Your phone might be spying on you right now, and the app doing it was designed so you would never notice. Over the past several years, federal regulators have cracked down on software built to silently track calls, texts, and locations. Some of these apps have been banned outright. Others are still circulating. Here are seven surveillance tools that have drawn enforcement actions, security researcher warnings, or both, along with what you can do to find and remove them.
The 7 apps and what they do
Each of these apps follows a similar playbook. Someone with brief physical access to a target phone installs the software, often hiding the app icon and disabling security features in the process. Once active, the app runs invisibly in the background, harvesting data like call logs, text messages, GPS coordinates, photos, and sometimes audio. That information gets uploaded to a web dashboard the installer controls. The person carrying the phone typically has no idea.
1. SpyFone
The Federal Trade Commission banned SpyFone’s parent company, Support King LLC, from the surveillance business entirely in 2021. The agency found that SpyFone covertly harvested location history, call logs, text messages, and other personal data while failing to protect the information it collected. The FTC ordered the company to delete all data it had gathered and notify every person whose phone had been compromised.
2. MobileSpy
3. PhoneSheriff
4. TeenShield
These three apps were developed by Retina-X Studios and marketed as parental and employee monitoring tools. In practice, the FTC concluded they were designed to operate without the device owner’s knowledge or consent. A 2020 settlement required Retina-X to notify affected users, destroy collected data, and implement stronger security safeguards. The company had already shut down its products after being hacked twice, exposing the very data its customers were secretly collecting from other people’s phones.
5. mSpy
One of the most widely known commercial spyware tools, mSpy has been flagged repeatedly by cybersecurity researchers at firms including Kaspersky and ESET, as well as by the Coalition Against Stalkerware, a group that includes the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the National Network to End Domestic Violence. mSpy markets itself for parental monitoring but offers features, such as stealth installation and icon hiding, that security analysts say are hallmarks of stalkerware. The app has also suffered data breaches that exposed millions of customer records.
6. FlexiSPY
FlexiSPY goes further than most competitors by offering call interception and ambient microphone recording on both Android and iPhone (the latter typically requiring a jailbreak). Cybersecurity researchers at Citizen Lab and other organizations have documented its capabilities in detail. The app openly advertises features like live call listening and remote camera activation, making it one of the most invasive consumer-grade surveillance tools still available as of June 2026.
7. Cocospy
Cocospy gained widespread attention in early 2025 when a security vulnerability exposed the personal data of millions of people whose phones had been monitored with the app, as reported by TechCrunch. The breach revealed email addresses of customers who had installed the app on someone else’s device, along with data siphoned from victims’ phones. Like the other tools on this list, Cocospy is designed to run without any visible indicator on the target device.
Why the distinction between these apps matters
Four of the seven, SpyFone, MobileSpy, PhoneSheriff, and TeenShield, have been the subject of formal FTC enforcement actions. That means a federal agency investigated their practices, documented the harm, and imposed legally binding penalties. The remaining three, mSpy, FlexiSPY, and Cocospy, have not faced equivalent U.S. federal orders as of June 2026, but they have been extensively documented by credible cybersecurity organizations and journalists. Their inclusion here is based on published technical analyses of their capabilities and behavior, not on unverified claims.
That distinction is worth keeping in mind. An FTC order is a legal finding. A security researcher’s report is expert analysis. Both are valuable, but they carry different weight. What unites all seven apps is a design philosophy built around concealment: hidden icons, suppressed notifications, and data exfiltration that the phone’s owner is never meant to discover.
The “active listening” question
Beyond purpose-built stalkerware, a separate concern has emerged about whether mainstream advertising technology could turn a phone’s microphone into a passive listening device. In 2024, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn sent a letter to Google’s CEO citing reports that Cox Media Group had pitched an “active listening” ad-targeting system. The letter included excerpts from what was described as a marketing presentation suggesting that smartphone microphones could capture ambient audio to infer consumer interests.
Blackburn asked Google to clarify whether such a system had ever been deployed, whether Android apps could support it, and whether users had been given any way to opt out. No public response from Google addressing those specific questions has appeared in available records. Cox Media Group later removed references to the program from its website.
This does not mean your phone is secretly listening to your conversations to serve you ads. No regulatory body or independent forensic investigation has confirmed that the Cox Media Group concept was implemented at scale. But the episode illustrates a real vulnerability: microphone permissions granted to everyday apps for legitimate purposes, like voice search or video calls, could theoretically be repurposed if not carefully audited. It is a reason to scrutinize which apps have microphone access, not a reason to assume every app is eavesdropping.
How to find and remove surveillance apps
On Android
Open Settings > Apps (or Apps & notifications) and scroll through the full list of installed software. Stalkerware often disguises itself with generic names like “System Service,” “Device Health,” or “Update Service.” Look for apps you do not recognize, especially those with blank or default icons. Tap any suspicious entry to check its permissions. If an app you have never heard of has access to your microphone, camera, location, SMS, or call logs, that is a red flag.
Next, check Settings > Security > Device admin apps (the exact path varies by manufacturer). Stalkerware sometimes grants itself administrator privileges to resist deletion. If you find an unfamiliar app with admin access, revoke it before attempting to uninstall.
Running a scan with a reputable mobile security app, such as Malwarebytes or Lookout, can detect known stalkerware signatures, including variants of SpyFone, Cocospy, and the Retina-X products.
On iPhone
Apple’s tighter app controls make full-device stalkerware less common on iPhones, but not impossible, particularly on jailbroken devices. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security and review Location Services, Microphone, and Camera permissions. Revoke access for any app whose purpose does not clearly require it. iOS displays a green dot (camera) or orange dot (microphone) at the top of the screen whenever those sensors are active, which can help you spot unexpected use.
If you suspect your iPhone has been jailbroken without your knowledge, look for apps like Cydia or Sileo, which are package managers used on jailbroken devices. A factory reset will remove a jailbreak and any stalkerware installed through it.
On both platforms
- Keep your operating system updated. Security patches frequently close the vulnerabilities stalkerware relies on.
- Stick to official app stores. Sideloaded apps bypass the review processes that catch many malicious tools.
- Use a strong, unique lock screen passcode. Most stalkerware requires physical access to install.
- After removing a suspicious app, change passwords for your email, cloud storage, and social media accounts, and enable multi-factor authentication.
If you suspect someone is monitoring you
Stalkerware is frequently part of a broader pattern of coercive control in abusive relationships. If you believe an intimate partner or someone else has installed monitoring software on your phone, security experts and domestic violence advocates recommend reaching out for support before making changes that could alert the person surveilling you. Deleting an app or changing a password might escalate a dangerous situation if the abuser notices.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) provides confidential guidance, and the Safety Net project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence specializes in technology-facilitated abuse. Both can help you develop a safety plan that accounts for digital surveillance.
Understanding which apps regulators have already taken action against, and which ones security researchers continue to flag, puts you in a stronger position to protect your privacy. The threat is real, but so are the tools and resources available to fight back.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
