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Auto Forward Review 2023: Spy Software for Android and iPhone

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In this article, we review the Auto Forward cell phone monitoring app, the features it offers, and how it compares to our favorite spying apps.

Auto Forward is a smartphone spying app designed to monitor the cell phone of a child, employee, or spouse. Spying apps allow you to track GPS location, text messages, social media accounts, chat apps, and phone calls of another person. It can be used by a parent, spouse, or employer.

There are dozens of remote monitoring apps on the market. Let’s see how Auto Forward compares to the competition.

Our Evaluation of Auto Forward

Auto Forward

What we like

  • solid Android monitoring features
  • inexpensive at just $6.99/month
  • tracks lots of social media on Android

What we don’t like

  • limited social media tracking on iOS (WhatsApp only)
  • no location tracking on iOS
  • POOR tech support via email

The Auto Forward cell monitoring app discretely monitors Android and iOS devices. It offers a solid list of monitoring features for Android devices. But it offers far fewer iOS spying features than our favorite spying apps.

It also lacks many features found in other parental monitoring apps.

Who Should Buy Auto Forward?

Auto Forward is a reasonably good solution budget-priced Android monitoring solution. The Auto Forward app doesn’t offer as many Android spying features as our current favorite uMobix, but it is $5 less per month when purchased with the annual subscription.

The Auto Forward spy software is a poor solution for monitoring iPhones and other iOS devices. It lacks many important features including location tracking and social media app monitoring. uMobix is a MUCH better solution for iOS devices.

Android Spying Features

Auto Forward is a powerful Android spying app with discrete monitoring features for tracking the usage and activity of an Android cell phone or tablet. It offers many of the same monitoring features as other Android spying apps.

Here are a few of the most important features.

Social Media Monitoring

Social media monitoring capabilities on Android devices include all of the following apps:

  • WhatsApp
  • Facebook Messenger
  • Tinder
  • Snapchat
  • Hangouts
  • Line
  • Instagram Messages
  • Viber
  • Telegram
  • Skype
  • kik

Auto Forward cannot track TikTok or WeChat.

Snapchat

Snapchat is one of the most popular social media apps for teens. Auto Forward tracks all sent and received messages within the Snapchat app. It does NOT allow you to see Snaps with pictures or videos.

Facebook Messenger

Auto Forward records all Facebook Messenger chats. They are organized by contact in the control panel. These messages can be viewed even if the original message has been deleted by the user.

Instagram

Auto Forward tracks all Instagram Direct Messages (DMs). These messages can be viewed in the control panel. Direct Messages are organized by contact name.

Tinder

Auto Forward tracks Tinder messages. This does not include matches or any pictures. All messages are accessed from your control panel.

Monitor Text Messages

Auto Forward tracks SMS text messages. Text message tracking data includes message content, sender, recipient, and timestamps.

It also retains messages that have been deleted from the target Android.

Call Logs and History

The Auto Forward spy tool tracks all of the following phone call data.

  • Incoming and outgoing calls.
  • Day and time of the calls.
  • Call duration.

Auto Forward does not support recording phone calls.

Browser History and Controls

Auto Forward’s monitoring software tracks web browsing history and website bookmarks. This allows you to see all visited websites.

It also supports keyword alerts. Keyword alerts send you notifications whenever a specific word is typed on the phone.

Website Blocking

The pro version of Auto Forward supports website blocking. This tool is ideal for parents who don’t want their kids visiting dangerous or inappropriate websites. Blocking a website requires entering the URL in the online control panel.

GPS Location & Geofencing

The Auto Forward app includes a GPS tracking feature. It displays the current location of the target device overlayed on a map.

It also offers geo-fencing capabilities. Geofencing zones notify you when the target device enters or leaves a specific area on the map. This is ideal for parents with young children.

Android Keylogger

The Auto Forward monitoring app includes a powerful keystroke logger. This records all keystrokes on the keyboard of the target device. This is an excellent way to capture usernames, passwords, chats, website addresses, Google searches, and more.

Incoming and Outgoing Email

Auto Forward allows you to access outgoing and incoming email messages. Information includes the sender, recipient, and the content of the emails.

Multimedia Files

Auto Forward downloads all multimedia files from the target device. This option can be set to operate only on WiFi to reduce the load on the device’s cellular data connection.

Cannot Monitor Youtube

Auto Forward does NOT track Youtube activity.

AutoForward iOS Spying Features

Auto Forward offers fewer features when used to spy on an iOS device such as the iPhone or iPad. Standard iPhone and iPad monitoring features include the following:

  • View call logs: includes call duration, timestamps, and contact names along with their phone number. View call status like outgoing, incoming, rejected, or missed calls
  • View text and iMessages: view received, sent, as well as deleted messages, including the name of the sender and receiver, chat history, actual text messages
  • Bookmarks and browser history: See the websites visited. View the saved bookmarks from the web browser of the device
  • View Calendar: view appointments in the target phone’s calendar including dates, times, and notes.
  • View Phone Contacts: view contact list on the target phone. Includes all information stored in the contact including name, address, phone number, and email address.
  • View WhatsApp Chats: view content of WhatsApp messages. Also includes usernames of sender and recipient.

