Question 1

What is stalkerware and how is it different from a virus?

Accepted Answer

Stalkerware is software installed on a device — usually by someone with physical or account access — that secretly collects location, messages, photos, and activity and reports them to the installer. Unlike a virus or generic malware, stalkerware is sold legally as 'parental monitoring' or 'employee monitoring' (mSpy, FlexiSpy, Cocospy, Eyezy, and dozens of consumer apps). It's typically installed by a current or former partner or family member with a specific surveillance objective. Because it markets as legitimate, antivirus tools often miss it; specialized forensic detection is required.

Question 2

How do you detect stalkerware on a device?

Accepted Answer

On iPhones: configuration profile audit, MDM enrollment check, jailbreak detection, app-list reconciliation against installed-app indicators, iCloud account sharing audit, and behavioral indicators (battery, data usage, temperature anomalies). On Android: package-list audit including hidden packages, accessibility-service abuse check, device-admin abuse check, signed-app inspection, and known-stalkerware app database matching. Both platforms: review of trusted devices, sharing permissions, and account access logs.

Question 3

Can you remove it without alerting the person who installed it?

Accepted Answer

Often yes, depending on the specific stalkerware and how it's configured. Some products send tamper alerts when removed; others don't. We review the product first, then plan removal in a way that either avoids the alert (where possible) or is timed for when the alert is least likely to escalate the situation. For survivors of domestic abuse, this planning step is critical to safety — we don't act until you're ready and have your safety plan in place. The first call is when we map this together.

Question 4

What about AirTags, Tile trackers, and GPS tracking devices on cars or belongings?

Accepted Answer

Yes — physical tracking devices are within scope. AirTags can be detected via iOS Find My / Tracker Detect (Android), and the partial owner phone number can be retrieved via NFC scan. Tile and GPS trackers are detectable via Bluetooth scanning and physical search. We will sweep your vehicle, belongings, and home for known device classes, and document findings in a written report. If you find a tracker before we arrive, do not power it off — leave it in place and call us; powering it off can be a tampering indicator.

Question 5

How much does stalkerware detection cost?

Accepted Answer

You have two ways to work with us. Run the investigation yourself in the SleuthX tool for $995 once — lifetime access, with usage metered from a prepaid balance you top up anytime. Or have our team do it for you in a done-for-you device package: $2,000 for one device, $5,000 for three, $7,000 for five, each including the $995 lifetime license. A multi-device household sweep (phones, laptops, smart-home, vehicle tracker check) beyond a package is scoped per case at a flat $400/hour, with no multipliers. Sliding-scale pricing for survivors with limited resources is built into the practice and applied without paperwork on the first call. Pro-bono work is available case-by-case for advocate or attorney referrals.

Question 6

What do I do if you find stalkerware on my device?

Accepted Answer

We don't act unilaterally — we plan with you. Options include: (1) document and leave in place if the evidence is needed for legal proceedings before removal, (2) remove with timing aligned to your safety plan, (3) replace the device entirely with a clean one if removal is risky, (4) coordinate with attorney or advocate before any change. The written report is structured to support law enforcement reporting, civil litigation, or family-court filings depending on what your situation calls for.

Stalkerware Detection and Removal

What this service does

What we will not do

How an engagement begins

Why this work matters

Quinnlan Varcoe

Why iPhone forensics is hard, and what we ship to do it.

Remote forensics works — but the device has to be in the lab.

A confidential, structured engagement.

Confidential Consultation

Scoped Engagement

Investigation and Findings

Frequently asked about stalkerware

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