Best Mac Keylogger in 2024

The world is becoming increasingly digital, as evidenced by smartphone and computer usage statistics going through the roof in recent years. One way to keep your family safe in the digital realm is by using keyloggers, which are useful tools for monitoring their digital activity. In this article, we’ll discuss the top 5 keyloggers for macOS, which is one of the most trusted and widely used operating systems.

Why You Should Use a Mac Keylogger

There are many reasons why you would want to monitor someone’s activity on their Mac. As a parent, it is vital to keep track of your kids’ online activity to prevent them from falling prey to predators and other unscrupulous characters. Keylogging can prove a helpful way to keep tabs on their every move to ensure their safety.

As a business owner, keylogging your employees’ work computers can help you track their productivity. What’s more, it could help you identify potential data breaches and nip them in the bud before they drive you into irrecoverable losses.

Though frowned upon, a Mac keylogger can also help you monitor your partner’s activities, especially if you suspect foul play. 

How a Keylogger on Mac Works

Short for “keystroke logging”, keylogging refers to the practice of recording every keystroke made on a device’s keyboard. Keyloggers work by capturing everything that is typed on a target device, including usernames and passwords. To that end, there are two types of keyloggers – software and hardware. The latter resembles a USB drive or other device that is plugged into your Mac computer, effectively recording every keystroke. Naturally, this type of Mac keylogger requires physical access to the target computer to work. 

Software keyloggers are much more common, and these enable you to monitor each keystroke on the tracked Mac computer remotely. The recorded keystrokes are automatically sent to your dashboard, and these apps can work in complete stealth, hence their popularity. Now that we understand how a keylogger for Mac works, the only question that remains is, which is the best keylogger for Mac?    

Out Top Picks for Best Keyloggers for Mac

Several parental control and monitoring apps come with keylogger software for Mac, among other features. The choice of the best keylogging app boils down to your specific needs. Nevertheless, here’s a detailed review of our overall top picks for the best keyloggers for Mac in 2024: 

Hoverwatch – Best Free Keylogger for Mac

Hoverwatch is a user-friendly monitoring app that works on Android devices, as well as Windows and Mac computers. Its Mac keylogger is one of the best in the market, as it records all keystrokes on both the physical and the virtual keyboard. It saves emails, search requests, contacts, and any incoming and outgoing message, including those sent via apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Skype, iMessage, and iChat. It also offers an option to save any typed password, which you can disable at will. 

What’s more, the app runs in the background in stealth, completely invisible in the Activity Monitor. This ensures that the target has no idea they’re being monitored. Additionally, the fact that it offers a free trial is all the more reason why this app is the perfect solution for anyone looking for the best Mac keylogger.

Pros:

• Offers cross-platform support for Android, Windows, and macOS
• Offers a free trial
• Features a vigilant keylogger that records each keystroke on both the physical and virtual keyboard
• Offers the option to choose whether or not to save a typed password
• Boasts a variety of monitoring features
• Remains undetectable in tracked device

Cons:

• Lacks a money-back guarantee

Spyrix Keylogger for Mac – The Free Mac Keylogger

Spyrix Keylogger for Mac is an effective monitoring software that offers a varied array of features. This software tracks keystrokes and displays them on an online dashboard, allowing you to see every word typed on the PC. Notably, just as you don’t require physical access to the tracked PC to monitor it, you can also uninstall the Mac OS keylogger remotely from your web account.

Further, Spyrix grants you access to all content copied to the clipboard. What’s more, you can also take screenshots discreetly and keep a record of all running applications on the monitored Mac. With it, you could also monitor any removable drives connected to the Mac in question. If you don’t have time to actively monitor your target computer in real-time, Spyrix offers an analytics module with detailed reports that allow you to view all computer activity in a well-organized format. 

Pros:

• Has a free version
• Accurately logs each keystroke
• Offered in multiple languages

Cons:

• The free version has limited storage space
• Their customer support is wanting

iKeyMonitor – Best Keylogging Tool for Employee Monitoring

iKeyMonitor is a robust spy app that works on Android, Windows, macOS, and iOS devices. Its efficient keylogger lets you monitor each keystroke, including any online password and username. It also boasts an Alert-Words feature that notifies you whenever your child or employee uses common keywords you’ve flagged.  

