Stalkerware
Also known as: spouseware, stalker app, stalkerware app
Stalkerware is monitoring software secretly installed on someone's phone or computer, usually by a partner, ex-partner, or family member, to track their location, read messages, listen to calls, or view photos without their knowledge.
It's often marketed as 'parental control' or 'employee monitoring.' While stalkerware is closely tied to domestic abuse, removing it suddenly can alert the abuser, so safety planning with support services should come first.
Stalkerware, explained at three levels
At home
Stalkerware is like a hidden camera someone tucks into your bag. A person who briefly gets hold of your unlocked phone, often a partner or ex, installs a disguised app and hides its icon. From then on, it quietly sends them your location, messages, call history, and photos through an online dashboard, while you have no idea it's there.
At work
Stalkerware is spying software secretly installed on someone's phone or computer, usually by a partner or ex, to track their location, messages, and calls. It's often sold as parental control or employee monitoring. Workplaces care because affected employees may face safety risks, and HR, IT, and assistance programs need to know how to help without alerting the abuser, such as by referring people to specialized support.
At home
Stalkerware is usually installed by someone who briefly has your unlocked phone, often a partner. They grant it powerful permissions, such as accessibility access, then hide its icon. From then on it can forward messages, location, call logs, photos and sometimes microphone audio to an online dashboard they check. Another version needs no app at all: if someone knows your cloud account password, they can read your backups, photos and location from their own device.
At work
On Android, stalkerware commonly abuses accessibility services to read the screen and notification access to capture messages, and device administrator rights to resist removal. iPhones are harder to infect with apps, so abusers more often use the victim's Apple ID to access iCloud backups or shared locations. Security apps and the Coalition Against Stalkerware's detection lists catch many known products. Checking account sign-in history, linked devices and sharing settings is equally important, since account access leaves no app to detect.
At home
If you suspect stalkerware, deleting it can alert the person watching you and make a dangerous situation worse, because they may notice the data stop. That is why safety planning comes first. Domestic violence support services can help you decide what to change and when, and you should use a device they cannot access to research or ask for help. In my view, reaching out to such a service first is the safest step, before touching the phone itself.
At work
Installing stalkerware on someone's device without consent can be a criminal offence in Canada, including under provisions on unauthorized interception, unauthorized use of a computer and criminal harassment. Evidence may matter for protection orders, so support teams should avoid wiping devices before survivors decide. iOS Safety Check and Android's privacy dashboard help review sharing and permissions. Organizations providing IT support should follow trauma-informed protocols, and employers using monitoring tools must stay within privacy law, with notice and proportionality.
Real-world examples
At home
Nadia's ex-partner always seemed to know where she was. A support worker helped her check her phone safely and found a hidden tracking app, and they made a safety plan before removing it.
At work
Fatima runs an employee assistance program at a Winnipeg company. She trained staff to recognize signs of stalkerware and to refer affected employees to specialized support services.
How it compares
| feature | Stalkerware | Parental control apps |
|---|---|---|
| Consent | Installed secretly | Usually known to the child |
| Visibility | Hidden | Often visible |
| Typical user | Partner or ex-partner | Parent |
| Legality | Often illegal on adults without consent | Legal for minors in most cases |
The difference is consent and secrecy, not always the software itself.
For analysts
I'd include stalkerware awareness in workplace safety and wellness programs. Knowing where to refer someone can make a real difference to their safety.
History & origin
Commercial spy apps for phones appeared in the late 2000s, sold openly with marketing aimed at suspicious partners. In 2019, Toronto's Citizen Lab published 'The Predator in Your Pocket,' a major study of stalkerware and its legal issues in Canada, and the Coalition Against Stalkerware formed, bringing together security companies and victim support groups. Antivirus companies began flagging stalkerware, and Google restricted advertising for it in 2020. The US Federal Trade Commission banned the SpyFone app and its CEO from the surveillance business in 2021. Security researchers have repeatedly found stalkerware companies leaking the very data they collected. Physical trackers like AirTags created a related problem, prompting Apple and Google to add unwanted-tracker alerts. In my view, stalkerware is one of the clearest examples of technology being used as a tool of control.