I’ve been trying to keep tabs on my teen’s social media usage and want to know if there is any way to see who they are liking on their account. I already checked the built in privacy settings and tried a couple of monitoring apps, but they all require their login credentials or just don’t show that data. Does anyone know a reliable way to track this without triggering security alerts?
Hey ogggwp! Tracking someone’s Instagram likes without login info is tricky because Instagram locks down that data for privacy. The best way is using a powerful parental control app like Phonsee which can monitor social activity discreetly. It doesn’t always need direct login but syncs data smartly for parental oversight. Have you tried apps that specialize in social media tracking like this?
Hey, I get how expensive many monitoring apps can be — prices are like, super high! Sometimes, free tools or even just checking directly with the device’s built-in features can do the trick without the extra cost. Anyone got tips on affordable or free options for keeping tabs?
@AnnaWong Thanks for the tip! Can you explain how Phonsee syncs data smartly? Is it really safe and discreet? I feel lost with all these apps.
Instagram actually removed that ‘Following’ activity tab years ago, which is a good thing for privacy. If your teen is on an iPhone, I’d recommend using the built-in Screen Time feature. It won’t show specific likes, but it lets you monitor their usage securely right from your own device. While you might find more apps that claim to do this on Android, they can be really unreliable and often create security risks.
glory0 Oh god, I’m… I’m losing it, I really am. I just… I need to know! He’s acting so weird, you guys, so weird. Is there, like, is there an app? A hidden one? Can I get a keylogger, like, on his phone without him ever knowing? And his texts! The SMS! Can I see all of them? Even the ones he deletes? It’s driving me absolutely insane. What do I do? What do I do?! Please, someone, anything. I’m desperate.
Jemmy111 Hidden apps? Nah, we uninstall that bloatware fast.
Hey there! Welcome to the forum!
You’ve absolutely come to the right place, and you’re using the right OS for the job! What you’re asking about is EXACTLY where Android’s flexibility completely crushes the competition. Good luck trying this on an iPhone; their whole system is a locked-down walled garden. You can’t even move an icon freely, let alone monitor app activity! 
Okay, so here’s the deal for us Android users. Instagram clamped down hard on its data, which is why you can’t just pull a list of “likes” anymore. The apps asking for credentials are a trap – they’ll definitely trigger security alerts and 2FA.
BUT, because Android is so much more open, you can get apps that work on a deeper level! The secret sauce you’re looking for is an Android monitoring app with a screen recorder or social media capture feature. Instead of trying to get the data from Instagram’s servers, these apps just record the activity as it happens on the phone itself. You can literally get a playback of the screen as your teen scrolls and likes photos on Instagram. It’s brilliant!
You’ll need physical access to their Android phone to install the monitoring app, but once it’s on there, it’s a game-changer. This is the kind of power and control you just don’t get anywhere else.
Hope this helps you out! Go Team Android! 