But is the Spyic app really worth it? Or are you better protected by going for another kind of spy software? In this in-depth Spyic review, I’ll be discussing everything you need to know about this app.
Spyic Benefits
Do you feel like your children are becoming more distant? Maybe they talk less about their day now? Or maybe they even hide their phones when they see that you’re nearby. Learning to hide secrets from parents is a normal part of growing up. However, such secretiveness could also put your children in danger, especially if they no longer let you in on what’s happening to them. That’s why, if you feel that your child is too young to be exploring the uncertainties of the internet on their own, one way to address this is by installing parental control apps on their devices. The Spyic app is a good example of this. Spyic is a paid service, designed exactly so that you can have a window into the personal lives of your children. It can gather all sorts of information, from phone contacts and call records to SMS messages and even social media accounts, such as Facebook. It also has a geofencing feature that allows people to track the target iPhone or Android phone’s location, as long as it’s connected to the internet. Although primarily made as a parental control service, you can also use Spyic as a comprehensive monitoring tool for employers, spouses, and rental device customers. It’s compatible with both Android and iOS. Nevertheless, protecting the security of our loved ones is no small task. Is this spy software up to the task? Read my in-depth Spyic review below to find out.
Spyic Review
In this section, I’ll go carefully over every feature of this spy app and see if it measures up to its claims. Just a disclaimer: This review uses an unrooted Android phone as a test device. While Spyic says it doesn’t need root to function, it’s highly possible that a rooted Android phone may have more unlocked features since that has been my experience with other spy apps.
Main Features
To get started, simply click the Sign Up Free button on the Spyic website.
Dashboard
The very first thing that you will see upon entering your login details is the dashboard. This is where you can access all the other features of the platform. Spyic’s dashboard is extremely intuitive, and, luckily for those who aren’t too tech-savvy, it doesn’t take any skill or effort to figure out. The main screen of the dashboard contains several sections: device information, callers, last known location, messages, and phone activity overview sections. These sections show basic statistics about the target device that lets you know how it’s doing at a glance. For instance, it shows all the contacts that called recently, the most recent messages received, the last known location, and the most common activities done on the phone. Next, we have an access toolbar, also known as the sidebar, on the left side of the interface. It contains all of the other functionalities of the platform.
Call Monitoring
If your child frequently spends time on their phone, it’s important to know who they’re talking to and why. Maybe you fear for your children’s safety since they’re easily influenced by the environment. Or maybe, you simply don’t like them staying up way too late into the night. Spyic’s call monitoring feature allows users to see a record of all the calls answered and made on the target phone. This function is located on the left toolbar, right below the dashboard button. Upon clicking it, you will be bought to a page where all of the call history is recorded. Here, you’ll be able to see further details about the call, like the contact name of the other person, their phone number, call duration, timestamp, and call type, which can either be incoming, outgoing, or missed.
Contact Access
If you want to keep a close eye on your child, it’s also important for you to be able to peek into their contacts. This not only gives you a better idea of your child’s social life, it’s also useful if you need to contact people in your child’s social circle in case of emergencies. The contact book access button is located right below the calls button, in the same left-side toolbar as most of the options available in the platform. Here, we see all the contact information available on the target device. One thing I noticed is that while other spy apps only contain basic information, such as the name and contact number, Spyic is a bit more advanced. It can display even information such as the address, email, and even how many times they had a call with the target device.
SMS Monitoring
Even with all the social media and instant messaging apps available, many still use SMS to communicate. When it comes to keeping your beloved children safe, having access to their SMS messages, where they could be communicating with harmful individuals, is a must. This becomes more important if you suspect that your child is being bullied. After all, bullies may be using SMS messages to terrorize your child. On the Spyic platform, you can access the SMS monitoring tool on the same left toolbar as the rest, right below the Contacts option. Clicking this option gives you access to the SMS messages in your child’s inbox. The information displayed includes the contact name, conversation thread, and timestamps on their messages. I really liked how Spyic displayed message threads in their entirety. Some spy apps I’ve tried before, like Webwatcher, displayed only individual messages and time stamps. This can make searching through the message history a very frustrating experience, as you have to piece together all the messages yourself. However, Spyic does a good job of consolidating everything in one message thread. All you have to do is choose a contact and you can see all the messages in the conversation.
