absolute opposite might be the case, where you end up paying a costly price for a nothing burger. 

mSpy – Best SMS Tracker

mSpy is a sleek, stealthy spy app that always gets the job done, period. It delivers your target’s SMS to your dashboard like clockwork. It’s an ideal solution for anyone, from parents to employees and partners.

It tracks every bit of detail about your target’s activities in a highly discreet manner. You can see everything from their instant messages to social media activities, multimedia files, and browsing activities. They won’t even have the slightest idea that you’re on to all their phone activities.

Parents can also deploy a deep collection of remote control features to get a firm handle on their kid’s screen time. They can dictate how long their kids stay online and what content they can access.

How to Install mSpy?

Pricing

Pros

✅ A super-stealth, lightweight algorithm that evades antivirus scans.

✅ A swift installation process and seamless user interface.

✅ Monitors text messages even on non-jailbroken or non-rooted phones.

✅ Compatible with a wide range of phones.

✅ A massive collection of spy features is accessible with a few clicks.

✅ Reliable round-the-clock support.

Cons

❌ Each license supports just one device. The cost of monitoring kids or employees could quickly add up. 

eyeZy – AI-Powered SMS Tracker

Still wondering, “how can I read someone’s text messages from my phone?” eyeZy goes a step further to help you track your target’s SMS compared to regular SMS trackers, using AI capabilities. It not only enables you to get sweeping coverage of your target’s SMS, but it also helps you make sense of all their phone activities.

There are plenty of tools to track your target’s SMS, from Social Spotlight monitoring everything they do on social media to the keylogger showing every message they send out. You can also use the Files Finder to find inappropriate content they’ve shared or downloaded from chats.

That’s not all. You’ll get to see not just their text messages, but every other activity related to their SMS. For instance, the Plan Breaker combines information from their social media, notes, calendar, and location to give you a complete idea of what they might be up to.

Pricing

Pros

✅ Several options for tracking SMS ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

✅ Affordable pricing – can cost as little as $1 per day or even less.

✅ Swift installation and a straightforward user interface.

✅ Instant, real-time updates of your target’s phone activities.

Cons

❌ A relatively new application in the market.

Cocospy – SMS Tracker Without Target Phone

Cocospy is different from the other recommended apps with a capacity to track SMS using phone numbers. But the phone number tracking works only on iPhones. Once you enter their iCloud credentials on your target phone, you can enter the specific number you want to track SMS on.

The app is also compatible with Android devices, though there’s no support for remote installation as we explained earlier.

Thanks to a lightweight design, the app also works in stealth mode that leaves no traces on the target phone. Plus, there are advanced features like a call recorder, remote screenshots, etc.

Pricing

Android

iOS

Pros

✅ Tracks SMS without the need to jailbreak or root the target phone.

✅ Easy installation plus reliable technical support to help with any difficulties.

✅ Untraceable operations.

Cons

❌ Technical support isn’t available 24/7. 

FlexiSPY – Best Spy App With Wide Compatibility

Most spy apps on our list don’t support phones like Blackberry and Symbian, but FlexiSPY does. So if your target’s phone is neither Android nor iPhone, this might be your best alternative.

As the name suggests, FlexiSPY’s main selling point is flexibility, enabling you to track many different types of phones without a hassle.

But perhaps the most remarkable thing about FlexiSPY is the massive range of spy features. It would be a reliable tool for tracking your target’s text messages, shared media content, etc. FlexiSPY boasts over 100 different tracking features, including several rare, advanced features like call recording, ambient recording, remote screenshots, and SIM change alert.

Pricing

Pros

✅ Compatible with almost every Android or iOS device as well as many other types of phones.

✅ A massive range of tracking tools, including several advanced features.

✅ Support for both open and stealth modes.

Cons

❌ A steep price tag.

❌ Most advanced features are available only in higher-tier plans.

Spyera – Ultimate SMS Tracker

Spyera is an SMS tracker preferably used by parents, companies, and the like to keep track of their children or employees. Although sending text messages seems relatively harmless, it is often used for sharing personal information or sensitive data with other people you trust. Spyera provides a sophisticated solution for monitoring text messages of all smartphones on which it has been installed.

It also lines up several advanced features, including a live call recorder, remote video recorder, and remote mic activation. The call recorder not only records phone calls but video and audio calls on apps like Skype, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.

You can secretly install it into a target phone and start tracking their activities without any visible notification pop-ups or alerts that will tell the victim about this app.

What’s more, it’s compatible with almost every Android and iPhone, and there are even versions for Macs and PCs.

Pricing

Monthly

Annual

Pros

✅ Powerful remote control features to regulate your kid’s screen time and what they do with it.

✅ Constant real-time updates of your target’s activities.

✅ A solid collection of advanced features.

Cons

❌ Pricing is on the high end.

❌ Several bug reports. 

What Else Can You Track With Text Message Spy Apps?

Most SMS trackers come with a bouquet of features for tracking other phone activities. The aim is to provide all the info you need to keep track of your loved ones effectively. But it’s up to you to decide the appropriate phone activities to track.

Pricing plans are usually feature-based. You should be able to find an app with a pricing plan that has all the features you need at the right price. 

Here are other features you can expect to see in spy apps:

👥  Social Media

With the increasing dominance of social media in our everyday lives, you can get a much better sense of what your targets are doing behind your back by monitoring text messages along with social media activities.

Our recommended SMS trackers give you complete access to your target’s social media, keeping tabs on them on just about every platform, from popular ones like WhatsApp and Facebook to dating apps like Tinder.

🌐  Internet Activity

You can also track everything they do on the web. SMS trackers provide well-curated details of a target’s browsing activities. You’ll get to see their browsing history, complete with time and date stamps. 

📍  Location

Location tracking can help keep your loved ones safe while discouraging lies and strengthening trust in a relationship. You can always check up on their location to make sure they don’t tread unsafe places nor try to keep secrets. 

📞  Call Logs

Most SMS trackers show you who your target has been talking to. Advanced apps even allow you to listen to their conversations live or on recordings. You can identify who their callers or receivers are and tie in time and date stamps and call duration to figure out what they might be up to. 

Final Thoughts

Now you know exactly what to expect from SMS monitoring apps. They make SMS tracking super-easy for everyone, lowering the bar of entry for people who lack even the most basic technical skills. 

But a good sense of discernment is still required. You should be able to distinguish facts from fiction to avoid falling prey to scammers and cybercriminals.

With our top recommended apps, you can set up your tracking campaign in a jiffy and start getting your target’s SMS updates by the minute.