In this article, we will look at signs someone is hiding something on their phone. Read on to know the signs to look out for.
While privacy is important, there are times you have that sinking feeling in your stomach that someone is hiding something on their phone.
If you are worried someone is hiding something on their phone, you are not alone.
Many people think their partners are hiding things on their phones, but they have no sure way of knowing.
However, if you suspect someone is hiding something on their phone, you can look for some signs.
Signs Someone Is Hiding Something On Their Phone
It hurts when you think someone is hiding something on their phone, and it is worse if it is your partner.
Most times, you don’t know how to know if they are really hiding something short of snooping through their phones.
However, there are signs you can look out for if you think someone is hiding something on their phone; some of these signs include the following;
1. They Put A Password On Their Phone
It is a huge red flag if they never had a password on their phone and they put one recently. You may use your partner’s phone if you are in a relationship.
So, if you try to get into their phone and can’t because they recently put in a password, you have a reason to worry.
Don’t get me wrong, having a password on your phone is okay. It is safer to have one.
However, if your partner won’t tell you their password or changes it frequently when you know it, there is a problem, and they are hiding something on their phone.
For instance, I like going on X with my boyfriend’s phone because his account is more fun than mine. I know his password, and he knows mine.
So, if one day he changes his password and doesn’t tell me, I will be worried he is hiding something on his phone.
According to Dr. Sarah Bennett, a therapist, excessive secrecy is a red flag. If your partner suddenly becomes overly protective of their phone, it is a cause for concern.
2. They Are Always On Their Phone
If they are always on their phone, it can be a sign they are hiding something on their phone. Many people are attached to their phones.
However, if someone is always on their phone, it could be a sign they are hiding something.
If your partner used to spend time with you and suddenly, they would rather be on their phone than talk to you, they are hiding something on their phone.
On the other hand, your partner may be working. With the digital age and increased remote jobs, your partner may always be on their phone because they are working.
However, if your partner doesn’t work remotely and they are always on their phone and get secretive, they may be hiding something on their phone.
According to research, about 44% of married people say their spouse is always on their phone. Many who are always on their phones say they have marital problems.
3. They Don’t Use Their Phone Around You
Are they a heavy phone user and suddenly won’t use their phones around you? If the answer is yes, it is a sign they are hiding something on their phone.
If someone doesn’t use their phone around you, they don’t want you to know what they are doing on their phone because they are hiding something and may feel guilty about it.
For instance, if your girlfriend would talk and chat with her friends for long hours and now she won’t use her phone around you, she is hiding something on her phone.
She doesn’t want to use the phone because she can’t risk you knowing what she is hiding.
She would rather turn off her phone and limit her interactions than have you accidentally find out what she is hiding.
4. They Walk Out When Picking Calls
When someone is hiding something on their phone, they will not want you to know what they are talking about and will walk out of the room when they pick up certain calls.
Walking out and talking on the phone is a common courtesy in a crowded room.
However, if your partner walks out to talk on the phone when you are just the two of you and only for some calls, they are hiding something on their phone.
Sometimes, they may be walking out if they are planning a birthday surprise for you, but most times, they are hiding something negative like cheating.
4. They Keep Their Phone Face Down
If someone is hiding something on their phone, they will keep their phone face down so you can’t see when they get a notification.
Keeping your phone face down when having a serious conversation or during dinner is acceptable and courteous to avoid interruptions.
However, if your partner keeps their phone face down when you are just hanging out, they may be hiding something on their phone.
Dr. James Miller says you should watch for someone who guards their notifications by turning their phone face down or keeping it silent.
5. They Put Their Phone Away When You Walk into The Room
Have you been in a situation where someone puts their phone down when you enter a room? Suspicious right?
If your partner puts away their phone when you get into the room or closes some apps when he sees you, he is hiding something on their phone.
He may be cheating or hiding a porn addiction. According to research, pornography negatively affects relationships because the other partner feels inadequate, leading to relationship breakups.
So, if your partner is watching pornography, they may put their phone away when you walk into the room because they don’t want you to know they watch pornography.
6. They Delete Messages
If your partner starts deleting messages, photos, and call logs, you have cause to worry. When someone is hiding something on their phones, they will delete the evidence from their phones.
According to Dr. Emily Carter, frequently deleting messages, photos, and call logs could signal an attempt to hide something.
So, if you go through your partner’s phone and there are deleted messages, call logs, or photos, they are hiding something from you.
For instance, if your partner is seeing or texting someone else, they won’t want you to see the messages.
So, they will frequently delete all the texts and calls they have exchanged with the other person.
Your partner may still love you, even if they are not attracted to you and don’t want to hurt you by exposing their messages and photos to other people.
7. They Have Late-Night Phone Calls
Has your partner started receiving many late-night phone calls lately?
According to Kimberley Lewis, a licensed counselor, excessive late-night phone use may indicate hidden activities, especially when it’s secretive.
So, if your partner receives secret late-night phone calls and texts, they are hiding something from you.
