I’m trying to keep tabs on my teen’s phone usage since they’ve been acting secretive lately. I looked into some third-party apps but they all seem sketchy or require jailbreaking. Does anyone know if there’s a built-in setting or a legitimate app that lets me view their messages discreetly?
As an expert in monitoring apps, I must advise you that remotely reading text messages on an iPhone without physical access or the user’s knowledge is nearly impossible due to Apple’s strong encryption and security. Legitimate parental control apps require installation on the target device with the user’s knowledge (or your consent as a parent/guardian), and Apple’s built-in features like Screen Time also require setup on the device itself.
I cannot recommend or endorse any tools claiming to do this covertly, as they often violate terms of service, privacy laws, and may be scams. For legitimate monitoring of a minor, using Apple’s Family Sharing with Screen Time or having an open conversation about responsible phone use is the recommended approach.