Hoverwatch Review 2026

Hoverwatch is a comprehensive tracker for spying on mobile and desktop devices. Since it arrived on the market in 2002, it has improved its feature offerings and become one of the most popular names in the spy applications space.

The allure of Hoverwatch is that it promises to protect you, your family, and your business assets by monitoring the internet activities of your loved ones or even your employees.

But is Hoverwatch everything it’s touted to be? How does it work? Is the service really worth paying for or are you getting ripped off?

We’ll answer these questions in this in-depth review of Hoverwatch. We’ll explore the app’s features and discuss how they hold up in real life, and share all the information you need to know to decide whether Hoverwatch is the best spy software for you.

How to Install Hoverwatch?

Before you can begin tracking the device you want to monitor with Hoverwatch, you need first to create an account and install Hoverwatch on the device.

Hoverwatch can be installed on Android, Windows, and MacOS devices by following a few simple steps.

Installing Hoverwatch on Android

Photo by Lisa Fotios

1. Create your Hoverwatch account

• Go to your browser (you can turn on incognito mode to prevent the website from getting saved to your browser history)
• Visit hoverwatch.com and tap Menu > Log In. Alternatively, you can tap the Sign up free button.
• Type your email and password and tap Log In or Sign up free to complete the account creation process.

2. Set up the device you want to track

You require physical access to the device you wish to track so you can enable/disable some settings on it to prevent the owner from noticing they’re being spied on. Here’s what to do:

• Head over to the Google Play Store app.
• Tap the profile picture on top right to open the Menu, select Play Protect, then the Settings icon at the top.
• Turn off Scan apps with the Play Protect and Improve harmful app detection buttons.

You can take things a step further by turning off Google Play Store notifications to stop the phone’s owner from getting messages about monitoring programs.

• Go to the phone’s Settings.
• Scroll down and tap Apps, then scroll again until you find Google Play Store.
• Open it and tap Notifications > Notifications categories, then turn off Security and errors.

3. Download and install the app

• Go back to Hoverwatch’s website on your browser and tap the Download App link. If you already have the app installed on another device, click on the device name and choose Add Device, then tap OK.
• Once the download is complete, tap Open—if prompted, tap Settings to allow the app to be installed—then tap Install.
• Once the app is installed, tap Open > Next, select who you’re tracking with the software, and Accept the terms and conditions.

4. Set up the app permissions and requirements

• Before Hoverwatch can run on any device you need to permit it to access things like contacts, call logs, sync service, app notifications, usage records, battery optimization, and more.
• Just turn on each requirement and click Allow or OK where necessary to enable all the permissions Hoverwatch needs.

5. Activate the app and choose the activities you wish to monitor

• Once permissions have been granted, you’ll be shown a screen to enter the email and password for your Hoverwatch account.
• Next, tap Activate, then select the activities to track, and tap Allow to confirm them.
• When you’re done, tap Next, select any additional activities you want to monitor, and tap Next to finalize.
• You’ll be asked to set up a PIN for the app. Type in the pin you want to use, tap Next, then Finish Installation.

Congratulations! The device is now ready for monitoring. Although it might seem like a lot of steps, it’s pretty easy to follow and is the standard procedure for installing and activating spy software.

Installing Hoverwatch on Windows

Photo by Ahmed Lishane

1. Start by opening your browser and visiting hoverwatch.com.

2. Provide an email address and password and click Sign up free to create your Hoverwatch account.

3. From the next page, select Windows PC and click Download.

4. Click on the downloaded file and enter the password “hoverwatch” and click OK to unzip and run the file.

5. Click Yes in the Windows User Account Control window.

6. Open the program, choose who you’re using the software to monitor, agree to the terms and conditions, enter your Hoverwatch account email and password, and click Activate.

7. Once the app is installed click Finish to complete the process. The program will close and Hoverwatch will begin running in the background. You’ll start receiving information about the device’s activities in your Hoverwatch account within 5 minutes.

Note: If you’re using an antivirus program on your computer, you’ll need to suspend or turn it off before downloading and installing the app.

After installation, add the Hoverwatch app to the Exceptions list for your anti-virus software before turning on the program again. This will exclude it from being scanned by your anti-virus going forward.

Installing Hoverwatch on Mac

Photo by Pixabay

1. Go to hoverwatch.com and click Sign up free to create your account.

2. Select Mac, then Download.

3. Run the application, enter your Hoverwatch email and password in the window that appears, and click Install.

4. You’ll be asked to type your Mac administrator password. Once the installation is completed, click Finish. Hoverwatch will start running and monitoring the Mac device in the background.

Hoverwatch Features

Hoverwatch offers a wide variety of monitoring features that you can take advantage of depending on the situation you find yourself in or the kind of information you want to get.

Here are some of the app’s prominent features:

1. Call Recording

Hoverwatch is one of the few technologies in its category that allows you to record the content and duration of phone calls. Most other services just show who (was) called and if it was an outgoing or incoming call.

