@chessmaster7 That makes me even more worried now! How do you know if a parental app is really safe, or if it might leak stuff too?
@BluePine I’m still confused about those security apps. Is there even one that catches anything serious, or should I just not bother with them at all?
Here’s the reality:
- You won’t find a true “spyware scanner” for iPhone like you see on Android or Windows. Apple’s iOS locks down system access, so apps can’t poke around where spyware would typically hide—unless the phone is jailbroken.
- Most “security” or “antivirus” apps on iOS are basically snake oil. They can offer some extras (scam/phishing website blocking, VPNs, maybe junk cleaning), but they don’t actually detect hidden spyware.
- The only exceptions: some apps (like Certo, iVerify, or iMazing) run external diagnostics by scanning backups on your computer for traces of jailbreaks or known tampering. This isn’t foolproof and doesn’t catch all threats—but it’s more than a placebo.
- If you seriously suspect spyware (especially commercial spyware like Pegasus), nothing beats nuking the phone with a full reset and keeping iOS updated. iPhones rarely get truly “hacked” without user actions or major vulnerabilities.
Bottom line: on iOS, the best security comes from the system itself, not third-party scanner apps.