Auto Forward Installation Process

The installation process varies depending on the phone’s operating system. Below you will find instructions for installing the Auto Forward app on iOS and Android devices.

It is not necessary to root Android devices or jailbreak iOS devices to install Auto Forward.

Installation on iOS Devices

Auto Forward supports over-the-air installation for iOS devices. All you need is the user’s iCloud username and password.

You will enter these login credentials into your dashboard and it will pull the target phone data from their iCloud Backups.

Installation on Android Devices

Below you will find the requirements and installation process for installing Auto Forward on an Android device.

Android Installation Requirements

Installing Auto Forward on an Android phone or tablet requires all of the following items.

  • paid Auto Forward account
  • physical access to the target Android and its’s passcode
  • internet connection

Follow the steps below to install Auto Forward on an Android device.

Step 1. Download the app from the Auto Forward website

The first step is to sign up for an Auto Forward account. Then select “Android” as the type of device to monitor.

Enter your payment information. Once processed, it will send you a unique license key to your registered email. The license key will be used to activate the monitoring software.

From the target phone, click the link to download the spy software. Follow the instructions for installing and configuring the app.

Step 2. Activate the Auto Forward spy software.

Once the app is installed, it must be activated with a unique license code. This is done by inputting the license key sent to your email.

Step 3. Start Monitoring.

Once the app is activated, it begins downloading data from the target phone. This process can take 30 minutes or more depending on how much data needs to be downloaded. When this process is completed, you will see all of the phone’s data in your online control panel.

How to Use Auto Forward

All target phone data is displayed in an easy-to-use online control panel. From the control panel, you can quickly see the most important phone activities.

You can also change monitoring settings on the target phone. For Androids, this includes a data update interval.

Other information includes the status of the phone’s data (battery, signal, and service provider), as well as installed applications.

Auto Forward Customer Support

Fast and knowledgeable support is critical when working with spy software.

Part of our testing process involves sending support requests to each company to measure their response time. We also try to gauge their overall knowledge of the product.

Many phone monitoring apps offer 24/7 chat support. Auto Forward only offers email support.

Auto Forward’s average response time to our support requests was 45 minutes. It often took multiple emails to get the information we needed. Compare this to an average 1-minute response time from the uMobix chat support.

How Much Does Auto Forward Cost?

Auto Forward offers two pricing plans. The “Basic” plan is $4.99 per month with an annual subscription.

The “Pro” plan is $6.99 with an annual subscription.

How Does the Auto Forward Spy App Work?

Auto Forward works by uploading data from a target phone to a remote server. This data can be viewed with an online control panel.

Auto Forward for Androids transfers data directly from the phone to the remote server. The iOS version transfers data from the phone’s iCloud account.

Auto Forward Alternatives

Below are some alternatives to Auto Forward. The alternatives include uMobix, mSpy, EyeZy, and iSpyoo.

Auto Forward vs uMobix

uMobix is currently our top smartphone monitoring app. It offers more spying features on both Android and iOS devices.

uMobix is a better solution than Auto Forward on Android devices because it tracks incoming and outgoing messages on social media chat apps like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Skype. Auto Forward only tracks outgoing messages through their keystroke logging software.

uMobix is a better solution than Auto Forward on iOS devices because it tracks messages in Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Skype, and WhatsApp.

It also offers native access to Facebook and Instagram. This means you can navigate the user’s account as though it were your own.

Auto Forward vs mSpy

mSpy offers more monitoring features than Auto Forward on Android devices. This includes access to sent and received messages in social media chat apps. mSpy is slightly more expensive.

To see a direct comparison check out our mSpy alternatives comparison.

Auto Forward vs EyeZy

EyeZy is a spying app that tracks all of the same activities as Auto Forward. This includes text messages, social media accounts, location, and media files. In our Eyezy review, we mention it is slightly more expensive at $9.99 per month. Eyezy offers more responsive tech support and monitoring features on iOS phones.

iSpyoo vs EyeZy

iSpyoo is a popular monitoring app for Android devices. But it lacks many of the advanced features you find with Eyezy. This includes the ability to monitor social apps like Snapchat and Instagram.

iSpyoo is a reasonably priced solution, but there are better options available. You can learn more about this app in our iSpyoo Review.

FAQ

Is Auto Forward Legal?

Auto Forward is legal when used to monitor the phone of a child or employee. It is only legal to monitor the phone of an employee if the business owns the phone.

It is not legal to monitor the phone of an adult without notifying them.

Verdict: Is Auto Forward worth it?

The Auto Forward cell phone spy software is good, but not the best.

It is reasonably priced, but the app is too unstable for me to recommend it above my favorites. The limited tech support is also a big negative.

HOWEVER – For those who are on a budget and need the spy app for ONLY ONE MONTH, you might be better off with other cheaper options in the market.

About the Author

Jason has over 25 years in the information and internet security industry. He is passionate about smartphones, gadgets, and technology. He also got a solid background in programming and software.  This includes Python, C++, app development and more.

jason thompson