IKeyMonitor Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?
Reading time: 18 min
Updated on Jan 13, 2024
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Written By Shauli Zacks Tech Writer
IKeyMonitor Overview
On the surface, iKeyMonitor looks like an ideal parental control app. It installs a keylogger to track everything typed on the phone, creates alerts when trigger words are used, tracks live location, lets me view all videos and images saved on my child’s phone, and monitors many popular social media messenger apps. There is also a screen time limit feature, which helps parents prevent their kids from too much screen time.
It all sounded too good to be true, so I installed iKeyMonitor on my son’s Android phone to see firsthand whether these features really worked or if I was just taken in by good marketing. My experience was mixed. Many of the basic features worked well, but some of the advanced features, such as call recording and remote microphone, didn’t work well at all.
iKeyMonitor didn’t perform as well as a similar app I tested called SPYERA, which has nearly all the same features, only they worked better. Not only that, but you can also try SPYERA risk-free for 10 days and see for yourself how well its features work.
Try SPYERA Risk-Free for 10 Days
In A Rush? Here’s an iKeyMonitor 1-Minute Summary
- Tracks Call Logs and Records Calls: See who your child is talking to and listen to recordings of their conversation. However, the quality isn’t very good. Read more about this feature here.
- Read SMS and social media messages: All incoming and outgoing messages, including voice notes, are uploaded to the parental dashboard, but the recordings are not very clear. Read more here.
- Alert Words: Get notifications, including screenshots when certain words are used on your child’s device, but you have to create the list instead of having a comprehensive list created by experts. Get more details here.
- Take screenshots of your child’s device: Including timed intervals, alert words, and app use. However, the dashboard isn’t very organized making it difficult to manage. See more information here.
Features
iKeyMonitor is compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows computers, although the Windows functionality is pretty limited. The Android app works on most Android devices and doesn’t require rooting to unlock any features. However, for iOS devices, you must either jailbreak the iPhone or iPad, or connect it to an iCloud account. While this provides some information, it may not be sufficient to justify the price.
iKeyMonitor Features – Updated in 2024
| Feature | Description |
| Free Trial | ✅ |
| Best Price | $16.66 per month |
| Keylogger | ✅ |
| Screen Time Management | ✅ |
| Location Tracking | ✅ |
| Geofence | ✅ |
| Web Filter | ✅ |
| App Management | ✅ |
| Social Media Monitoring | ✅ |
| Customer Service | FAQ, tickets, and phone calls |
| Platforms | Android, iOS, Windows |
Tracks Call Logs and Records Calls – But the Recording Quality is Not Good
Monitoring both incoming and outgoing calls to know who my child is communicating with is a fundamental feature I seek in a monitoring app. iKeyMonitor excelled in this aspect; it uploaded the call log to the parental dashboard, which included timestamps, contact information, the nature of the call (incoming or outgoing), and its duration.
Unfortunately, it only records my son’s side of the conversation. While this is better than nothing, it doesn’t help much if my child is being harassed or scammed, as the other half of the call is crucial for understanding these situations. The bigger issue is that the recording quality was so bad, I had a hard time even understanding what he was saying. This was not the case when using SPYERA, which had high quality recording to go along with the detailed phone call logs.
Activate the Microphone and Camera Remotely to Hear What Your Child is Doing
iKeyMonitor has two tools that help monitor your child even when they’re not actively using their phone. Through the remote dashboard I can activate the microphone, so it starts recording what my son and his friends are talking about. There is also a feature for taking pictures from both cameras on the phone.
In theory these tools are helpful when I want to know what my son is talking about with his friends or who he’s hanging out with. However, in reality, the conditions need to be perfect to get any useful information from these features. The audio recording was very bad, nowhere near as clear as SPYERA which has the same features. Similarly, the remote camera is only helpful if my son happens to be pointing the camera at someone or something when I take pictures. Otherwise, I end up with pictures from the inside of his pocket or whatever surface the phone is on, such as a table or chair.
Read Messages Sent Via Text and Many Social Media Messenger Apps
Not only does iKeyMonitor let me know who my son is talking with, I can also read nearly all his interaction via text. All SMS messages are uploaded to the dashboard, along with the timestamp and contact information. Since most kids aren’t using SMS to talk with their friends, I was happy to see that iKeyMonitor monitors 22 social media messenger apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, Twitter, and more. The dashboard separates each of the apps into a different section, making it easier to monitor.
