Why does my boyfriend keep hiding his phone?
When you feel like your boyfriend is being overprotective of his phone. His unusual phone habits are always going to make you worry, especially when you suspect him of hiding something from you.
You will start becoming fully curious about who he talks to on his phone. Also, you will begin to question who he’s texting or making phone calls to.
Why does my boyfriend hide his phone? Are his phone habits innocent, or is he hiding something?
To discover the truth behind why your boyfriend is hiding his phone. You have to discover the possible reasons why he could be doing it.
Why Does My Boyfriend Hide His Phone?
What are the real reasons behind my boyfriend hiding his phone?
When your boyfriend is hiding his phone from you constantly. This is bound to make you suspect something is going on behind your back.
While there can be many innocent reasons why your boyfriend might hide his phone from you. Such as him valuing his privacy, or wanting to keep personal conversations private.
It will always make you feel worse if you think he has something to hide, or you find it hard to trust him using his phone.
Here are the common reasons why boyfriends hide their phones.
1. He Doesn’t Want You To Borrow It
If your boyfriend is hiding his phone because he doesn’t want you to borrow it. He will avoid leaving his phone with you, and take it with him wherever he goes.
While him not wanting you to borrow his phone is not always a bad sign, especially when you have your own phone with you. It becomes more worrying or concerning when you think he has something to hide.
2. He Values His Privacy
When your boyfriend is a strict believer in privacy and thinks that phones in the relationship should remain private. This can be another common reason why you might think he hides his phone.
He’s might not be hiding it, he could just believe messages and calls with family or friends should remain private. Especially when sensitive topics are being discussed.
However, this will always seem like more of a problem when you’re an open book. You might share most of the calls or conversations with your boyfriend, and wonder why he doesn’t do the same.
3. He’s Overprotective
If your boyfriend is seriously overprotective of his phone. He either values his privacy highly and doesn’t want you to borrow it, or he’s got something to hide.
While it’s natural for many people to be protective of their phones, especially when they are expensive or contain a lot of cherished memories. It can be more concerning when your boyfriend is protective for no real reason.
4. His Phone Is His Life
When his phone is his life, and he handles his social life or work schedule exclusively on his phone. He’s bound to be more protective over it and seem like he’s hiding it.
Put simply, he doesn’t want to lose his phone or allow you to use it because it’s the center of his world. However, this does not always mean he doesn’t have something to hide on his phone.
5. He’s Hiding His Search History
A very common reason why your boyfriend might decide to hide his phone is because of his recent search history. His recent searches using his phone might reveal something about him, or show you something he knows you don’t want to see.
Your boyfriend knows if he lets your borrow his phone, you’re bound to discover his search history. So he will hide his phone, and give excuses or refuse when you ask to borrow it.
6. He’s Hiding His Messages
When your boyfriend has been talking to someone he knows you would not approve of. He will try to hide it, and hide his phone from you.
You will ask him who he’s messaging, but he’ll just give you excuses or make what he’s doing seem harmless.
He doesn’t want you snooping through his recent messages or seeing his chat history. This might reveal something he’s been hiding from you.
7. He’s Talking To Other Girls
If your boyfriend is actively talking to other girls by sending them flirty text messages or calling them in secret. He’s almost guaranteed to try and hide his phone away from you.
[Read: What Is Micro-Cheating In A Relationship?]
He doesn’t want you to see the messages with him flirting with other girls, and he also wants to avoid you seeing his call history. He’s hiding his phone because he is still playing the field and he doesn’t want you to know.
8. He’s Hiding His Photos
When your boyfriend hides his phone or avoids letting you browse through his photos. It could be because he has something to hide. His phone’s photos may reveal something he doesn’t want you to see.
He may have embarrassing pictures, photo’s that prove he was lying, or perhaps even photo’s he’s sent to or received from other girls.
Either way, him hiding his phone’s photos is never normally a good sign. These pictures may be the real reason why he’s deciding to hide his phone.
9. He’s Talking About You
Whenever your boyfriend is talking about you to his friends or family. He’s never likely going to want you to read through these messages.
This is especially true if he’s sharing his true feelings or thoughts about you and he doesn’t want you to know what these are.
While he does have the right to private conversations with his friends and family. It can be a little more concerning if he’s hiding his phone because he’s talking about you.
10. He’s Lying To You
He is hiding his phone from you because it reveals that he’s been lying to you. He doesn’t want you to look at his phone because he knows you’ll find out he’s not telling the truth.
[Read: 15 Common Lies That Cheaters Tell You]
No matter what he’s lying about. If your boyfriend knows your bound to catch him in a lie by browsing through his phone. He will avoid it at all costs, and never leave his phone alone around you or allow you to borrow it.
11. He Doesn’t Trust You Yet
Trusting someone with your phone, especially early on in the relationship can be a pretty big deal to some people. This may also be true for your boyfriend who is not fully ready to allow you to look through his phone just yet.
His phone may contain a lot of personal things he’s not ready for you to see, or even still show evidence of him playing the field before he met you.
