6 Proven Ways to See Someone Else's Text Messages on iPhone
While monitoring someone’s text messages is not considered the most ethical, sometimes it is unavoidable. You might want to view your family or employees’ text messages on their iPhone for one or more reasons. Some people wish to stay updated on their children’s activity, whereas others might want to keep an eye on their employees. Especially when you want to monitor people who use an iPhone, you might find it challenging to do so. Thus, the important question is, “How to see someone else's text messages on iPhone?”
This article covers six different methods to see someone else’s text messages on iPhone. Read it till the end to find which one suits your needs the best.
Part 1. 3 Common Reasons for See Someone Eles's Text Messages on iPhone
There could be numerous reasons for seeing someone else’s messages on iPhone. Here are three most common ‘whys’ behind seeing someone else’s text messages on iPhone.
- Safety and protection
Family’s protection is one of the most common reasons for seeing someone’s text messages on iPhone. Parents often want to see their children’s activity on the phone to protect them from potential harm from predators. At the same time, monitoring text messages also helps protect elders from text message fraud and scams they may not be able to realize instantly.
- Cheating suspicion
Seeing your partner’s text messages can be helpful if you suspect them of cheating or being unfaithful. It can protect you from ending a relationship on the basis of suspicion, and offer a clearer understanding of the situation.
- Employee management
Often, employers provide their employees with mobile phones for company communication. However, monitoring the use of the phone can be challenging. Remotely seeing the messages on iPhone can make it easy to track employee activity when using the phone.
Part 2. How to See Someone Else's Text Messages on iPhone
Have you ever wondered, ‘How to view someone’s texts on iPhone?’ If yes, then we are here to tell you six different methods to view iMessages online without the target person finding it out. Read below to find out how can you read text messages from another iPhone.
Method 1. Use text message tracker-Msafely
The best method to see someone’s text messages is by using the Msafely monitoring app. Msafely, which is primarily a parental control app, can help you easily read anyone’s text messages on an iPhone just by their iCloud credentials. Here’s what you need to do,
Step 1. Go to Msafely’s website, and use your active account to sign up for a free account.
Step 2. Choose the device you want to monitor. Msafely allows remote monitoring of both Android and iPhone devices. To monitor an iPhone, simply select "iPhone" here.
Step 3. Choose your subscription plan and connect your target iPhone.
Step 4. Start monitoring all activities on someone else's iPhone, including text messages, call logs, location, and social media interactions.
After you are done with these four steps, you can see who they are texting iPhone in two ways: text messages and the keylogger feature. You will love how much user-friendly Msafely’s Control Panel really is, where you can easily locate the text messages app and see iMessages online.
On the other hand, the keylogger feature records every keystroke made on the target phone, and with that, you can see what and whom they are texting on their iPhones.
Method 2. By iCloud backup
If you want to use a built-in iPhone feature to see someone’s text messages, iCloud is the ultimate best option available out there. Before diving into the step-by-step method, ensure their iCloud backup is enabled. If you’re unsure, get access to their iPhone and enable iCloud or text message backup.
Now, follow these four simple steps to see who they are texting iPhone secretly in your absence,
Step 1. Log out of the current account on your iOS device and reset the device data by going to Settings>General.
Step 2. Tap on Reset, and select ‘Erase All Content and Settings.’
Step 3. After the device has restarted, click on ‘Restore from iCloud Backup’ from the appeared prompt.
Step 4. Now, log in to your target iPhone’s iCloud credentials, which will restore all their data on your iOS device.
You can now view iMessages online from the backed-up text messages.
Method 3. Through iTunes
Other than iCloud backup, iOS devices have another default backup feature: iTunes backup. iTunes backup can help you extract the last backed-up text messages from the target iPhone via an app or Apple’s very own feature.
If you want to know ‘How to see someone else’s text messages on iPhone through iTunes,’ we’ve got you the honest answer right here:
Step 1. First, make sure that the target iPhone has the latest iTunes backup. If not, connect the phone to your computer through iTunes and select ‘Back Up Now’ from the options.
Step 2. Once the backup is completed, you can extract the text messages by installing a third-party app (such as iBackup Viewer or PhoneRescue) or through Windows.
Step 3. Install any of these apps and follow the prompts to extract text messages from iTunes backup easily.
Once the scanning is completed, you can read iMessages online on your device without any further hassle.
Method 4. By text forwarding
Apart from the iCloud and iTunes backup methods, text forwarding is another iOS feature that can help you view iMessages online from someone else’s iPhone. However, both iOS devices must be using the same Apple ID, and you must have physical access to your target iPhone.
Do you want to know ‘How to see someone's iMessages through text forwarding?’ Here is how,
On your Mac:
Step 1. Go to Messages, tap on Preferences > iMessage, and confirm that you are using the same iCloud account on both devices.
