Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DS went through DH phone. DH blames me

335 replies

Evkopk · 24/08/2025 13:32

My sister’s phone had died and she needed to check her emails so asked to use mine. I was using mine so I unlocked my husband’s phone for her. My DH came downstairs and saw DS scrolling through his photos and ripped the phone from her hand.
He has since refused to talk to me and has deleted and blocked me from his phone, including the family groups.
Ive apologised but he doesn’t want to hear it. I am being unreasonable to think he should get over it? It’s been 2 weeks where he has refused to speak to me, nor can I contact him via his phone.

OP posts:
GreyCarpet · 24/08/2025 19:18

You lent his phone to someone else who, in turn, looked through his photos?

He is not the problem here.

EsmeSusanOgg · 24/08/2025 19:17

Evkopk · 24/08/2025 19:10

He isn’t hiding anything. I know his passcode, so why would he want to hide anything on his phone if I know the passcode?
I want to know if the level of silent treatment is acceptable. I don’t think it is and I just want to tell him to get over it.

The level of silent treatment is utterly ridiculous. Even though you really should not have handed over his phone to your sister.

Are there any other issues in your relationship? This feels pretty extreme. Is he staying g elsewhere, or just ignoring you in the house?

MissMoneyFairy · 24/08/2025 19:16

Evkopk · 24/08/2025 19:10

He isn’t hiding anything. I know his passcode, so why would he want to hide anything on his phone if I know the passcode?
I want to know if the level of silent treatment is acceptable. I don’t think it is and I just want to tell him to get over it.

You took the piss, you abused his trust, what do you expect, has your sister apologised, I would block you too, you and your sister can't be trusted, why did you even think it was OK and why didn't you stop your sister scrolling.

FieryA · 24/08/2025 19:16

Have you sincerly apologised or just said sorry without any insight into what you and your sister did was wrong? From your post, it doesn't seem that you understand why he is so livid. The whole thing is dodgy.
On the other hand, your husband's silent treatment is also not ok. You both need to be mature and have a honest conversation, first by accepting your mistake.

caringcarer · 24/08/2025 19:16

My DH knows my pin but I'd be bloody furious if he let his siblings snoop.through it. What on earth processed you to give it to your sister? You should have given her yours or she had to wait.

KrisAkabusi · 24/08/2025 19:14

You're back! Do you accept that what you did was wrong and what your sister did was completely unacceptable? You said you apologized, but how did you frame it? Your posts don't really admit how wrong you were. Has your sister apologized?

steff13 · 24/08/2025 19:13

MyDeftDuck · 24/08/2025 16:42

Why didn’t you just ask her to wait until she could use yours???? Not acceptable to offer someone else’s phone unless they are physically there to give agreement.

Or let the sister borrow a charger to charge her own phone.

Evkopk · 24/08/2025 19:10

Mangetouts · 24/08/2025 13:48

So, you shouldn't have done it but a fortnight later? What's he hiding. It must have been something to warrant such an extreme reaction.

That aside, you need to ask him how long he's going to keep it up for. What does he expect from you?

He isn’t hiding anything. I know his passcode, so why would he want to hide anything on his phone if I know the passcode?
I want to know if the level of silent treatment is acceptable. I don’t think it is and I just want to tell him to get over it.

OP posts:
MissMoneyFairy · 24/08/2025 19:08

Is OP coming back or is this just another interesting first post

DaisyChain505 · 24/08/2025 19:08

I have nothing to worry about on my phone but I’d be annoyed at this. Not to the extent your husband has been which is totally weird but you shouldn’t have done it.

TheLemonLemur · 24/08/2025 19:06

Sounds very odd why not give her your phone and why was she going through his photos? I would be livid with both of you

Cucy · 24/08/2025 18:57

MoneyTaIks · 24/08/2025 18:25

Ngl, I'd be pretty angry to come downstairs and find my BIL casually scrolling through my gallery.

If the BIL was going through OPs photos in her phone then some of these responses would be very different.

No one would be saying she had something to hide and everyone would be blaming the BIL and DH.