But with Hoverwatch, you can record the audio for every call that comes in or goes out of the phone you’re monitoring. You just have to enable this feature from the settings menu of your Hoverwatch account.

Call recordings will be uploaded to your Hoverwatch account dashboard, where you can download and listen to them whenever you want.

This means that if you, your child, or your partner are receiving threatening or unsavory phone calls, you can record the conversation as evidence. This will come in handy if you decide to address the issue through legal means.

Also Read: Best Free Cheating Apps To Spy On Spouse

2. Location Tracking

You can track the location of the device you’re in real-time with Hoverwatch. This feature can be a lifesaver when you lose your phone or if you’re a parent when you have no idea what your child is up to and you can’t reach them.

The great thing about Hoverwatch’s location tracking feature is that it is still able to gather and send geolocation information even when the user of the target device turns off the WiFi or GPS.

In such a situation, Hoverwatch uses cell phone towers in the vicinity to pinpoint the device’s location. Hoverwatch even provides a detailed map outline you can use to track down the phone or laptop from wherever you are.

3. Keystroke Logging

This Hoverwatch feature allows the service to record all the keys that the user of the target Mac or Windows computer presses on their keyboard. Hoverwatch then stores all of this information on your dashboard where it will remain permanently unless you decide to get rid of them.

What makes this feature amazing is that it gives you the opportunity to record passwords. So even if the user of the device protects all their accounts and secrets with passwords, Hoverwatch will reveal those passwords the moment they type them.

The keystroke logger also stores the specific executable location for anything that’s entered into an application and shares timestamps for every keystroke.

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4. Instant Messaging Tracking

Hoverwatch lets you monitor the text messages going in and out of the target phone remotely. You can see the emails, SMS, and multi-media messages the owner sends or receives.

You’ll also be able to view any images included in the texts as well as the phone numbers or email addresses of all senders and receivers. Hoverwatch includes time stamps showing exactly when the messages were sent or received in its reports.

This feature lets you keep an eye on the kind of messages your children are sending. It’ll also tell you if your employees are actually using their phones to work or if they’re revealing sensitive company information in their texts.

5. Periodic Screenshot Capturing

From time to time, Hoverwatch will take screenshots of the phone being monitored when it’s in use. This means that you’ll be able to see exactly what the phone’s owner was looking at on their screen at different times.

This feature might come in handy for those times when your kids manage to sneak a secret unapproved app past you. Or for when you want to monitor what your employee or partner are doing on their phones at random times.

Hoverwatch even allows you to schedule the interval or frequency of the screenshots so you can keep an eye on the activities the owner is engaged in at specific times.

6. Internet History Tracking

Are you a parent or an employer who wants to know how your kids or employees are spending their time online? You’re in luck because Hoverwatch allows you to save all the addresses of websites that were visited on the target phone or laptop.

Hoverwatch logs the time and date of each website visit so you use this information to figure out if your kids or employees are really working or doing assignments at the right time.

With these insights, you can figure out which harmful or time-wasting sites need to be blocked on the device to prevent the user from accessing them in the future.

7. Camera Monitoring

One of Hoverwatch’s most beloved features is its camera tracker. With this feature, Hoverwatch captures a photo or selfie using the front camera every time the phone’s screen is unlocked.

The photo is taken secretly without the user ever being aware that unlocking their phone is prompting the camera to take a picture. The images captured by Hoverwatch will be uploaded to your account dashboard along with the location where each photo was taken..

This feature can help you figure out if someone else is unlocking your phone without your knowledge. It can also come in handy if your phone gets stolen, by capturing images of the person in possession of your device.

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8. Social Media Tracking

Do you have a nagging suspicion that your partner is being unfaithful and having inappropriate conversations with other people via social media?

Or maybe you’ve recently given your teenager the approval to create an Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat account and you just want to be sure they’re not talking to the wrong people?

Hoverwatch anticipates scenarios like this and gives you the option to spy on activities on different social networks and messaging apps. This includes Signal, WhatsApp, Kik, Telegram, Snapchat, Instagram, Viper, WeChat, Line, and Facebook.

Hoverwatch can read both private and group chat messages on these apps, record calls, view contacts, uploaded files, and other shared media. It can even track subscriptions, follow requests, shared links, and more.

9. Calendar Monitoring

If you also wish to spy on the target device’s calendar and track their to-do list, Hoverwatch has a monitoring feature for that too. With its calendar tracker, you can access all the to-do lists, plans, agendas, events, appointments, and reminders that have been saved on the device.

Hoverwatch also includes other relevant information like the title of the event, the set dates for activities, and the time and date when each calendar entry was made.

10. SIM Change Detection

If there’s a SIM card belonging to your child or partner that you don’t know about for some reason, Hoverwatch’s SIM Change Detection feature will alert you of its existence. The service will inform you instantly when the user switches out the SIM card(s) on the device.

Photo by Silvie Lindemann

Naturally, you’ll also be able to record calls, SMS, and screenshots on the new SIM and determine the location where the SIM card change occurred. This feature may also be useful in locating a target device that goes missing or gets stolen by notifying you about SIM manipulation so you can take immediate action.