Step 2. Now, Go to Settings App > Messages > Send and Receive.
On target iPhone:
Step 1. Go to Settings App > Messages > Text Message Forwarding.
Step 2. Here, you will see the devices connected to the iCloud ID, including your Mac. Select the Mac or any other device (where you want to receive messages) from the list of devices.
Step 3. Now, if you don’t have two-factor authentication, all other devices will receive a verification code. Enter this code on the iPhone and confirm the text forwarding to the device, which, in this case, is a Mac.
You will receive the texts on your Mac, where you can now check iMessages online.
Method 5. Using iMessage web access
You can view messages on the target phone using your Apple laptop. By connecting the target phone’s Apple ID to your laptop, you will be able to view the messages on the device. Follow these steps to access the target phone’s messages:
Step 1. Go to the iMessage application from the Launchpad.
Step 2. Sign into the Apple ID of the target device.
You’ll see the messages on the device remotely.
Method 6. Via Apple Watch
If you want to stay updated on someone’s text messages all the time, connecting the phone to your Apple Watch is the best way. It gives you access to their text messages as soon as they receive them. Here’s how you can pair your Apple Watch with their iPhone:
Step 1. Turn on the Apple Watch by pressing the side button until you see the Apple logo.
Step 2. Bring it close to your iPhone.
Step 3. Click ‘Continue’ when a pairing screen appears and follow the instructions to pair both devices.
Step 4. Open the Watch app on your phone and go to ‘Notifications.’
Step 5. Select ‘Messages’ and tap ‘Mirror My iPhone’ to ensure you get the text messages on your watch.
Once the watch is connected and you start mirroring the iPhone’s messages, you’ll stay updated about the texts as received.
Part 3. Which One is the Best Way to See Someone Else's Text Messages on iPhone
Msafely | iCloud backups | iTunes | Text forwarding | iMessage web access | Apple Watch | |
iCloud/iTunes backup needed | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Ease of use | Very easy | Moderate | Moderate | Difficult | Moderate | Moderate |
Requires Apple ID credentials | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Requires physical access | ❌ | May require physical access | May require physical access | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Third-party software needed | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Limitations | None | iCloud backup must be enabled | iCloud backup must be enabled | Both devices must be logged into the same Apple ID | iCloud credentials and an Apple laptop are required. | Requires Apple Watch. |
After comparing all six methods to see someone’s text messages, we conclude that Msafely is the best and safest option in terms of user-friendliness and ease of access with no extra conditions or drawbacks.
Part 4. FAQs
Q1. Can I track iMessages on a phone bill?
Apple offers discretion on the messages shared among iPhone users and the phone bill does not share the messages sent or received from other users.
Q2. How can I see someone else’s iMessages on my phone?
You can see someone else’s iMessages on your phone by mirroring their phone that allows you to see what the other person is sending or receiving on their device. Using a third-party app like Msafely or SpyX can also help sneak into someone else’s messages.
Q3. How can I receive messages from another iPhone?
If you wish to receive messages from another iPhone, turn on Text Message Forwarding from the intended device. Go to ‘Settings,’ open ‘Apps,’ and click ‘Messages.’ Select ‘Text Message Forwarding’ from the menu. Select the numbers you want to receive messages from.
Q4. Can I read someone’s text messages through iCloud?
Yes, you can read anyone’s text messages through iCloud. You need access to that person’s iCloud ID and password to access the stored iMessages on the cloud.
Q5. How can I check text messages on an iPhone from another phone?
Signing into iCloud on your phone is one of the most straightforward methods to see text messages on an iPhone from another. You can also view messages using iTunes or remotely connecting the phone to yours with an online spy app.
Q6. How can I see who someone is texting on an iPhone?
You may not be able to see someone else’s activity on their iPhone, until you have access to their iCloud credentials. Signing into their iCloud gives you access to their saved messages every time after backup.
Q7. How can I read someone’s iMessages without signing in?
If you do not have access to the other person’s iCloud, you can read their iMessages through text forwarding or connecting their phone to your Apple Watch.
Q8. Can I track iMessages using iCloud?
Yes, you can easily track iMessages using iCloud on any Apple device including iPhone, iPad, and Mac. However, you must be logged into the iCloud to access the messages.
Part 5. Conclusion
Whether you want to protect your family from fraud, track employee activity, or if you doubt your partner’s faithfulness, seeing their text messages can be helpful. Use text forwarding, iMessage web access, iCloud backup, or iTunes to see someone else’s text messages on iPhone. You can also monitor the target phone’s text messages by connecting it to your Apple Watch.
Moreover, text message trackers like Msafely also give you access to other people’s text messages remotely. Choose any of the above-mentioned methods to see someone else’s text messages on iPhone that suits your needs and preference the best.