5 Of The Best Listening Device Apps For Android: Listen In To Phone Surroundings Easily

Want to know a secret? Sometimes, the best way to find out things is by simply listening. 

For instance, maybe you’re curious how your kid is interacting with their peers or what your employees are talking about when you’re not around.

While the spy apps on this list are all great picks if you need a complete spying solution, some are better than most when it comes to specific features. This is where spy listening apps come into the picture.

In this article, I’ll talk about the best listening device apps for an Android phone!

Android Listening Device Apps Comparison

Let’s take a quick glance at the Android listening device apps I have reviewed.

The Five Best Listening Device Apps For Android

We have to remind you that before installing these apps on the target device, don’t forget to check your local laws to make sure that you’re not breaking any.

Also, it’s important to note that, while you don’t necessarily have to root the target device to install these spy apps, specific listening features may need the device to be rooted in order to work.

uMobix

uMobix may be fairly new in the spy apps industry, but it’s certainly a worthy competitor to all the other big names out there.

It has basically everything you need in a spy app. It can monitor calls, SMS messages, emails, and browser history. It lets you track the target device’s activity on social media platforms and instant messaging apps, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. It even has a keylogger, so you’ll know every single key that is typed on the device.

It’s not just limited to digital tracking, too. It has a GPS tracking feature that allows you to keep track of the physical location of the target device in real-time.

Listening Features

Of course, it wouldn’t make this list if it doesn’t have what it takes to be a great listening device app.

Under the Media tab on the sidebar of your uMobix dashboard, there’s a tab called Audio Stream. This surround recording feature will discreetly livestream every sound that the target device picks up, which means you can listen safely without being discovered. You only have to click Start Stream to use the feature.

Right now, uMobix’s Audio Stream is still experimental, so it’s not without its flaws. In fact, it’s difficult to tell whether it only works on rooted devices or if it simply doesn’t work yet. That said, it’s a promising feature that I hope will be ready soon.

Pricing

Price-wise, uMobix is pretty decent. The 1-month Basic plan, which has only the most basic features, costs $29.99, while the 1-month Full plan costs $59.99. There’s also a Full plan available at $99.99 for 3 months ($33.33 monthly) and $179.88 for 12 months ($14.99 monthly.)

Interested in getting uMobix? Click here to check it out! Still on the fence? You can read my full review here.

FlexiSPY

FlexiSPY is one of the best and oldest spy apps around. In fact, it was one of the first companies to dip its feet in the monitoring and tracking apps industry. With all that experience and expertise, there’s a lot to be expected from FlexiSPY.

This spy app allows you to monitor the target device’s messages, call history, media gallery, social media accounts, and more. It can also track physical locations using GPS, and take remote screenshots of the target device. It has a dozen other features that are not found in many other spy apps as well, such as Spoof SMS and app screenshots.

Listening Features

When it comes to listening features, FlexiSPY shines brighter than most. It has robust recording features that can capture everything from voice calls to ambient sounds. The app allows you to record even calls on instant messaging apps like Messenger, WhatsApp, and Skype.

Here’s an official video from FlexiSPY with more information about the Spycall feature.

More than that, you can remotely turn on the target device’s microphone anytime. Even if there’s no call happening, the surround recording feature will allow you to hear what’s happening around the target device without the owner knowing. It’s not noticeable either, particularly if the screen isn’t on. You can then download the recordings to save them for later.

One standout feature of this surround recording app is the Ambient Recording Scheduler. With this, you can set a schedule when you want to automatically turn on the ambient recorder. For instance, you can set it to record ambient sounds every day at 4:00 PM for 30 minutes. This can be set to a weekly or custom schedule.

To use this feature, simply click the Ambient tab on the left sidebar of the FlexiSPY dashboard. It’s very straightforward, though it does come with one caveat: the target device has to have enough storage space for it to work since FlexiSPY saves the recordings on the device itself.

Pricing

FlexiSPY has three different subscription tiers. The difference lies in how many features you can access. The first one is Lite, which costs $29.95 for one month and has 33 features. The second one is Premium, which costs $68 for one month and has 54 features. 

The most expensive one is Extreme, which costs $199 for 3 months or $349 for 12 months. It has 70+ features in total — everything that FlexiSPY has to offer.

Unfortunately, if you want the recording features, you have no choice but to avail yourself of the Extreme subscription, as the features are not available in the lower tiers. This makes FlexiSPY a very expensive option if you just want to use it for recording purposes.

Think you should get FlexiSPY? Click now to start your subscription! If you need more information, you can also check out my in-depth review here.

iKeyMonitor

iKeyMonitor is a monitoring app designed for parental control.

Like many other spy apps, it can track the target device’s messages, call history, media gallery, contacts, and much more. There’s also a geofencing function where you can add locations in the allowed and forbidden list.

