A couple I know has a crummy (by my standards) relationship. I'm sure I don't know their whole story. Among the dirty tricks he has pulled, he has been monitoring her iPhone for over a year. Not "monitoring" like getting detailed billing and looking at any incoming/outgoing calls on her phone, but much more covert work. Somewhere along the line he installed an app on her phone that allowed him to retrieve text messages she had deleted long prior. She made a claim once that she knew exactly what was on her phone and knew nothing had been added... well, that's recently been proven incorrect.

Backstabbing, mistrust, and other crummy deeds aside, the nerd in me wonders about the app installed. I can see where it can be a valuable tool for parents, checking up on kids who might be tempted to be sending the "wrong kinds" of messages.

Anyone got experience with such an app? I'm very curious about this one.

I used one when my youngest was going through a REALLY bad stage. Need to jailbreak your iPhone but once you do installing is pretty simple. I could print out pages of text messages from my home computer. I could turn on the microphone or camera which I never did. Got total gps location . Funny thing is even when presented with absolute proof of what her text conversation was she still completely denied she wrote them. Fortunately she is in a much better place now.

TeenSafe is one that can be used, if you have the apple id and passwords, access to the phone, etc. My wife and I gave our youngest an old iphone with the understanding that the program would be installed before she got it, and that should we need to, we could find all deleted texts, social media, etc. that she participated in or visited. She jumped at the chance to get the phone, and her knowing where NOT to go has been (IMO) a blessing to help keep her straight.

Can the apps you fellows used be installed so as to be basically invisible to the user? She was absolutely certain (months ago) that he'd not added anything to her phone. We know now that it's been monitored for almost two years.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: vthoky,

I don’t know about the app, but I feel compelled to tell you to be careful. I was involved in a very similar situation with a married couple that were good friends (years ago). I got drawn into court when they divorced. YMMV.

Not uncommon

Many more out there for Android systems

Some totally hidden from the actual user

They also make programs for your computer that can pull the full iPhone archive including text messages long ago deleted. However, the iPhone has to be unlocked and you need 15 to 25 minutes with it. The wife wouldn't even know it was done.

I have some experience in this area. They say the 'private investigators' have lost business to electronic snooping by suspicious spouses & lovers.

One can look at it like the one snooping is an azz, it all depends on the particulars of the situation. The electronic trail we leave can be very revealing, especially when one side isn't well versed with I.T., while the other is.

Many can't help but use their phone for seemingly 'covert' communication. The 'What's APP' is popular, among others. Yeah, there's the 'burner phone' thing for some.

With most States being 'no fault' it may hardly matter in the end, though most kids don't take kindly to it, with blame.

If the relationship is going downhill, I don't see many problems with the 'cheated on' spouse/lover knowing what's coming and developing a plan to deal with it.

My personal opinion is, if you need the app, your relationship with that person is dead already. Yes, I raised kids to adulthood.

Other than "Teensafe", any other apps?

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
My personal opinion is, if you need the app, your relationship with that person is dead already.

This ^^^^^

I had the teen program installed in both our kid's first phone and told them it was there.

While I did occasionally check, I never had to call them out.
I think just the knowledge that we were "there' helped keep them along the right path.

I have a neighbor who is in the FBI and specializes in "audio monitoring" and he told me that smart phones were the best thing since sliced bread!

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
My personal opinion is, if you need the app, your relationship with that person is dead already.

I'm not going to delve into the relationship issues... I'm more curious about the apps.

Never in my life have I felt the need to spy on a girlfriend or, for the past 20 years, my wife.

Forget all this cellphone and spying shit and just get out. What a miserable existence.

If you have no trust with your partner, you have nothing.

I'm curious about being able to retrieve text messages that have been deleted. I never keep text conversations on my phone as they are just clutter, but if they can be retrieved they are still there. How does the phone not run out of storage eventually?

If knowing how to retrieve deleted text messages is vital to your relationship, you're fucked, ten ways from Sunday. Just get out.

In settings there’s a way to add another phone number basically a blind carbon to you phone for txts. Once after a software upgrade somehow my phone got my wife’s phone added and all my texts to my buddy went to her phone. Thanksgilly I wasn’t texting my mistress or talking shit about my wife.

The phone bill itself will show normal texts. If she’s on some other app like KIK then the the messages will be not as easy to see. Depends on how deep the person searching want to go.

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
I'm curious about being able to retrieve text messages that have been deleted. I never keep text conversations on my phone as they are just clutter, but if they can be retrieved they are still there. How does the phone not run out of storage eventually?

It eventually runs out of space then starts permanently deleting stuff that has been deleted but is still there.

Like a computer. You "delete" it but it's still there unless you take more active steps.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
A couple I know has a crummy (by my standards) relationship. I'm sure I don't know their whole story. Among the dirty tricks he has pulled, he has been monitoring her iPhone for over a year. Not "monitoring" like getting detailed billing and looking at any incoming/outgoing calls on her phone, but much more covert work. Somewhere along the line he installed an app on her phone that allowed him to retrieve text messages she had deleted long prior. She made a claim once that she knew exactly what was on her phone and knew nothing had been added... well, that's recently been proven incorrect.

Backstabbing, mistrust, and other crummy deeds aside, the nerd in me wonders about the app installed. I can see where it can be a valuable tool for parents, checking up on kids who might be tempted to be sending the "wrong kinds" of messages.

It takes two to tango usually. She's likely just as shitty as he is.

When it comes to kids, I believe you need to actively monitor children on any electronic devices - computer, phone, iPad, whatever.

Trust, but verify. The age that goes away is variable, depending on the kid.

Such apps are probably violations of a couple of different federal statutes preventing people from intercepting phone calls and/or breaking into other people's computers EVEN between married couples. It may be different for parents and children.

In divorces, it can be a cause of action one spouse can bring against the other if they use such programs. And evidence gathered can be excluded, if I remember correctly.

This is not an area of expertise for me, but I've heard a couple of quick presentations about it. But basically, I am right.