It’s even worse if they hide their phones from you or change their password and always carry their phones along with them, even to the toilet.
While it’s easy to jump to conclusions, there are many potential reasons why someone might be secretive with their phone:
1. Privacy concerns and boundaries
Everyone has the right to some privacy, personal space, and boundaries, even when in a relationship.
Your partner may feel the need to safeguard their personal space, which includes their phone.
It’s even worse if you’ve violated this privacy by sending messages to some of their contacts or sending money to yourself without consent.
This doesn’t mean that they’re hiding something; they could simply want their privacy.
2. Planning a surprise
Something special may be planned for you and kept a secret. The surprise could range from a birthday, anniversary, wedding proposal, vacation, or any other surprise.
They may be hiding their phone, so the details of this surprise won’t be revealed.
3. Avoiding conflict
If their phone has caused problems in the past, they may be very cautious of their phone.
They may be fearing judgement or conflict if you see specific texts, even if they may not mean anything.
4. Work-related confidentiality
Your partner’s phone may contain sensitive information about their work—information they are not allowed to share.
This could explain why they are hesitant to let anyone else, even you, use their phone.
5. Personal challenges
Your partner may be coping with internal difficulties, such as family problems; they may be in debt or have some embarrassing problems they are not yet ready to discuss with you.
A phone is a personal item, and while people in relationships shouldn’t hide their phones from each other, always using your partner’s phone may signal a lack of trust.
However, one of the most common reasons people hide their phones is infidelity. Perhaps there are phone conversations, bank transactions, and map history that can expose their infidelity, and that’s why they are hiding their phone.