Auroraloves · 24/08/2025 18:56

Your sister sounds like a knob. Why did you give her his phone, such a stupid thing to do

Cucy · 24/08/2025 18:55

Glitchymn1 · 24/08/2025 18:07

Not bothered, they’re boring. Photos of the dog or DD on holiday- that’s it. Banking is on there but you’d need a code for that.
I’d say the same thing in real life to on here, I just don’t care that much anymore.

Gently, it sounds like you’d let people walk all over you.

I have handed my phone over to shop assistants and gym receptionists etc so they can help me with the apps but if they intentionally started going through my photos or messages, then I would lose my mind.

I wouldn’t go reading someone’s diary or rifling through their drawers and the same respect should be given to someone’s phone.

DeborahKerr · 24/08/2025 18:54

Tangerinenets · 24/08/2025 18:02

I mean I wouldn’t hand over my husbands phone but it honestly wouldn’t bother me if he gave someone mine. I don’t get why people are so guarded with their phones if they’ve got nothing to hide. I give mine to my adult kids all the time.

I have nothing to hide in my house, I would be distraught if a burglar came and ransack my drawers and went through my private belongings.

It's private full stop. I have loads of things on my phone I do not want to share with the world.

If someone gives you their phone to look at 1 photo, you do not scroll photos, you just look at the one showing. It's basic manners, anything else is rude and a gross invasion of privacy. it doesn't matter if you have 2000 photos of your cat, it's private.

Climbingrosexx · 24/08/2025 18:30

He clearly trusts you with his phone and you betrayed that trust, I know some have said he must have something to hide but you had his pin so he must have been ok with you accessing it but not all and sundry. I don't blame him being mad I would be furious

DuchessOfTwerkHarryTheBerk · 24/08/2025 18:28

I would be livid, and I would not forgive it for a very long time.

MoneyTaIks · 24/08/2025 18:25

Ngl, I'd be pretty angry to come downstairs and find my BIL casually scrolling through my gallery.

PoshDuckQuarkQuark · 24/08/2025 18:21

Snorlaxo · 24/08/2025 16:16

Maybe sister has a history of being nosey or overstepping boundaries? He allows his wife to access his phone which is obviously fine but I bet he’s changed the password now.

Maybe OP has a history of lending his phone to others that he doesn’t like ?

Edited

Well if that's the case then that's another story. But we only have what the OP said, and assuming no previous history then his reaction is not appropriate.

Like in all these posts, there is probably a history...

PoshDuckQuarkQuark · 24/08/2025 18:18

DeborahKerr · 24/08/2025 16:15

his reaction is normal. How can you not get it's not even about "nothing to hide", that's not the point.

Well we shall have to agree to disagree.

If my DH lent his brother my phone, I'd be pissed off but I certainly wouldn't stop speaking to him for 2 weeks and block him from all family WhatsApp groups. That's just ludicrous.

Grammarnut · 24/08/2025 18:14

Why could she not charge her phone - surely you have a charger and you can use the phone once it starts charging. If you don't have the right charger why not lend her your phone?
Your DH's phone is his, it's private. You need to apologise pronto for invading his privacy!

Arlanymor · 24/08/2025 18:13

Just for the benefit of some people on here who don't seem to grasp it...

Privacy does not equal cheating/secrets/nefarious behaviour. We all have a right to privacy and it comes in many forms.

And for those saying: "I don't mind giving my kids my phone" - it's apples and oranges. It's his in-law invading his privacy and you don't know whether they even have a good relationship or not. Regardless, she shouldn't have snooped.

TheStudios39 · 24/08/2025 18:12

Hmm I am in two minds, sure, using the phone wasn’t strictly necessary, and SIL should definitely not have been snooping (unsure why she went from checking her email to checking his photos) but definitely a weird/over-reaction from OPs DH. Personally, if I had nothing to hide, I wouldn’t care if someone needed to use my phone briefly. That was my immediate thought when I read how he reacted - what exactly was he trying to keep hidden in those photos?

SerendipityJane · 24/08/2025 18:11

justasking111 · 24/08/2025 18:04

There's been some odd threads today where poster drops something to stimulate debate and vanished. I suspect this is one.

How else are we ever going to train "AI" ? Well, for free leastways ?

Therealjudgejudy · 24/08/2025 18:10

You were bang out of order

Swipe left for the next trending thread