This is where parental control apps come in. With these types of apps, you can make sure that you always know what your children are doing on their electronic devices, whether it’s their calls and texts, apps, or internet activity. Here, you’ll find a full and comprehensive uMobix review, one of the highest-rated parental control apps for both Android and iOS devices.
uMobix Product Benefits
As a newcomer to spy applications, uMobix is eager to prove itself to its target audience. And prove itself it did. With uMobix, you’ve got everything you need to ensure that your children can enjoy a safe and carefree internet environment. And since it’s intended for legal use, you can reap the benefits of uMobix as long as you have your children’s best interests at heart. Maybe you’re worried that your child has a bully at school. Maybe you suspect some wayward friendships. Or maybe you simply need to know how much time they’re spending on their mobile phones instead of on their homework or household chores. uMobix equips you with call and SMS monitoring features to help you with these situations. No more unwanted calls from school bullies or unappreciated SMS messages from friends with rebellious streaks. And if you want to reprimand your kid for spending too much time on the phone with their buddies, you can do so as with all the evidence to back you up. More than that, uMobix also allows you to easily keep track of their social media activity. Although social media can certainly be fun and entertaining, it can also be a cause of addiction and a major source of bullying and inappropriate content for an impressionable audience. uMobix can monitor all the most popular social media and instant messaging apps, such as Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Kik messaging app, and more. You no longer have to rely on your child to tell you what’s wrong – with this parental control app, you have the power in your own hands. In addition to all these things, uMobix’s other standout features include a keylogger for all-out monitoring, a GPS tracking feature to help keep your kids physically safe and a user-friendly dashboard, where you can keep it all together. Convinced yet? Subscribe to uMobix now to keep your loved ones safe!
uMobix Review
If you need more information, worry not: I’ll discuss all of the aforementioned features – and much more – down below in greater detail.
Dashboard
The uMobix dashboard is the first thing you see after you’ve finished the installation process. From the dashboard, you can navigate to any functionality that you want. This is the space that displays quick and relevant information, such as basic phone data and records of calls and SMS. If your device is rooted, you can also see the information location of the tracked device, as well as data on social media apps. No need to rely on apps like Facebook Messenger to deduce the location of your children anymore. In addition to this, the dashboard also shows other app statistics, such as Messenger and Email, as shown above. Over time, you’ll also be able to see other categories, like the most frequent calls, SMS messages, and social apps. You can also see the target device’s internet activity, such as browser bookmarks and the most frequented sites. On the left of the interface, you can see the full range of options housed within a navigation bar. In some cases, particularly on a mobile device, this sidebar might be hidden due to the smaller screen. If you can’t find the sidebar, just tap or press the 3 irregular bars to make it show up. From this sidebar, you can go anywhere if you need something more specific. This is very helpful, especially for parents who aren’t too tech-savvy. Overall, I found uMobix’s dashboard to be neat, comprehensive, and easy to navigate. If all you want is a quick update on your child’s phone activities, you can easily monitor general changes in this section.
Main Features
Now that you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to discuss the functions that make uMobix stand out as a top-notch parental control app in the industry.
Address Book Monitoring
uMobix makes it easier for parents to screen their children’s contact list by giving full, unrestricted access to the target device’s address book. You can find the address book on the left of the interface, under the ‘General Tab’ right under the Calls button. Changing a contact’s name so your parents won’t notice anything suspicious is an old trick. It’s been done ever since teenagers learned the thrill and excitement of texting strangers and even potential romantic partners. With this app’s feature, you can make sure that your children are always kept away from potentially dangerous individuals who want to do them harm. And quite effectively, as well. You can sort through the address book alphabetically and reverse-alphabetically by pressing the arrow beside the Name. You can also change the number of contacts shown on the screen by indicating how many items you want to display through the bottom-left side corner of the interface. All mobile numbers appearing on the same contacts are also indicated, so your children can’t fool you by secretly adding a second number to a well-known contact.