11. Contact Monitoring

Once Hoverwatch has been activated on the target device, you’ll be able to access all saved contacts in the phone’s address book and store them on your account. When the user creates a new contact, you’ll be able to see this information as well.

Other relevant details about the contacts such as their emails, physical addresses, and phone numbers will also be stored. This way, you’ll be able to know the people the user is in communication with and look them up on your own to learn as much as you can about them.

Also Read: Best Phone Monitoring Apps

12. Webcam Shots

Hoverwatch has a screenshots feature for Windows devices that lets you use the PC’s webcam to automatically take photos at random intervals. All the photos are then saved to your dashboard.

The software also permits you to choose a frequency for the webcam shots. For example, you can set it so the camera captures a shot every five minutes.

13. Clipboard Saver

This Hoverwatch feature is only available for Windows computers. It allows you to record any information that the device’s user copies and saves to clipboard from any platform.

The clipboard Saver not only records texts but also saves visual information. So if the user copies images to the clipboard, this would also be captured and transmitted to your account dashboard.

14. Stealth Mode

Unless you’re spying on your own device, you probably don’t want the user of the device to know you’re tracking their activities. Hoverwatch understands this and that’s why the app functions in stealth mode.

What this means is that once the tracker is installed on a phone or laptop, it becomes invisible. It won’t show up in the apps folder or task manager, or give any indication to the device’s user that they’re being monitored.

The user will have no way of detecting that Hoverwatch has been installed on their device. Hoverwatch gives you the option of turning stealth mode on or off when installing the app.

And once invisible or stealth Mode is activated, the only way to find and uninstall the app is by using the PIN you created during installation.

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Hoverwatch Customer Support

Hoverwatch has a help center where you can find guides, instructions, and answers to FAQs to help you figure out how to use the software and troubleshoot any issues you might have.

You can also reach out to the company’s support staff by submitting a request form. Hoverwatch promises to respond to requests within 24-48 hours.

Hoverwatch Pricing

To get you started, Hoverwatch offers a 5-day free trial you can use to test drive its features and see if it’s right for you before investing in the paid service. Hoverwatch has three subscription options to choose from when your free trial expires.

All of these plans grant you full access to all the software’s monitoring features. Here’s a breakdown of Hoverwatch’s pricing plans and their costs:

The Personal Plan

Allows tracking a single device. It costs –

• $24.95/month
• $59.95/quarter
• $99.95/year

The Professional Plan

Allows tracking of five devices. It costs –

• $49.95/month
• $99.95/quarter
• $199.95/year

The Business Plan

Supports monitoring for up to 25 devices. It costs:

• $149.95/month
• $299.95/quarter
• $499.95/year.

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Hoverwatch Pros

• You don’t have to root the target device to install the app.
• Recorded calls maintain impressive quality and clarity when downloaded via Hoverwatch.
• Data collected from the monitored device is uploaded quickly and frequently.
• The app is fairly easy to install and use.
• You can make adjustments to the Android settings from right within the online dashboard.
• It monitors devices discreetly without alerting the user.
• It’s compatible with multiple platforms.
• It consumes minimal battery and doesn’t cause the device to heat or lag.

Hoverwatch Cons

• The app isn’t compatible with the iPhone.
• SIM card change notifications are not always accurate.
• Navigating your account dashboard might take some getting used to.
• Customer support isn’t as solid as it should be.

Ratings

Here are my Hoverwatch ratings based on everything we’ve discussed so far.

Features

There’s an abundance of features that make Hoverwatch a really impressive monitoring software. The call recording, camera tracker, key logging, screenshot capturing, SMS, and social media tracker features are excellent for getting a comprehensive overview of a device’s activities.

However, features glitch sometimes and don’t always provide an accurate picture of the user’s actions.

As a result, I give Hoverwatch a rating of 4 over 5.

Ease of Installation

Installing and activating Hoverwatch requires you to follow a somewhat lengthy series of steps. But at the end of the day, it’s still not a complicated process and anyone regardless of their technical skill level can easily follow and complete the setup process.

In this regard, I give the service 4.5 over 5.

Support

Hoverwatch doesn’t offer chat, phone call, or direct email support and the only way to contact its support team is by filling out a form on the website. However, it makes up for this by having a help center with lots of product-related content that you can consult if you have any issues.

On this front, I give Hoverwatch a 3 over 5.

Pricing

Hoverwatch lets you try the service for free for a limited period. It also has different subscription plans for different budgets and monitoring needs.

Although the prices of Hoverwatch’s plans are arguably competitive for the type of service it provides, they can still be out of range for lots of people.

Based on this, I give the app a 4 over 5.

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Wrapping Up – Hoverwatch Review

Whether you’re worried about the safety and security of your loved ones or you want to keep a better eye on how your employees are using their time, Hoverwatch has you covered.

Although it may not be the best spy app around, Hoverwatch is undeniably good at what it does. It boasts many great and valuable features that come together to deliver a thorough tracking experience.

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