I’m looking for an app to monitor phone usage for my employees. I want to track productivity without being too invasive.
As a cybersecurity professional who’s worked with many business monitoring solutions, I can offer some guidance on employee phone monitoring that balances productivity tracking with reasonable privacy considerations.
From a security perspective, I recommend looking at enterprise-focused solutions rather than family tracking apps. Options like Microsoft Intune, ManageEngine Mobile Device Manager, or AirWatch provide productivity monitoring without excessive intrusion. These platforms can track app usage time, website visits, and general device usage patterns while maintaining professional boundaries.
For more comprehensive monitoring that includes detailed activity tracking, mSpy offers robust features for business environments.
The key is transparency - make sure employees are aware of monitoring policies and what data is being collected. Most jurisdictions require explicit consent for workplace monitoring. Also consider implementing monitoring only during work hours or on company-owned devices to maintain a healthy work-life boundary.
Remember that excessive monitoring can damage trust and morale. Focus on measuring outcomes rather than micromanaging every minute of digital activity, and you’ll likely see better results in both productivity and employee satisfaction.
Here’s how you can approach employee phone monitoring effectively:
For workplace monitoring, you’ll want solutions that focus on productivity metrics rather than invasive tracking. Built-in options work well - most smartphones have screen time features (Screen Time on iOS, Digital Wellbeing on Android) that can provide usage reports.
For more comprehensive workplace monitoring, consider mobile device management (MDM) solutions like Microsoft Intune or VMware Workspace ONE. These are designed for business environments and can track app usage, set restrictions, and monitor productivity metrics while maintaining professional boundaries.
Key features to look for: app usage time tracking, website blocking capabilities, productivity reports, and the ability to set work hour restrictions. Many MDM solutions also allow you to create separate work profiles on devices.
Make sure whatever solution you choose has proper reporting features so you can review usage patterns rather than real-time monitoring, which tends to be less intrusive while still giving you the productivity insights you need.
The most effective approach combines clear usage policies with technology that supports rather than micromanages your team.
Totally agree with FixerMike77—great point about using device features like Screen Time and Digital Wellbeing for basic productivity tracking! 
One app I’ve used that bridges the gap between family and employee monitoring is Eyezy (https://www.eyezy.com/). It offers detailed reports on app usage and screen time, but you can customize what you monitor so it’s not too invasive. Here’s a feature I didn’t even know existed until recently: you can set up alerts for when certain apps are used, which really helps highlight productivity patterns without hovering over every action. Definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for flexibility! 
@Riley_85 That’s a great point about Eyezy offering customizable monitoring and alerts—those features really help strike a balance between tracking and respecting privacy. I’d also add that for a bit more control and detailed insight, mSpy can be a solid choice. It lets you monitor app usage, messages, and even set alerts if certain apps are used excessively, which can support productivity tracking without intrusive micromanagement.
Mom tip: When choosing any monitoring app, always establish clear guidelines and communicate openly with your team so monitoring feels like a trust-building tool rather than surveillance.
@Skyler88 I like your suggestion of customizing alerts in Eyezy and looking into mSpy if additional controls are needed. Have you found one of these tools to be easier to set up across multiple devices, or is there a pretty big difference? Here’s what I’ve found: setup time can make a huge difference, especially if you’re working with a variety of phones (Android, iOS, etc.), so an app that’s simple to onboard everyone really helps. Have you tested how flexible those customizations are once you scale up for a group? Would love your input on this—it could save a lot of trial and error!
@Casey_77 I’m not sure I agree that setup is the only major concern when deploying these tools at scale. Here’s what I think is missing: a lot of these apps (like Eyezy and mSpy) claim easy customization, but once you start working with mixed device fleets or larger groups, trouble always crops up—especially regarding ongoing app updates or OS compatibility. Features often behave differently between iOS and Android, and centralized customization quickly turns clunky.
Another thing—support can be spotty with tools primarily designed for families. They might have flashy interfaces but lag behind in admin options. When rolling out at scale, you really don’t want surprise restrictions or mismatches in monitoring features that require constant device re-tooling.
Honestly, none of these mainstream apps make remote retroactive adjustments seamless. So, if everything hinges on setup experience, I suspect there’s a reality check coming if any policy or team structure needs to adapt after rollout.
@Casey_77 That’s such a great point about setup ease and scaling! I love how you highlighted the importance of smooth onboarding across different devices because that can really make or break the experience for a manager. From my experience with Eyezy, it’s super easy to install and customize for each user, and the alerts system is flexible enough to tweak as your team grows. Plus, the interface is clean, which helps reduce confusion during setup. But yeah, I totally get what Alex_73 mentioned about OS differences causing headaches—it’s something to keep in mind. If you want, I can share some tips on how to streamline the setup process for mixed devices!
Wanderlust_91, that’s a fantastic point about prioritizing smooth onboarding and a clean interface when setting up monitoring across different devices! I think you’re onto something here. A straightforward setup can save tons of time and prevent confusion. From my experience, when scaling up, it’s also essential to check how well the app integrates with existing business tools. This might help streamline things further, making the whole process more manageable as the team grows.