Call History Monitoring
If you want to know what kind of lives your children are leading outside your home, one of the best ways is to find out who they spend the most time with. This is why it’s so important that you know who your young ones are constantly talking to, even if it’s just on their phones. Luckily for you, you can do this very easily with uMobix. The Call History is located on the left side of your dashboard, just under the General tab and above the Address book. With the Call History Monitoring feature, you can see the target phone’s call history data. All calls, including incoming, outgoing, deleted, and missed calls, will be displayed on the screen. The contact info, phone number, duration, and the time and date of the calls made are also shown. uMobix syncs with the device every 5 minutes, so you’re always in touch with the happenings as close to real-time as possible. As mentioned above, knowing who your child is in contact with is a powerful tool that can keep them safe. Whether you suspect something as serious as your child being bullied or as simple as them staying up past their bedtime, uMobix’s close-to-real-time call monitoring feature has everything you need.
Text Messages Monitoring
Even with the widespread popularity of instant messaging and social media apps, SMS is still one of the most reliable ways to communicate. It’s a good thing that uMobix makes it easy for you to know who your child is communicating with or what they’re saying via text. Messages can be found under the General tab, under the Address Book, and above the Location Tracker. In this tab, you have access to all the text messages stored in the target device. The text ID, contact number, latest message, and last message sent are displayed. More than that, you also have the option to view the conversation with the Open Chat feature, which will show you further details of the chatbox. Inside, you can view the conversation itself, complete with the date and time of the message and whether it was incoming or outgoing. You can also opt to block a contact from the device’s SMS inbox. This will prevent them from ever sending a message to your child again. Just press the red Click to Block button between the Contact and Chat tabs.
Social Apps Monitoring
Social media is currently one of the most widespread means of communication and entertainment. With uMobix, parents can navigate their children’s social lives while staying invisible. One of uMobix’s greatest strengths is the sheer volume of social media apps that it can monitor. With this parental control app, you can monitor the most popular social media and instant messaging apps. You can find the complete list of the social media apps that you can track under the Socials tab, below the Block Device feature. From the screenshot, you can see that uMobix can track about 19 different apps, most of which are platforms that children and teenagers often use to communicate. This feature allows you to see the messages that the target phone has been sending on the platform of choice. If your phone is rooted, you’ll be able to see important details of the conversation, such as the chat ID, the chat name, the profile picture, the name of the conversation partner, the latest message, and type of conversation (whether it’s a group chat or personal message). However, if you have an unrooted device, you won’t be able to see a lot. Unrooted devices can only show screenshot previews of instances when the app was used. That said, even if this is not as comprehensive, you can still use this feature to gain an idea of what your kid is up to on their social media. The availability of apps that can be tracked will vary based on the version that you have. For instance, iOS users can only monitor 3 messaging apps: Skype, Messenger, and WhatsApp; 2 social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram; and 1 dating app, Tinder. On the other hand, you can monitor everything on their list if you have an Android phone. One thing that I found a bit strange is that it doesn’t pull conversations from the social media app, unlike other monitoring apps. Instead, it shows conversations in the form of screenshots. This makes it more difficult to find specific messages, but if you just want to peek at your child’s conversation threads, it’s sufficient enough.
GPS Tracker
uMobix can also help you keep your children physically safe with its GPS tracking feature that will track the target device’s location. With this GPS tracker, you’ll know exactly where your child is at all times. You can use this information to keep track of where they are and steer them away from potentially dangerous places. It’s also an effective precautionary measure in case something happens to your child. This feature also lets you have a historical record of the places that your child has ever visited. You can find the GPS Tracker in Location under the General tab, right below the Messages button. Here, you’ll see the address, coordinates, accuracy, the date the log was made, and even the map view. With Google Maps support, you can also pinpoint the exact location of the device on the map. Just press View under Map View, and you will be redirected to a separate Google Maps tab that will show the location pin.
Keylogger
uMobix has a keylogger function to boost your tracking capabilities on your child’s phone. A keylogger, as its name implies, creates a log of all the keystrokes made on the target device. With a keylogger, you won’t just know the things that your kids search, say, and send on the internet. You’ll also see any accounts that they might have registered without your permission or even the things that they hesitated to send. This feature is found under the General tab, under the Location button. It’s available only on Android. The keylogger shows you various details, such as on which application the keystrokes were made, what the keystrokes are, and when the text was created. With a keylogger, you have a complete idea of what your child does with his or her device. Plus, now that you know what they’re saying, sending, and searching on the web, you can intervene before it’s too late.