Records Internet Browsing History and has a Website Blocker
This feature offers a much-needed look into my child’s online activities. I can see the websites they visit, how long they stay there, and what they might be researching for school—or not for school. While it’s important for them to have some freedom online, this feature allows me to ensure they’re not wandering into parts of the web that aren’t suitable for them.
iKeyMonitor has a web filter, but instead of automatically blocking inappropriate content, it only lets me create a blacklist of URLs that I don’t want my son to visit. So, if I see activity in the browsing history that I don’t like, I can add the URL to the blacklist. For some reason, iKeyMonitor made this feature very confusing and difficult to manage. Instead of simply adding the URL, I needed to create a group, still not sure why, and then it was difficult to figure out what to click to add the URL to the blacklist. I much prefer SPYERA which was significantly easier to set up the URL blocker.
Customizable Alert Word List Highlights Inappropriate Behavior
One of my main concerns with iKeyMonitor was having to scroll through all this data looking for inappropriate content. The Alert Word feature helps limit this concern, as it alerts me if my son types offensive or inappropriate words, I’ll get an alert.
iKeyMonitor has a good starter list of words, they include profanity, sexually related terms, drugs, insults, and slang. It also allows me to add words to the list, which is helpful, since I wanted to personalize for issues I’m concerned about. One of the nice features that I haven’t seen elsewhere is that in addition to adding the alert word, I can choose whether I want to monitor every keystroke, text copied to the clipboard, contact list, or in apps, or select all the different options.
Set General Screen Time Limits and Usage Calendar to Prevent Screen Addiction
The app comes with basic screen time limit features, which is unusual for a spy app since it lets the kids know that they’re being monitored. However, since they’re included, I set a daily screen time limit to limit how much time he can be on screen. There is also a usage calendar feature, which lets me set specific times, such as during school and late at night, to lock the phone.
Take Control Over Which Apps Your Child Uses and How Long They Can Use Each App
Managing my son’s app use is an important feature for me. There are some apps that I don’t want him to use at all, and others that I want to limit the time he can use them. I was able to see all of the apps that my son downloaded on his phone and block, and if he downloads apps that I don’t want him using, I can block them. In addition to blocking, I can set different screen time rules for each app. The options are:
- Block for specific periods of time, such as bedtime and school.
- Set screen time limits for an app.
- Set a rest period after a certain amount of use. For example, if my concern is that my son will endlessly scroll on Instagram, I can set iKeyMonitor to block it after 20 minutes of consecutive use and require a 20 minute break before the app is accessible again.
The Keylogger Works – But It’s difficult to Manage
The keylogger is a tool that records everything my son types on his phone, even if he deletes it before clicking Enter or Send. I can get his user accounts and passwords, although it’s easy to fool the keylogger by adding in a few extra letters and then deleting it, since it tracks all deleted letters as well.
The downside of this feature for iKeyMonitor, especially when compared to SPYERA, is the disorganized manner it’s displayed in the dashboard. There is one section for all keyloggers, and it shows the Content, App, Time, and Device Used. The problem is that there is so much data, and if I’m looking for a log from a specific app it will take me a while to click through each one, until I find what I want. SPYERA, on the other, breaks the keylogger into different sections, so I can view each app separately. It makes it easier to read through and see if there is any concerning text.
*The keylogger works on jailbroken iOS devices but doesn’t require rooting Android.
Use the Screenshot Feature to See What Your Child is Up To
The screenshot feature gives me visual confirmation as to how my son uses his phone. It provides the context that a keylogger lacks and gives me valuable insights into my son’s interests. iKeyMonitor has 8 different ways to set up when the screenshots are taken, so I can be sure that I don’t miss out on anything. They are:
- Timed intervals.
- Anytime there is a touch action on the screen.
- When an Alert Word is detected.
- When my son looks at photos.
- When my son watches videos.
- When Chat apps are being used.
- Every website that my son opens.
- I can remotely take a screenshot whenever I want through the parental dashboard.
The screenshots are uploaded to the parental dashboard and include the type of screenshot and a timestamp. While all this sounds great in theory, I simply don’t have time to look through hundreds or even thousands of screenshots every day.
Live Location and Geofence Feature Wasn’t Always Updated
Being able to see where my son is at any time is an important feature for me. That’s why I was so disappointed when I saw this feature didn’t work very well. Several times I opened the dashboard and looked at the map, but it was showing information from several hours earlier. I know it’s not an issue with my son’s phone, because when I had SPYERA installed, the live location tracking worked perfectly.
There’s a geofence feature also, so I can get alerts when my son enters or leaves a specific area, such as school in the morning, home in the afternoon, or his friends house. I also set up areas where I don’t want my son to go, like the downtown mall or certain neighborhoods, and it should alert me if he goes there. However, as with the live tracking, the results aren’t always accurate or on time, which makes the feature not very useful.
Installation
iKeyMonitor is compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows. The Android and Windows installation are straightforward, because there is no need to root the Android or the Windows computer.
When you create your account, choose the device you want to monitor, and you’ll receive an email to the address associated with your account. The email includes a link to the app download.