He needs to build trust with you before he’s ready to share or allow you to look at his phone. Until then, he will seem like he’s hiding it.
12. He’s Hiding His Apps
Another common reason why boyfriends hide their phone is because they continue using the apps they know they shouldn’t. This is even more true if he’s still talking to girls on these apps behind your back.
Has your boyfriend ever used dating apps, and did he say he deleted them after he met you? He may still be using dating apps on the sly, and hide his phone from you because he doesn’t want you to know.
13. He Thinks You Do The Same
If your boyfriend thinks you hide your phone, he’s bound to do the same. When he thinks your phone habits are just as bad as his, this is an excuse he will often use to justify hiding his phone.
Privacy is important when it comes to using a phone in a relationship. However, this should never come at the cost of trust.
If he thinks you hide your phone just like him or he doesn’t trust you when using it. Then he’s going to be less willing to open up and share what he does on his phone unless you do the same.
What Should I Do If My Boyfriend Hides His Phone?
When your boyfriend is hiding his phone from you, what should you do?
Whilst it may feel natural to want to take a peek at his phone to get the answers you are looking for and discover the truth. Looking at his phone without his permission can actually have a habit of making the situation much worse.
You need to do something about it. But you also don’t want to damage your relationship with him by invading his personal space or not respecting his privacy.
So here are the things you should do if your boyfriend is hiding his phone.
1. Watch His Phone Habits
Watch your boyfriend’s phone habits when he is replying to texts or answering calls. The things he is doing whilst using his phone will tell you a lot about what he actually uses his phone for.
Does he leave the room when someone calls, or hide his phone when he gets notifications? Watching how your boyfriend uses his phone will offer you clues as to why he is hiding his phone.
If his phone habits are sneaky and he rarely uses his phone around you. It’s likely that he could be hiding something.
2. Read His Body Language
Pay close attention to his body language when he uses his phone around you. Watch the way he acts when he receives texts or the subtle body gestures he makes when someone calls him unexpectedly.
If he looks nervously at you when somebody calls or texts him, and he smiles at his phone when he thinks your not looking. This can offer further clues about what he is really using his phone for.
3. Ask Him Who He’s Talking To
Discover who he spends most of his time talking to on the phone. Knowing who he’s calling or texting will help to reassure you about what he is doing, or the reasons he could be protective of his phone.
It’s a good idea to ask him who he’s texting or calling, but keep your questions casual. Don’t put him on the spot or try to invade his privacy and read private conversations.
You need to allow him to open up about who he is talking to on his phone. What he tells you could reveal why he hides it, or offer more clues as to why he’s so protective of his phone.
4. Confront Him About It
Once you have evidence that suggests he’s hiding his phone from you. It’s important to re-evaluate the things he is doing and confront him about these phone habits.
If you notice he’s secretive with his phone around you or leaves the room constantly to make calls or text people back. Confront him and let him know it’s making you worry, or that this behavior has not gone unnoticed.
5. Ask Him Why He Does It
Ask him what his reasons are for hiding his phone, or why he seems to be so secretive about who he’s messaging or calling.
Is it because he values his privacy, or he’s talking about sensitive matters with friends or family? Or is it because he genuinely doesn’t think it’s important for you to know who he’s talking to?
Get to the bottom of the reasons why he does it, and listen to what he is telling you about why he does or does not hide his phone.
6. Tell Him How It Makes You Feel
When your boyfriend hides his phone and it’s beginning to make you worry. You need to tell him how it makes you feel or why it’s bothering you.
If his phone habits are upsetting you because you suspect him of doing something he shouldn’t be. It’s important to come clean to him and express your genuine feelings.
7. Tell Him Why It’s A Problem
If you think your boyfriend being overprotective and secretive with his phone is becoming a problem in the relationship. You need to tell him exactly why it’s an issue you need to resolve together.
When him hiding his phone puts you in a bad mood or ruins the time you spend together. Explain to him why you personally think it’s a problem and how it’s putting you in a difficult situation.
You want to trust him. But you can’t do that if his phone habits are promoting mistrust, curiosity, or even jealousy in the relationship. Discuss the problem and work on it with one another.
8. Show Him You Have Nothing To Hide
When your boyfriend constantly hides his phone. He can sometimes do this because he thinks you do exactly the same.
Sometimes he needs reassurance from you, and it can go a long way in relationships.
If you choose to. You can show your boyfriend your phone and demonstrate that you have nothing to hide from him. He will see you’re texting or calling the people you say you do, and that there’s nothing untoward happening with your phone.
This may offer him the reassurance he needs to open up with his own phone and make him stop being so secretive or overprotective about his own texts and calls.
9. Ask Him To Show You His Phone
If you’ve tried everything else, but your boyfriend is still dead-set on hiding his phone from you. The last resort is to ask him to show you what’s on his phone.
A less confrontational way to do this is by ensuring your boyfriend is still firmly in the driving seat. Approach him calmly, ask if it’s okay for him to show you his phone, and allow him to dictate what he shows you.
