If you are in a position where you feel the need to snoop through someone’s phone, this article will show you what to look for when snooping through a phone, the implications of snooping through someone’s phone, and what you can do instead of snooping through a phone.
Phones are everything in most people’s lives; they hold all the personal information, communication records, photos, and videos.
So if you snoop through someone’s phone, you can get a lot of information. While we all have the right to privacy, sometimes you may need to snoop through someone’s phone, may it be your partner, child, or employee.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that snooping through someone’s phone without their consent is a breach of privacy, and you should know the legal consequences.
No one wants someone snooping through their phone as they have sensitive and private information.
Signs That Justify Phone Snooping
Before we look at what to look for when snooping through a phone, let us look at why you might need to snoop in the first place.
So, what could justify you snooping through someone’s phone? Some legitimate reasons could make you snoop through a phone. Some of these concerns include the following.
1. Suspicious Behavior
You may want to snoop through someone’s phone if they develop suspicious behavior.
For instance, if it’s your partner, if they start picking up and making hush-toned calls at odd hours of the night, you may want to know what is happening and who they are talking to.
If it is your child, if they start having secretive phone calls and messages they did not have before, you will want to know who they are talking to.
They may have new friends who negatively influence them, so you need to know who they are talking to protect them.
2. Sudden and Unexplained Changes in Behavior
This is most common in children; if your child is being bullied in school or by their friends, they could change their behavior and become irritable and withdrawn. Moreover, with the internet, there is a lot of cyberbullying.
So, if your child withdraws or becomes easily annoyed, you may want to snoop through their phone to see what’s happening because, more often than not, they will not tell you they are being bullied.
Moreover, if your partner starts to get easily annoyed with you, you may want to snoop through their phone to know why they are so irritable.
For all you know, they may be seeing someone else, and having you around annoys them.
3. Discrepancies Between What Your Partner Says and What They Do
If there are a lot of discrepancies between what your partner says and what they do, you may want to snoop through their phone to get the real picture.
For instance, if your partner is telling you they have been working late and you know for a fact they were not in the office, you may want to know where they go when they say they are working late.
4. A History Of Infidelity
If your partner has a history of infidelity, you may feel the need to look through their phone.
It is bad enough that they cheated once, but if you suspect the affair is still happening, you will want to confirm your fears before you take action.
The most effective way to catch them is by going through their phone and seeing if they are texting other people.
What to Look for When Snooping Through a Phone
If you have decided to snoop through someone’s phone, you will need to do it quickly before the person finds you with their phone.
Therefore, you need to know precisely what you are looking for when snooping through a phone.
Here are some things you need to look for when snooping through a phone.
1. Recent Messages
If you suspect your partner has been talking to other people online or texting someone else, your first stop should be recent messages.
Most phones list messages in chronological order from the newest to the oldest. This means the most recent messages will be on top of the list.
Moreover, the messages will have a timestamp to show the exact time they sent or received it.
If you do not recognize the names saved, you may read the conversation to get the context of the messages. You do not want to crucify someone for having an innocent conversation.
2. Call History
The next thing you want to look at when snooping through a phone is the call history. If your partner has been getting calls at weird night hours, you want to know whom they are talking to.
The call history will show who they talked to, when, and how long the call was. If you do not know the caller because the number is not saved, you can call them to know who they are. However, you should tread carefully if you decide to go this route.
If you find your partner is calling the same person repeatedly when you are not together, it means they do not want you to know they are talking to that person. That is a huge red flag in my books.
3. Recent Apps Used
Most phones have a list of recently used apps. This is an excellent place to look if you are snooping through a phone.
It will show you which apps the person has used recently; moreover, some phones will even show you how much time they spend on those apps.
So, if you are looking through your child’s phone, you will know which apps they frequently use and how much time they spend on those apps.
Additionally, if your partner uses a secret texting or dating app, you will know from the recently used apps.
There is no justifying why one has a dating app on their phone if they are in a relationship, let alone spending time on the app. It means they are looking at other people online.
4. Photos and Videos
If you are snooping through a phone, you will want to look at the photos and videos the person is taking.
For instance, if you are looking through your child’s phone, you want to ensure they do not have inappropriate photos and videos of themselves on the phone.
With the rise of child pornography, your child may be pushed by their peers or a predator to take inappropriate photos of themselves and send them to someone or post them online.
There are studies showing how to detect child pornography that every parent should look at.
With more than 25 percent of children having smartphones, it is your duty as a parent to monitor what content your child is consuming online.
Moreover, if you think your partner is cheating on you, you can look at their photos and videos; they may have some incriminating photos or videos of their escapades. You might also find pictures someone else has sent to them.
With the increase of sexting in the dating world, you may find nude photos of your partner exchanged with someone else.
If you are snooping through your employee’s phones, you may want to look for photos or videos they may have taken of office documents or your premises. It is mandatory and imperative to maintain confidentiality in the workplace.
So, if your employee is taking videos or photos of sensitive documents, it is a breach of contract and confidentiality and may be ground for termination.
5. Apps You Didn’t Know They Had
When snooping through a phone, look for apps that you did not know the person had.
