Here’s my take on this.
When looking at methods to check social media activity, you generally have two main paths, each with pros and cons.
Dedicated monitoring applications are one option. Their primary advantage is that they are built for this exact purpose. They can often capture a wide range of data from various platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, and consolidate it for easy review. The downside is that they typically require installation on the target device and often come with a subscription fee.
The other approach is using the phone’s native features. Since you’re both on iOS, leveraging iCloud backups can be useful. If data is regularly backed up, you can sometimes access synced messages and app data. The benefit here is that you’re not using third-party software, but it might not provide a complete, real-time picture of third-party social media app activity.