He may accept or refuse to show you. But either way, leaving your boyfriend in control will allow you to see what his behavior is like or if you still have valid reasons to be suspicious.
It’s important to stay calm and avoid accusatory behavior if you do ask your boyfriend to show you his phone.
You’re not trying to put him on the spot. Your aim is to see how he reacts, see what he’s willing to show you, and get more information or reassurance about what he uses his phone for.
How Do You Tell If Your Boyfriend Is Hiding Something On His Phone?
How do you know for sure if your boyfriend is hiding something from you on his phone?
1. He Avoids Letting You Borrow It
One of the most obvious signs your boyfriend is hiding something on his phone is when he avoids letting you borrow it at all costs.
He hides his phone, has it on him at all times, and refuses to let you borrow it. He does this because he could be hiding something he doesn’t want you to see.
2. His Phone Gets More Attention Than You
When it feels like your boyfriend gives his phone more attention than he gives you. It could be because something or someone is vying for his attention on his phone without you realizing it.
If he’s constantly texting, making calls, or browsing through his phone. If he hides it from you and never tells you who he’s talking to. There’s a good chance he could be hiding something.
3. He Always Leaves His Phone Face Down
A subtle sign your boyfriend is hiding something on his phone is when he always leaves it face down. Especially when he’s around you.
He will do this because notifications from calls, messages, and apps will appear on the screen of his phone. So he will instinctively leave his phone face down to keep his recent notifications a secret and out of view.
4. He Gets Angry If You Touch His Phone
When he gets angry or overreacts when you touch his phone. This reaction can often be an indication that your boyfriend does not what you to reveal the contents of his phone.
It can also be a reaction to him believing you are invading his privacy or breaching his trust. So pay close attention to the reasons he gives you for being angry, or why it’s valid for him to react this way.
5. He Always Deletes Call History And Messages
If your boyfriend always deletes his messages and call history. It could be a sign he’s covering his tracks and he doesn’t want you to know who he’s been talking to.
A common tactic used by people who flirt outside of the relationship is to sweep up and wipe prior messages with the person they’ve been talking to.
So if you notice your boyfriend is constantly deleting his messages, calls, and phone history. Investigate further, and even ask him why he does it.
6. He Leaves The Room When Someone Calls
A worrying sign your boyfriend is hiding something on his phone is when he leaves the room when someone calls him.
While it could be an important phone call or a personal call with friends or family. Why does he want to keep you in the dark and not want you to hear what he’s saying?
If you notice your boyfriend leaves the room to make calls or reply to texts. Confront him about it and ask him why he does it, or what his reasons are for doing it away from you.
Is It Wrong To Look Through Boyfriends Phone?
Looking through your boyfriend’s phone without his permission is generally considered to be wrong and not OK. While it’s natural to want to take a look or snoop, especially if you suspect him of hiding something. It’s a violation of his privacy and a breach of trust you need to avoid.
Even if you do feel like your boyfriend is hiding something on his phone. He still has the right to his own privacy or to allow you permission to use his phone.
What’s more, if you do go looking through your boyfriend’s phone. There is a good chance you might not find anything to back up your suspicions. Making you feel bad for shopping and being mistrustful towards him.
Your boyfriend may also not take kindly to you taking a look at his phone behind his back. If he has nothing to hide, this can be a red flag for him and a sign you don’t actually trust him.
Is Hiding Your Phone A Sign Of Cheating?
While hiding your phone is suspicious behavior and usually a sign something is being hidden from view. It’s not a certain sign of cheating or infidelity in relationships. There can be many reasons why someone would hide their phone. With many of these reasons being less severe than cheating.
Even though your partner hiding their phone may make you believe or think they must be cheating behind your back. It’s important to pick up on other signs and behavior that will lead you to the truth.
[Read: Signs Your Partner Is Using Social Media To Cheat On You]
Them hiding their phone is not a clear sign they are cheating on you. They may have valid reasons for doing it, despite its seeming like suspicious behavior.
Before suspecting your partner of cheating simply because they hide or are overprotective of their phone. Pay close attention to their body language, their behavior, and how they treat using their phone around you.
Should Phones Be Private In A Relationship?
While both partners have a right to their own individual privacy regarding phones in a relationship. It’s a good idea not to hide your phone, and be transparent with how you use it with your partner. This offers reassurance and promotes trustworthiness between you and your partner.
In a situation where you both keep your phones fully private, and never reveal what you use them for or who you talk to. This can often allow doubt or mistrust to edge its way into the relationship.
It’s completely natural to feel fully curious about what your partner uses their phone for. You will want to know who they text, call, and what apps they’re using on their phone.
However, how you approach keeping phones private or transparent in a relationship will depend heavily on how you build trust with one another.
It’s still fully possible to keep phones completely private from one another, whilst offering reassurance and building trust in other ways besides revealing what’s on your phone.
So whether or not phones should need to be kept fully private in the relationship will depend heavily on how each of you feels about it. Also, how trust is built and maintained in the relationship.