How to Install iKeyMonitor on Android
Using your child’s phone, click the link for the app download. If you haven’t done so already, make sure to adjust the setting to allow downloads from unknown locations. Once the download is complete, open the app and log in. There will be a series of on-screen instructions for adjusting the settings, such as giving iKeyMonitor permission to display over other apps, access the device GS, contact list, camera, and more. Once this is done, iKeyMonitor will automatically sync with the account, and start to upload data to the dashboard.
How to Install iKeyMonitor on Windows
You need to have the System Admin Password to install the iKeyMonitor app on Windows. Click on the download link from the confirmation email, to run the installer. Once the installation is complete, log in to your account and the app will start to monitor the computer.
How to Install iKeyMonitor on iOS
There are two ways to monitor iOS devices with iKeyMonitor.
The first way is without installing the app on the iPhone or iPad but connecting to the iCloud account. For this work, you will need to turn off two-factor authorization and make sure that iCloud backup is enabled. Using this option means that many of the advanced features, such as the keylogger, screenshots, app blocking, screen time limits, and more.
The second option is to jailbreak the iOS device, using a system called Cydia. Open Cydia and search for BigBoss. There may be several fake versions of iKeyMonitor, so make sure to download the version called BigBoss. Confirm the installation and iKeyMonitor will install on the device. Once the app installation is complete, all the features will be available.
All iKeyMonitor installations can be hidden, so your child won’t know that you’re monitoring their devices.
Ease of Use
Setting up iKeyMonitor proved to be more difficult than I anticipated. While other similar monitoring apps, like SPYERA, have a simple process for adding things like Alert Words, URLs to block, or screen time limits, iKeyMonitor was far more difficult.
I needed to create groups, and then add the data I wanted to monitor. Even after using the app, I can’t see a benefit to creating a group, for an app that only monitors one device at a time. I couldn’t figure out how to add a URL to block in the web filter section, the only option I had was to create groups. Other features like the remote camera and microphone were also more difficult to use then they should have been.
The dashboard is divided into different sections, which should make it easy to find the necessary data. However, instead of creating subsections that would make it easier to monitor and review, all keyloggers are grouped together, instead of dividing it by app. The same is true for screenshots, and social media data. In the end, I spent more time trying to figure out how to set up the monitoring and how to find the data I needed, that it just wasn’t worth it.
Support
I started testing the iKeyMonitor customer support before I created my account. I was disappointed to see that the live chat that they promote isn’t available for non-subscribers. This is disappointing, because there were some questions that I wanted to ask, and get an immediate answer, before committing to a subscription.
They do have a basic FAQ section, with a little more than 20 questions, a knowledge base that goes into a bi more detail than the FAQ, text-based and video guides for installation and some features, and a ticket system. I filled out a ticket and had to wait several days before getting a response. However, once I created the account, the live chat became available, and I was able to speak with a real customer support person, as opposed to a bot, without having to wait too long,
FAQ
Do I need to jailbreak or root the device to access all the iKeyMonitor features?
Will my child know that I installed iKeyMonitor?
Does iKeyMonitor monitor social media?
Pricing
iKeyMonitor has a flexible pricing structure, which allows you to lower the monthly or annual price, at the expense of some features. The options are:
- 3 days with full access to all the features: This plan is a good option for short term monitoring or testing the app to see if it’s a good fit.
- Photo Monitor: You get access to the photos and videos stored on the device, ability to remotely turn on the microphone and camera to get a live feed of the surroundings, and GPS and geofencing.
- Voice Recorder: Record and listen to all phone calls, remotely turn on the microphone and camera, and live GPS tracking.
- Social Monitor: Read incoming and outgoing messages on 22 messenger apps, take remote screenshots, and GPS and geofencing.
- Keylogger: Everything the child types on the phone is recorded and uploaded to the dashboard, access to GPS tracking and geofences, and internet history.
- Full Plan: Complete access to all the features.
While flexible pricing seems like a good idea, it can be difficult to choose what features you want or need or what you can do without. An easier option is to go with SPYERA, it won’t tempt you with cheaper prices or partial access to its features. You can try SPYERA free for 10 days, which not only allows you to test the features yourself but also get valuable insights on your child’s online activities before committing to a long term plan.
Bottom Line
iKeyMonitor has advanced monitoring features, including taking screenshots, keylogging, and the capability to remotely activate the microphone and camera. It is compatible with 22 social media messenger apps, enabling the tracking of both incoming and outgoing messages. Additionally, it offers screen time management features and customizable alert words, allowing parents to set usage limits and receive notifications when specific words are used.
However, some of the features do not work very well, especially when compared to other similar apps I’ve tested. The flexible pricing structure can be confusing, and may leave you without complete coverage, if you try and save a few bucks a month. A better option is to try SPYERA, which has the same features, only they work better, and a straightforward pricing structure. You can try SPYERA free for 10 days and see if it’s the right fit for your needs.