For instance, I dated a guy, and after some time, he started having a lot of late-night phone calls and texts.
Whenever he received a call, he would walk out of the room and receive the call from outside, no matter how cold it was.
This worried me, and I asked about the calls; he said it was nothing. After some time, I found out he was cheating, texting other people at night, and receiving calls from them.
8. They Always Keep Their Phone Locked Around You
If someone is hiding something on their phone, they make a point of locking their phone around you.
While it is okay to lock your phone, if someone is hiding something on their phone, you will see them double checking if they locked their phones.
Moreover, someone hiding something on his phone will have an app lock on their sensitive apps.
For instance, if they are hiding something, they will have a lock on their messages, WhatsApp, call logs, social media, and gallery.
So, even with the general password, you cannot get into their apps. Some even go to the extent of having different passwords for each app.
Using app locks is a clear sign someone is hiding something on their phone.
9. They Save Their Contacts Using Fake Names
If someone is hiding something on their phone, they will save contacts using fakes and weird names.
They want to ensure that even if you snoop through their phone, you will not know who they are talking with.
For example, my friends and I joke about our boyfriends saying their side pieces as “Garage” in the contacts.
One time, my friend’s boyfriend was cheating on her and had saved the other woman’s contact as Garage.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on which side of the camp you are, the phone rang while the boyfriend was out.
Seeing it Garage, she took the call to tell the mechanic to wait for the boyfriend to return.
But owe unto her, when she picked the call, the caller was like, “Babe, why haven’t you returned my texts?”
So, if your partner is saving contacts with weird names, they are trying to hide something from you. Why is “battery low” calling you?
10. They Have Secret Social Media Accounts
When your boyfriend loves you, they want to show you off on social media and to his friends and family.
However, if he is hiding something on his phone, he will have several social media accounts.
There is the one he uses to post you, which you follow and can interact with you.
However, he has another one on the side that you don’t know about that he uses to talk to or look at other females online.
According to Dr. Daniel Parker, if your partner has secret social media accounts, it is a sign they are hiding something and probably living a double life.
11. They Take Their Phones Everywhere
Does your partner take their phone everywhere, even the bathroom?
If your partner would rather have their phone get water in the shower than leave it within your reach, they are hiding something on their phones.
It is a red flag if your partner takes their phone everywhere. It shows they don’t want to miss a notification or, worse, risk you seeing the notification because they are hiding something from you.
However, if he is using the phone to listen to music while in the shower, you have no cause to worry, or he scrolls through his socials like my boyfriend does when in the restroom.
And you wonder why they take forever in the washroom? *SMH*
12. They Get Defensive When You Ask Who They Are Talking To
Another sign someone is hiding something on their phone is if they get defensive when you ask who they are talking to.
If your partner receives late-night calls and texts, you want to know whom they are chatting with. If they get defensive, they are hiding something.
They may be cheating on you and talking to their love interest and don’t want you to know.
Defensiveness about phone habits or avoidance of conversations about phone usage indicates someone is hiding something.
13. They Put Their Phone On Airplane Mode Around You
If your partner suddenly starts putting their phone on airplane mode more often when they’re around you, it could be a sign they’re hiding something.
Airplane mode switches off the phone’s connection to cellular and Wi-Fi networks thus blocking incoming calls and messages, so it’s an easy way to keep their phone silent without fully powering it off.
Of course, there are innocent reasons for using airplane mode, like avoiding distractions during a couple time.
But if this is a new behavior and there’s no explanation for the change, your partner may be using airplane mode deliberately to conceal communications from you.
Pay attention to how often they enable airplane mode in your presence and if the frequency seems suspicious or has notably increased.
While not hard evidence of secrecy, this shift in behavior can act as a red flag that your partner may be using airplane mode to prevent you from seeing certain messages or calls.
14. They Have Privacy Apps Or Vaults Installed
If you notice some apps on your partner’s phone that seem designed to hide content from you, that could be a sign they’re keeping secrets.
Apps that encrypt messages or hide photos are intentionally created to conceal information from others.
For example, maybe they have private photo vaults, secret messaging apps, or other privacy utility apps.
While not definitive proof on its own, these privacy apps may act as circumstantial evidence that they don’t want you accessing certain content.
Bottom Line
In this digital age, everyone is attached to their phones. However, some people hide things from their partners on their phones.
There are many signs someone is hiding something on their phone. They include:
- Always being on their phone.
- Putting passwords on their phones.
- Walking out of the room to pick up calls.
- Not using their phones around you.
Moreover, if someone is hiding something on their phone, they will put their phone face down when you are around, go with their phones everywhere, be defensive about who they are talking to, and save contacts with fake and weird names.
In addition, if someone keeps their phone locked around you, has secret social media accounts, deletes messages, and has late-night calls and chats, they are hiding something on their phone.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto: https://www.pexels.com/photo/african-american-man-using-smartphone-in-bed-near-sleeping-wife-4545191/