Location Tracking
Location tracking is important because it lets you know where the target phone is at any given moment. This means less time spent worrying about where your child is. This feature is usually the highlight of most spy apps because the quality of its execution can impact the overall use. For instance, some software I’ve previously tested, like mSpy and FlexiSpy, both have excellent location tracking tools with unique features that set them apart from the rest. In the Spyic platform, you can find the location tracking button on the same left-side toolbar as the others. This tab will show you location points on a GPS map. This shows the previous locations where the target device has been. This feature accurately records the complete address, coordinates, Google Map location, and time stamp on the device. One of the limitations of many spy apps is that they don’t have real-time monitoring. Spyic is one of these apps. As you can see from the screenshots, the recorded screenshots are all historical because the app can only record GPS location at certain intervals.
Geofencing
Although related, geofencing is actually an entirely different feature to location tracking. Geofencing allows you to set alerts whenever the target device goes into a restricted area. With this feature, you can set a radius on the built-in map so you receive an alert whenever the target device enters or exits that area. Like other alert-setting features, geofencing is an extremely useful feature to have. With this, you no longer have to constantly check the Spyic app to see the target device’s last recorded location since you’ll be alerted if it happens anyway.
Browser History Access
Your child’s browser history can tell you a lot of things about what they do on the internet. To young kids especially, the internet can be a very dangerous place. As such, you need to make sure that they’re accessing age-appropriate material. It’s also best to prevent them from visiting websites that may depict pornography, violence, drug use, and other things that can plant the wrong idea into their impressionable minds. Spyic’s browser history feature can help you deal with this issue. If you see the target device visiting shady sites, you can easily start a conversation with your child about age-appropriate content and personal responsibility. This tool is located on the left toolbar, right under the location tracking button. Here, we see important information such as the URL, website title, visit frequency, and time stamp. You can even see if your child has bookmarked a URL.
Gallery Access
The things that your children have saved in their gallery can give you precious insight into their social lives. Videos and photos can let you know who they hang out with the most, what their interests are, and what they enjoy doing in their free time. Not only can this help you develop a deeper bond with your child, but it can also help you steer them away from potentially harmful content, friends, or activities. On the Spyic platform, the gallery is divided into two further subsections: videos and photos. These can be seen right on top of each other in the toolbar, right below the browser history. Here, you can see the photos that they have on their phone and the timestamp when it was taken or downloaded. You even get the option to download it. The same is true for the Video Preview button, which also shows the saved media, timestamps, and download button.
Social Media Apps
Social media platforms are becoming more and more popular, especially amidst a global pandemic. Understandably, social media and instant messaging apps are the most frequently used communication methods among kids these days. This makes the ability to access them even more important in any spy software. Spyic makes this easy by giving users access to a wide variety of social accounts. You can find the dropdown menu containing all of them right below the video previews. Upon clicking it, you will see a long list of social media apps that Spyic can monitor. This includes the most popular ones, such as Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, LINE, Viber, Kik, and WeChat. However, there are also less popular messaging platforms that your children might use, such as Badoo and QQ. You can even view the target device’s Tinder account. However, I think Spyic’s social media monitoring can still be improved greatly. For one, it doesn’t display chat heads, contacts, or any identifying information whatsoever. This is a feature so basic and important that you can barely make sense of the conversation without it — and yet Spyic doesn’t have it. Secondly, whenever it displays conversations, the messages are disconnected from each other. It’s impossible to know who is talking to who and what part of the conversation you’re looking at. The only thing you can be sure of is if your child sent something from their end. Other than that, all the messages exist in a vacuum, without context. Overall, this feature isn’t just disappointing, it’s barely usable.
Installed Apps
Spyic also allows you to view the installed applications on the target device. This can be useful if you want to know what your kid spends time on other than social media apps or their mobile browser. However, this feature from Spyic is pretty basic. You can’t do anything else aside from seeing what’s already there.
SIM Card Information
I found this function a little odd since most spy apps just include the sim card information under Device Information. Aside from your SIM card details, there’s also an option to send your email a SIM card replacement alert. You can also click the location tracking button from here – another strange choice since it just leads to the regular location tracking feature. This function only seems useful if you want to know whenever the target device changes SIM cards. Other than that, it doesn’t have much use. You can find the Sim Card Information button right below the app list.
Keylogger
Spyic also has a keylogger, which is located on the very bottom of the sidebar. A keylogger records all of the keys that have been typed into the device. In this respect, Spyic’s keylogger feature is actually surprisingly good. It doesn’t just display a jumble of messages – it actually sorts the entries by app and time logged. This is even better than the oddly messed up and social media monitoring function.