In addition to recording of keywords, iKeyMonitor also lets you track activity across social media and other apps, which offers detailed insights into what your target is up to. The app can also spy on phone call data, sent and received SMS, browsing and website history, and the device’s GPS location. What’s more, it lets you listen to ambient sounds in the tracked device’s vicinity. These features position iKeyMonitor as the ideal app for employee monitoring.

Notably, the free plan only allows call, SMS, and location monitoring. To access the hidden keylogger and other features, you have to upgrade to iKeyMonitor’s paid tiers.

Pros:

• Works discreetly
• The keylogging feature works across all apps
• Offers accurate location tracking
• Has a free plan and multiple subscription tiers
• Offers round-the-clock customer support

Cons:

• The all-in-one plan is fairly costly
• Not responsive customer support

TheOneSpy – Best Keylogger for Mac for Monitoring Remotely

TheOneSpy is a comprehensive keylogger that features a host of other monitoring features. It is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS devices. Its keylogging feature allows you to remotely record all keystrokes on the target device. If you intend to record keystrokes on an iPhone, however, you’ll need to jailbreak the target phone. Alternatively, you could use the phone’s Apple ID and password to access its message logs and other files.

In computers, TheOneSpy allows you to monitor files on internal as well as external drives connected to the system. It also monitors internet activity and records all visited websites in the browsing history. Additionally, the keylogger for Mac features a handy screen capture feature that lets you take discreet screenshots at will. 

Pros:

• The process to download Mac keylogger and install it is pretty straightforward
• The screen capture feature allows for easy customization
• Offers a default keylogger for Android

Cons:

• Keylogging and other advanced features require jailbreaking for iOS devices

Spyera – Undetectable Keylogger for Mac and Windows

Spyera is a vigilant computer monitoring app that boasts unique Windows and macOS keylogging capabilities. The Spyera keylogger lets you see everything shared across all popular messaging and social media apps and discreetly take screenshots whenever you wish. It also tracks browsing activity, as well as activity across any external drives connected to your target’s computer. The app also allows you to access media on the target device and track its real-time location. 

Spyera’s keylogger for Mac attaches each log with the program it is associated with. This lets you search by program, which can come in handy if you wish to find a password to a specific app or website. What’s more, it lets you set dashboard alerts so you get notified the minute a flagged event occurs.   

Pros:

• Easy to install and deploy
• Keylogger has full-coverage access on desktop and mobile devices
• Groups each saved password or other keyboard entry by app or website for easier searching
• Allows discreet monitoring and keylogging

Cons:

• Fairly costlier than most of its competition

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Mac OS Keylogger

There are several things to consider before choosing the best keylogger for Mac. These include:

What Is the Best Keylogger for Mac? A Head-to-Head Comparison

Installation Guide for Mac Keyloggers

After extensive research, Hoverwatch ranked head and shoulders above its competition as the best keylogger for Mac. Here’s how to install keylogger on Mac:

1. Visit the Hoverwatch website and click the sign up free button at the top right corner.

2. This will open up a dialog box in which you’ll need to fill out a valid email address and set up your password.

3. Proceed to agree to the terms of service and privacy policy and click the sign up button. This will prompt you to select the device you wish to monitor. Click on the macOS option.

4. If you’re using the Mac you intend to monitor, click on the download button. Otherwise, copy the provided link and paste it into your target Mac’s browser to download the Hoverwatch keylogger for Mac.

5. Run the application and type in your Hoverwatch email and password when prompted. You may also need to type in your Mac’s administrator password.

6. Once installation is complete, click finish. The keylogger on Mac will begin tracking, and in a few minutes, the Mac’s data will be available on your online dashboard.

Key Takeaways

For parents and employers intending to track their loved ones or employees, gaining access to their digital activities provides great insights into what they’re up to. To that end, keylogging can help provide vital information to help put your mind at ease. Keyloggers can help you see everything from who they’re in contact with to what they share. Before settling on any one keylogger, however, you should consider such factors as its price, suite of features, security, and compatibility with your intended device. Hoverwatch stands out as the best free Mac keylogger, but you can never go wrong with any of the other keyloggers we’ve discussed.