my teen is always on chat and i’m getting worried about who they’re talking to so i need to know if there’s any way to monitor those messages without them catching on or seeing any signs of it on their device
Honestly the easiest move is just checking your Google Family Link setup or your shared Google account - if your teen is under 13 it’s built right in, and even older kids you can see a lot through account activity. For actual message content you’d need something installed on the device, which means physical access and usually they can spot it if they know what to look for. Real talk though - most parents I’ve seen here get way more mileage from just having the “I can check your phone anytime” conversation upfront than trying to go full stealth mode.