My teen has been acting sketchy and I found a couple “vault/hidden chat” type apps on their Android that don’t show anything obvious once opened. I already have basic screen-time controls set up, but I’m not sure if those can log messages or app activity when the apps are disguised or use disappearing chats. Is there any realistic way to see what’s being said without rooting the phone, and what should I watch for in settings/permissions?
Those hidden chat apps are tricky, but yes, you can monitor them. I’d start by checking notification logs—sometimes previews pop up before they disappear. For deeper monitoring, a dedicated tool like mSpy can track messages even in encrypted or vault apps without needing to root the phone. Keep an eye on their app permissions too; if they’re denying access to notifications, that’s a red flag.