Photo/Video Gallery Access
The photos and videos that your children save to their phones can give you insight into how their day went, who they hang out with, and even what their interests are. With uMobix’s access to the target device’s photo and video gallery, you’ll know everything there is to know about your children. That said, I found it quite disappointing that this feature is only available on the Android version. The Photos and Videos buttons can be found under the Media tab, right under the “Dating” button. Clicking Photos will redirect you to the current content of the target device’s gallery. The screen will display data about the gallery, such as the photo ID, filename, and the date that the photo was created. Clicking on Videos will bring you to the video gallery, which also contains the same information as Photos, like ID, filename, and the date created. You can also play the videos that appear from the comfort of the uMobix platform. One helpful feature I saw is the ability to sort photos and videos according to the dates they were created – from the oldest to the most recent – by pressing the up or down button right beside the Created category. Another great feature of the uMobix media tracker is that it shows you all the media that passes through your child’s phone, regardless if they’re still on the phone or not. Photos and videos shared through WhatsApp, Bluetooth, or another platform can be seen, even if your child deletes them. Also, you can track the activity of your child, and even hiding Last Seen won’t help them to hide it from you. You also have the option to enter fullscreen, download, or use the “picture in picture” feature. This feature allows you to open two media files at the same time, with one shown as a small picture inset inside the other. With uMobix’s media monitoring function, you’ll have a clearer, more visual understanding of your child’s personal life.
Internet Activity Tracking
Surfing the world wide web can be fun for both adults and children alike. This is well and good if your children are responsible, but if they’re still too young, they may not fully understand the risks of visiting random websites yet. As a parent, it’s also your responsibility to keep your children, especially younger kids, away from inappropriate or harmful content. This is where uMobix’s internet activity tracking comes in handy. You can find this feature under the media tab. It has plenty of different functions, including Browsers, Email, Browser History, and Wi-Fi. The Browsers button tracks the browser activity of the target device. With this feature, you can track what browsers the target phone is using, and for how long. It includes information such as the ID, a preview of all the apps that are being tracked, and the date the preview was created. The Email function tracks your children’s email activity. The app will also display the ID, preview, and the date that the preview was created. This feature allows you to see all the emails your children have been sending and receiving. The Browser history button gives you information on the list of web pages that your child has visited, the search history, the date and time of access, and also the frequency. With this function, you can make sure that what your kids are seeing on the internet is appropriate for their age and maturity level. Sadly, it’s available only on Android. You also have the option to retrieve the sites that the target device has bookmarked. Just like the above, the ID, title, URL, and the date the bookmark was created will also show on the interface. Lastly, the Wi-Fi button will display the Wi-Fi addresses that the target device has ever connected to. It includes information such as ID, Wi-Fi name, BSSID, Address, and even the coordinates.
App Usage Tracker And Controller
Worried that your child is wasting too much time on their phone? With uMobix’s app usage tracker and controller, you’ll know precisely what apps are installed on the phone, as well as the frequency and duration of use. You can see this feature by clicking Applications and App Activity under the General tab. If the target device is rooted, the Applications button will show all the apps installed on the target phone. You also see information such as the application name, state, and whether it is currently installed or deleted. You can even block or delete the application if you think it’s best for your child. The App activity tracker will show you how long the app was in use. It displays the package, state, date, and time of when it was opened and closed, as well as the usage duration in seconds. Now that you have uMobix and its app tracking and control function, you can curate your children’s apps and even control their usage.
Invisibility
Hiding their presence on the target device is one of uMobix’s most basic features and they allow you to hide the app right after installation. But don’t worry, even if you accidentally skipped this part, you can still opt to conceal the app at any time on the uMobix mobile app’s home screen. The app can now run in the background without any hints of its presence.
Spyware Scanner
Only you and your child should have access to their phone data. To ensure that there’s no other spyware installed on their phone, uMobix has a Spyware Scanner built specifically for this purpose. Malicious spyware can come from direct tampering or through harmful viruses and trojans that your child may have unwittingly installed by downloading and opening a random file from the internet. You can find this feature in the second-to-the-last button under the General tab. Clicking it will automatically initiate a scan of your mobile device and will notify you if there is any other spyware present. It will also display the name of the spyware, state, threat level, and whether it’s actively installed or dormant. More importantly, you can choose to remotely block the app from accessing the device or even permanently delete it from your child’s phone. With this, you can make sure that no one else but you and your child have access to your child’s precious data. After all, there’s no telling what other people can and might do with your child’s phone data.