For instance, if you are snooping through your child’s phone, you will want to look at the social media apps they have. If you find some that you disapprove of, you should talk with them.
In addition, if you are snooping through your partner’s phone, you may want to look at the apps they have that you didn’t know they had.
Chances are, if your partner is talking to someone new, they will install a separate app to talk to them, so you do not easily notice.
There are many different chat apps your partner may be using. Moreover, if you find your partner has installed a dating app you did not know they have, it is cause for concern because it means he is dating or wants to date other people.
You can monitor your partner’s phone using a spy app to know what they are doing.
The spy apps monitor the activities on the phone you are snooping on and give you access to social networks and call logs so you can listen in on their conversations.
You can even have alerts on when someone is in a place other than where they say they are.
6. Cloned Apps
Another thing to check when snooping on a phone is the presence of cloned apps, especially if you notice that some apps like calculator tools or other seemingly basic apps are appearing twice.
This could be an indication that the app is actually a privacy vault or a decoy app designed to store private media and conversations.
These cloned apps often require a password or PIN to access, which means that your partner may be trying to hide something.
It’s worth noting that cloned apps are not always used for malicious purposes, as some people may use them to keep sensitive information away from prying eyes or to protect their privacy.
However, if you have reason to suspect that your partner is hiding something, checking for cloned apps can be a good way to confirm your suspicions.
7. Hidden Files And Photos
You may want to look at the hidden files and photos when snooping through a phone. If your partner is hiding something from you, they will most likely put it in the hidden files folder.
They can have photos of their side pieces in the folder or conversations they do not want you to see.
Moreover, suppose you suspect your partner of financial abuse, where they misuse the family funds.
In that case, you may find financial information in the hidden files because they do not want you to come across the gambling or hotel bills they used.
Additionally, suppose you are going through an employee’s phone. In that case, the hidden file folder is where they will likely store any information they have collected about the company that they may want to use as blackmail or espionage.
8. Deleted Messages And Photos
You want to look at the deleted messages and photos when snooping through a phone.
For instance, if the owner of the phone is using Google to store their photos, the deleted photos will be in the trash for a bit before they are permanently deleted.
This is an excellent place to see what your child or partner has been up to. If your child takes inappropriate photos of themselves or receives such images, they will delete them because they do not want you to see them.
The trash is a good place to find these photos at least a month before they are permanently deleted.
Your partner may also delete suggestive messages they send and receive because they don’t want you to bump into them. If their phone keeps deleted messages, it is an excellent place to check.
9. Maps
When snooping on a phone, checking the maps can be a good place to start as it can provide valuable information on the recent places visited by the phone owner.
Whether it’s Google Maps or Apple Maps, both of these apps keep track of the user’s location history, which can be accessed through the settings.
By checking the location history, one can find out where the phone owner has been, how long they stayed, and even what mode of transportation they used to get there.
This information can be useful for a variety of reasons, such as tracking someone’s whereabouts, confirming suspicions, or even solving a mystery.
However, it’s important to note that accessing someone’s location history without their consent may be illegal and unethical, so it should only be done with caution and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
10. Call diverts or Call Forwarding
One more thing to check when snooping on a phone is the call settings, specifically call diverts.
If you suspect that your partner may be cheating, they may have set up call diverts to another number when you are together in order to avoid receiving calls from people that you might question them about.
This could be a red flag and worth investigating. To check the call divert settings, go to the phone app and look for the call settings.
From there, you should be able to see if any calls are being diverted to another number.
If you notice that calls are being diverted without a valid reason, this could be a sign of suspicious behavior.
However, it’s important to approach this with caution and not jump to conclusions without evidence.
It’s also important to remember that call diverts can be used for legitimate reasons, such as forwarding calls to a work phone during business hours, so be sure to consider all possibilities before accusing someone of cheating.
Implications Of Snooping Through Someone’s Phone
Snooping through someone’s phone is a breach of privacy, and it will have a lot of negative implications for the relationship. Some of the repercussions include;
- Breach of trust- When you snoop through a person’s phone, and they find out, they will never trust you again.
- End the relationship– According to The University of British Columbia, snooping through someone’s phone could end the relationship. Few relationships will survive after a partner snoops through a phone. It could be because of what the snooping partner found or because the phone’s owner found out they pried.
- Legal consequences– snooping through someone’s phone is a breach of their privacy, and they can sue you, especially if you are going through your employee’s phone.
Final Thoughts on Things To Look For When Snooping Through A Phone
Snooping through a phone is a breach of privacy and can be a toxic trait in a relationship. Therefore, refraining from snooping through someone else’s phone would be best.
However, some situations may justify you snooping through a phone. They include; if you notice suspicious behavior, a history of infidelity, or a sudden unexplained change of behavior.
When snooping through a phone, you should know what to look for; you may look for recent and deleted messages, photos and videos, recently used apps, or apps you did not know the person has. In addition, you can look at their call logs to know who they talked to and when.
Snooping has adverse effects on relationships; they lead to a lack of trust, the ending of relationships, and even legal actions.
Instead of snooping through someone’s phone, having a conversation with them and sharing your feelings is better.
Related readings
Why Does My Boyfriend Always Go Through My Phone (7 Reasons)