Our smartphones are windows into our lives. They contain information on who we are talking to and how we spend our time with a precise record of phone calls, text messages, emails, and apps. The wealth of information in your phone makes it the perfect target for prying eyes. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance those eyes may belong to your partner.
Here at WhistleOut, we surveyed 1,000 Americans to learn just how common snooping through your partner’s phone actually is. We found that over a third of Americans (36%) admit to snooping in their partner's phone and 58% of Americans think that snooping is okay. This behavior happens across all ages and among both men and women. It can also lead to major arguments and a loss of trust in your relationship.
Let’s dive into the data and discover who is snooping, what kind of information they’re finding, and how it can impact your relationship.
Phone snooping overview
- What is phone snooping?
- 58% of Americans think phone snooping is okay
- Millennials are most likely to snoop with 54% admitting to having done it before
- Some found evidence their partner was cheating, but 44% of phone snoopers found nothing incriminating
- 68% of people who snooped say they don't regret snooping through their partner's phone
- What to do instead of snooping
- Methodology
.jpg "Phone snooping data and findings.")
What is phone snooping?
Phone snooping is searching another individual’s phone without their knowledge.
Many times this behavior is driven by suspicion, like looking for secrets or invading someone’s privacy. However, it can also be caused by curiosity. For example, if someone has ever given you their phone to look at vacation photos and you absentmindedly kept swiping after they ended, you were technically phone snooping.
Snooping can happen in any relationship, such as romantic partners, among friends, or even a parent searching their child’s phone. That said, snooping among partners often carries extra stigma. While it can be simple curiosity, it usually occurs because you suspect your partner is doing something wrong or you no longer trust them.
What are phone snoopers looking for?
Because your phone holds tons of information, phone snoopers can sift through a lot of data.
Common targets for snooping include:
- Texts
- Phone calls and voicemails
- Direct messages in social media apps
- Emails
- Photos
- Apps (such as dating and financial apps)
Opinions on phone snooping
A majority of Americans believe that snooping is okay. That statistic includes all genders, but men are slightly more likely to support the practice. That said, only 36% of Americans admitted they’ve actually acted on those impulses.
- 58% of Americans think snooping on their partner's phone is okay
- Men are slightly more likely to think phone snooping is okay than women
- Over a third of Americans (36%) admit to snooping on their partner's phone
Phone snooping is a problem for all generations
The major differences in opinions on phone snooping are between the generations. Gen Z reported the highest rates of thinking phone snooping is okay, while baby boomers and Gen Xers reported the lowest.
- 82% of Gen Zers think phone snooping is okay, while 65% of Millennials think it's okay
- Less than half of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers think phone snooping is ever justified
- Millennials are the most likely to have looked through their partner's phone with over half (54%) admitting to snooping. Baby Boomers are the least likely to have snooped on their partner's phone (17%), followed by Gen Z (34%)
Millennials are the big story here. The majority of that generation believes that phone snooping is okay and over half of them have done it in the past.
Gen Z, while having the highest support for phone snooping, actually has some of the lowest rates of people who admitted to snooping. This could be because of Gen Z’s overall approach to technology and social media. They are generally more open online with fewer reservations about protecting their privacy. Most of them are also tech-savvy enough to poke around social media to answer their questions without feeling the need to break into their partner’s phone.
Many phone snoopers don’t find anything incriminating
What do people find when they snoop on their partner’s phone? Most commonly, people found nothing at all that would sully their relationship. That said, some people found their partner was cheating or talking to an ex.
- 1 in 3 people who snooped found that their partner was cheating, while 1 in 4 found that their partner was talking to an ex.
- 44% of phone snoopers found nothing incriminating
If the rates of people caught cheating or talking to an ex seem high, keep in mind that many people only snoop on their partner’s phone if they’re already suspicious something is happening. There’s a bit of a confirmation bias in analyzing the findings of people who already suspect their partner is hiding something.
Most people don’t regret phone snooping
Regardless of what people find on their partner’s phones, the majority of people who snoop don’t regret it. That said, confronting your partner or getting caught can have consequences. Some snooping incidents have led to major arguments and breakups.
- 68% of people who snooped say they don't regret snooping through their partner's phone
- Over 1 in 4 phone snooping incidents led to an intense argument (27%)
- However, in nearly the same amount of cases (26%) the partner was actually okay with the phone snooping
What to do instead of snooping
It’s not healthy for most relationships to secretly rummage through your partner’s phone, regardless of the reason. People can be extremely sensitive about the information they have on their phones and there’s no guarantee you’ll be forgiven if you’re caught.
If your partner is ignoring you to spend a lot of their time on their phone, it may not mean they’re doing something sneaky. Phubbing–snubbing people around you in favor of using your phone–is a common symptom of cell phone addiction. You may also notice your partner forgoing sleep to use their phone, compulsively checking notifications, or getting anxious if they can’t use their device. If you notice signs of screen addiction in your partner, talk to them and come up with a solution together.
Finally, if you have a concern, we recommend talking to your partner instead of becoming a digital detective. If you do decide to ask to see the inside of your partner’s phone, consider offering up your own phone as a show of trust. However, you need to be prepared for the consequences if your partner says no. They aren’t obligated to share the contents of their phone, no matter your reason for asking, and may be hurt by your request. On the other hand, being mutually open about your tech usage could bring you and your partner closer together.
Family plans and single-line plans
If you decided not to snoop on your partner's phone (or you didn’t get caught), you may be looking for a way to save money on your phone plan. Family plans from MVNOs offer some of the best prices on phone lines. You may be able to save big whether scoring a multi-line discount or simply finding a cheap mix-and-match plan.
Our top carrier pick for family plans include is Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile’s Modern Family Plan offers four lines of data for as cheap as $60/month for 5GB of premium data.
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Mint Mobile
Mint Modern Family Plan
$40.00/mo
Intro price per month with a 3-month plan
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If you went snooping through your partner's phone and now no longer need a family plan, you can check out our list of the best single-line phone plans to fit your needs.
Methodology
We conducted a survey of 1000 U.S. adults using Pollfish. These results are post-stratified.
Max McCaskill
Sr. Staff Writer
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