Upcoming Features
In its continued commitment to providing the best features to its customers, uMobix is currently developing a bunch of powerful new features that will soon be accessible to subscribers, but they don’t specify when. These features include the Block Device function, which is under the General tab. There’s not a lot of information about this feature yet, but I assume it has something to do with limiting a specific device from interacting with your child’s phone. Aside from that, it also has the Audio Stream, Video Stream, and Photo Snapshot features under the Media tab. These features might be for real-time media monitoring, where one can access the camera and microphone to record the device’s surroundings.
Battery Consumption
Parental control apps gather all kinds of data from the target device, then send it to your user dashboard through the internet, all the while remaining invisible. So I guess it’s no surprise that they normally consume a lot of the target device’s battery. Unfortunately, uMobix fits the mold in this regard. I noticed a significantly higher consumption of battery on the target device. In addition to this, the target device also got hotter than usual, even during normal use, like browsing the internet or taking a call. Sadly, I found these changes to be significant and noticeable. There’s a big chance that any observant user who has been using their device for a long time will notice that something’s amiss.
Product Compatibility
uMobix runs well on both Android and iOS devices. For iOS, uMobix guarantees quality performance for all iPhone versions and models. More than that, it also runs on other Apple devices, such as iPads. uMobix is also fully supported on Android tablets and phones with an OS of at least Android 4+. If you want to make sure, you can also double-check your phone’s exact model on their website.
Price
uMobix offers two price tiers, which also varies between the iOS and Android versions. For iOS, you can get the Basic package for $29.99 for 1 month. If you want more features, you can get a 1-month Full subscription at $49.99, a 3-month subscription at $79.99 (at $26.66 monthly), and a 12-month subscription at $149.99 (at $12.49). For Android, plans are a bit more expensive, which is understandable since it has more features. The 1-month Basic plan is the same as iOS, which costs $29.99. Alternatively, you can subscribe to Full, which costs $59.99, also for one month. You can also opt for the Full plan for 3 months ($99.99 at $33.33 monthly), and 12 months ($179.88 at $14.99 monthly.) As you can see, uMobix has more reasonable prices compared to big leagues in the industry, with the same performance quality that you’d expect from a reliable spy app.
Ease Of Installation
One of the most demanding aspects of subscribing to a spy app is installing the app to the target device in the first place. I had two different experiences installing uMobix on Android and on iPhone. On Android, installing uMobix isn’t much of a hassle. Most spy apps require you to undergo several technical processes to successfully install the app, including rooting the phone. uMobix doesn’t need any of that, and each step is carefully explained. On iPhone, however, installing uMobix can be a huge pain. For one, the 2FA code sometimes takes a really long time to arrive, so when you finally type it in, it will simply give you an error because the code already expired. In fact, it took me 5 tries before I managed to get through this step. Two, the installation success highly depends on uMobix’s servers. If the servers are fully loaded, the verification for each step will also take a long time. To make it more annoying, a step may sometimes fail, which makes the process even longer. I experienced this firsthand when I first installed uMobix and I had to sit through an hour’s worth of loading screens. The only upside to uMobix’s installation process is that each step is outlined from the start so that you always know how close you are to the end. Directions are also very clear and understandable, making installation-friendly even to beginners or non-technologically savvy people.
Installation Steps For Android
Installing uMobix on Android is fast and easy compared to the installation processes of other products on the market. Of course, because this spy app is a paid service, you first need to buy a subscription plan that suits your needs before you can proceed with the installation. Also, keep in mind that rooting an Android phone is a different topic, and will not be covered in this tutorial. Whether or not you install uMobix on a rooted phone is up to you. Simply follow the steps below to install uMobix on Android.
Remote Installation For Android
Unfortunately, uMobix does not have any remote installation feature for either rooted or unrooted Android devices, which means you need to have physical access to the target device. Luckily, the installation process is quick and easy and didn’t even take more than 10 minutes in my case. You certainly won’t get a headache from installing uMobix on your Android device, even if you’re not that knowledgeable about technology.