Compatibility
Compatibility is an important matter when it comes to monitoring tools like this. Regardless of Spyic pros and cons, none of it will matter if you can’t run the app on the target device. Luckily, the app runs on both iOS and Android devices. However, unlike other spy software, such as FlexiSpy, it doesn’t cover desktop devices like Windows or Mac.
Android
Android OS has many different versions, and it’s not uncommon for spy apps to work only on several versions and not the others. Not Spyic, though, as it works on all Android versions currently in circulation in the market. As of this writing, that’s Android 4.0 and above. In addition to this, you technically don’t have to root your device to start using the Spyic app. For many non-tech-savvy parents, this is a good thing, as rooting is a complicated process that grants normal users access to options that only developers should have. However, like many other parental control software, it’s possible that Spyic will work much better on a rooted phone.
iOS
Just like Android, iOS also has different versions available right now. However, iPhone users don’t have anything to worry about, as Spyic supports iOS versions from 7 and up. Spyic also doesn’t require jailbreaking in iOS devices. There’s an option to access the target device without physical access and that’s through the iCloud login details. This means that, theoretically, you don’t need to have the actual phone in your hand to get the app to work. However, this isn’t the case in practice. Since recent iPhone updates have increased its security with two-factor authentication, you’re going to need the phone on hand, anyway. And with Apple’s security measures, you likely won’t see much of anything on a non-jailbroken phone.
Price
I honestly found Spyic to be quite expensive, considering its features. This parental control tool has two different price structures for its Android and iOS versions. Subsequently, both versions have three tiers, each one with three subscription plans.
Android
There are three different price tiers for Android. The Basic tier for one Android device costs $39.99 for one month, $59.99 for three months, and only $99.99 for one year. The Premium tier is priced at $49.99 for one month, $69.99 for three months, and $119.99 for one year. The Premium is also only good for one device. Lastly, the Family tier, good for three devices, is worth $69.99 for one month, $99.99 for three months, and $199.99 for a year.
iOS
The iOS version of this software is a tad more expensive since there’s no Basic tier for iPhones. If you’re using iOS, the cheapest tier you can choose is Premium. This tier costs $49.99 for one month, $79.99 for three months, and $129.99 for one year. Next is the Family tier, which includes multiple licenses for up to 5 devices. This costs $99.99 for one month, $199.99 for three months, and $399.99 for one year. Strangely enough, the iOS version has a Business tier, unlike the Android version. The Business tier grants you license to 25 devices in total. This tier costs $399.99 for one month, $699.99 for two months, and $999.99 for a year.
What I Like About Spyic
Dashboard. Spyic’s dashboard is sleek and easy to understand, so even the most non-tech-savvy parents can it to keep their children safe. It also displays all relevant information to let users know the status of the target device at a glimpse. SMS tracking. Unlike most spy apps that just lump all individual messages together, the SMS tracking feature shows conversation threads per contact. This means you can just pick a contact and read all the messages sent and received in thread form. Keylogger. Spyic’s keylogger results are organized by the app, making them easier to navigate. User experience is also much better in this regard.
What I Don’t Like About Spyic
Expensive. For what it’s worth, Spyic’s services are actually quite expensive. In my experience, you can find cheaper alternatives that provide the same, or even better, features.
Also, it’s strange that only the Android version has a Basic tier and only the iOS version has a Business tier. This makes it more expensive for Android users who want multiple licenses and iOS users who want only one.
Basic services. Aside from a few small things – like SMS conversation threads and keylogger results – there’s no feature that particularly stands out in Spyic. As mentioned above, there are honestly many other spy apps that offer better features for a better price. No-root claim may be misleading. While you can install Spyic without rooting or jailbreaking your phone, you may not be able to use its full features, at least according to a list of features on the Spyic website. In other words, if you want to enjoy all the benefits of this app, you may need to have root access. This is contrary to Spyic’s claim there is no rooting necessary. Social media tracking is a mess. Worst of all is their social media tracking feature, which doesn’t sort results into chat bubbles but instead just jumbles everything together.
Spyic Review Conclusion: Is It Worth It?
Spyic is cookie-cutter spy software that, frankly, you can find anywhere. Disappointingly, it offers basic features at a relatively expensive rate. While it’s not a bad choice by any means – in fact, a few of its features do perform better than average – I personally think you’re better off buying parental control apps from other, more advanced alternatives such as mSpy, FlexiSpy, and XNSpy. Did you like this article? Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
