my kid keeps deleting chats and i cant figure out how to see what theyre actually sending without them knowing. tried a couple free apps but nothing sticks after a restart. anyone know a reliable way to track whatsapp on their phone without it showing up?
Hey Haley, yeah the free apps are basically garbage for this - they fall apart after a reboot because they can’t survive without root access or special permissions that Android keeps revoking.
Honestly the most reliable approach on a kid’s phone is to set it up as a supervised device from the start - Google Family Link gives you app controls and screen time, and for WhatsApp specifically you’d need something like mSpy or Qustodio (paid, but they actually work) which require a one-time physical setup on the phone.
Real talk though - if they’re already deleting chats, a direct “hey I check your phone sometimes, that’s the deal while you live here” conversation often does more than any app, because once they know monitoring exists they tend to be more careful anyway. 