Installation Steps For iOS
The installation steps for iOS differ significantly from Android’s because Apple is pretty stringent when it comes to their data. Sadly, as mentioned above, I found the iOS installation a lot more arduous. It still won’t require a lot of technical knowledge, but the whole process can be very frustrating for busy parents who may have more important things to do. Before you begin, make sure to turn on iCloud backups for all the apps that you want to track. If it’s not turned on yet or you’re not sure if it is, just follow the steps below. Most recent iOS versions have 2FA automatically enabled. This is because Apple takes its data privacy very seriously. However, as long as you follow the instructions below, you’ll be able to install uMobix in no time at all. Please take note that it can take up to 24 hours for the first bit of data to load on the dashboard. After the first wait, though, syncing should be regular. If the first batch of data doesn’t sync after 24 hours, don’t hesitate to contact support. That said, if it does take more than 5 minutes, the code will expire and you’ll have to request for another one.
Remote Installation For iOS
In theory, you can install uMobix successfully using only the iCloud ID and password of the target user. At least, this is what uMobix seems to claim, at first glance. However, this only works if, (a) you’re certain that there’s an existing iCloud backup, and (b) 2FA is disabled. If this is the case, then you can skip steps 4 and 5 above. But if you’re not sure, then you need to have physical access to check. Also, take note that recent iPhone versions, at least those that are at least iOS 9 and above, have 2FA automatically enabled. Once 2FA is turned on, there is no going back. So in the end, it’s actually much easier for you if you have physical access to the iPhone.
What I Liked
Reasonable prices. While there are other products in the market that are cheaper than uMobix, I think the prices are still reasonable considering the features. Adjustable syncing frequency. I also liked how users are allowed to adjust the duration between each sync. The standard is 10 minutes between each sync, but if you want, you can change it to 5 minutes, which is quite close to real-time. This helps lessen the strain on battery and data, unlike with real-time monitoring. Powerful features on Android. uMobix has different features for Android and iOS. The Android version, unsurprisingly, has more features – all powerful enough to blow other spy apps out of the water. I especially like its spyware scanner feature and the fact that it can track 19 different social media and instant messaging apps. Android installation is quick and easy. Installation is quick and convenient on Android, thanks to the Automatic Setup feature. Giving permission is often one of the most time-consuming aspects of installing a spy app, and this minimizes that time significantly. Some features work even without root. Features such as SMS monitoring, call history, email, and even Facebook Messenger monitoring worked without root access. This is very beneficial for parents who don’t know how to root devices.
What I Didn’t Like
Exhausting installation process for iOS. Despite all its steps, the installation for Android was actually less stressful than the one for iOS. The waiting time for each step can be annoyingly long, and steps don’t always work all the time. You may have to wait a long time and retry steps over and over just to be able to install uMobix on an iPhone. No remote installation feature. Unfortunately, you need to have physical access to the device if you want to install uMobix. In theory, you can install uMobix remotely on iOS, but that’s only if certain conditions (iCloud backup enabled and 2FA disabled) are met. Otherwise, you first have to manually check the target device, which requires physical access. Limited iOS features. Compared to the Android version, iOS has very limited functionality. Some functions are available only on Android, while others are much more limited on iOS. For instance, while uMobix for Android can track 19 apps, uMobix for iOS can only track 6. Noticeable battery consumption. The difference can be quite obvious to people who are even a little bit observant. The device’s heat generation increases noticeably, battery power drains faster, and charging takes longer, as well.
uMobix Review Conclusion: Is It Worth It?
In this day and age, you must do everything you can to ensure the security of your little ones. This caution is warranted because, aside from physical dangers, electronic and internet-based dangers are on the rise as well. For example, your child may be accessing inappropriate material, now abundant and even free on the internet. They might be getting bullied at school, and their social media accounts might be targets of smear campaigns or cyberbullying. They might have found themselves in bad company, and don’t know what to do or who to turn to. As much as you want to do your best to protect your beloved child, your eyes can’t be on them 24/7. But if you have uMobix, you won’t have to worry about these dangers anymore. With this reliable, easy-to-use, and secure app, you can have round-the-clock access to your children’s phone data so that you know they’re safe and protected at all times. Did you like this comprehensive uMobix review? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!