It also has several unique features that not many spy apps have, like the ability to view notes, set custom alerts, and take app screenshots.

Listening Features

In terms of listening and recording features, iKeyMonitor has a Listen to Phone Surroundings feature that allows users to remotely and discreetly turn on the target device’s microphone and stream the audio from your iKeyMonitor dashboard. It can pick up voices, background sounds – basically, any noise made around the target device.

Also, iKeyMonitor claims that the feature requires no rooting, which means you don’t have to tinker with your phone to get it to work. This can be a big help to those who aren’t tech-savvy enough to know how to root their Android phones.

You can access the surround recording feature by clicking the Surrounding button under the Logs tab on the left sidebar.

Pricing

iKeyMonitor offers two different plans, the Family plan and the Business plan. The Family plan is actually free, but you have to pay to access add-on features. It costs $9.99 for 3 days, while a month’s worth of access starts at $16.66 and can get as high as $59.99, depending on which features you want to access.

On the other hand, the Business plan costs only $9.90 a month per device, but there’s a minimum requirement of 20 devices.

Does iKeyMonitor seem like a good fit for you? Click here to start using it!

XNSPY

Last but certainly not least, we’ve got XNSPY.

This up-and-coming monitoring tool can do a lot of things, from ​​viewing SMS messages, browser history, email conversations, contact lists, and more. 

You can set alerts to get notified if an unwanted number tries to contact the target device, and even set up location tracking and geofencing to monitor and control the target device’s physical movements.

Listening Features

Best of all, XNSPY also works as a fantastic surround recording app. Its surround recording feature activates the microphone on the target device, allowing you to create a voice recording. This will then be uploaded to the XNSPY dashboard, where you can listen to it or even download it.

That said, just like FlexiSPY, the target device should have enough space for this feature to work since it needs to create a recording first before uploading. It also needs to maintain a constant connection to the internet for the file to upload.

To start using this feature, simply go to the Remote Control tab on the left sidebar of the XNSPY dashboard and click Record Surround to begin. Once you’re done recording, go to the Record Surround tab on the sidebar where you’ll find all your recordings. You can tap the microphone icons at the right to listen to the recordings.

Pricing

XNSPY’s subscription pricing starts at the Basic plan, which costs $29.99 for one month. You can save money by opting for a quarterly billing for $41.99 per quarter, or annual billing for $59.99 per year.

Unfortunately, just like FlexiSPY, the Basic plan lacks the recording features. You need to get the Premium Edition for that, which costs $35.99 for one month. Similar to the basic plan, choosing the quarterly or annual billing can significantly reduce the price to $59.99 and $89.99 respectively. At the very least, this is still much cheaper than FlexiSPY.

Want to get started using XNSPY? Just click here! To find out more, you can read my detailed review on this page.

mLite

mLite is a monitoring app that was created by the well-known mSpy brand. But unlike many of the other apps on this list and mSpy itself, mLite isn’t a spying app. It’s a monitoring app, which means that your child or the owner of the target device will know the app is active. 

This is because mLite was created to promote an open relationship between you and your child. mLite offers a host of features that are present for most spy apps, though it is admittedly limited in comparison to many other spy apps. 

With mLite, your child will have access to a panic button that they can press in case of emergencies to notify you. In addition to this, you can track their live location and utilize geofencing to know when they’ve left or arrived at specific locations. mLite also allows you to view your child’s contacts as well as the installed apps on their phone. 

This means you can stay up to date on who your child is contacting and the apps they’re using. 

Listening Features

mLite’s hidden microphone feature deserves recognition. While many other apps work in secret, mLite’s recording feature works in the open and your child knows when the app is active. It uses the microphone on your child’s phone to record the sounds in their environment and phone calls. 

It’s important to note that while mLite may work for both Android and iOS devices, the hidden microphone feature is only available for a target Android phone. This is because an iOS device has certain restrictions limiting the amount of access monitoring apps have. 

If you want to listen in on your child’s surroundings, log into the web version of mLite and click the “Listen To Microphone” button. This will activate the feature on your child’s device and record their surroundings, as well as their incoming and outgoing calls. 

Pricing

In terms of pricing, mLite has both monthly and annual pricing plans available. If you’re going for the monthly payment, mLite is available for $14.99. However, the annual subscription costs $84.99. 

This makes mLite the most affordable listening device app on this list. 

If you want to learn more about mLite, be sure to read our full mLite review. 
Download mLite today and see how you like it!

FAQs

Get The Best Listening Device Apps For Android

If you’re interested in getting the listening best apps for your Android, you certainly won’t go wrong with any of the apps on this list. uMobix, FlexiSPY, iKeyMonitor, and XNSPY are all excellent choices when it comes to listening in a very discreet manner.

Don’t forget, if it’s a complete spying solution you need, you can also check out this article for more information.

Did you like this article? Let me know in the comments below!