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AIBU?

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Aibu to call them a cheater?

53 replies

SassyTee · 01/08/2026 18:34

Not sure if I'm overreacting.
Happy to hear from anyone who's been somewhere similar, or be told I'm being too sensitive, or I'm doing the right thing.

Been with partner for 2 years. Good relationship, few ups and downs as we have both been dealing with highly stressful personal situations so have let the stress get the better of us and taken it out on each other a couple of times, but always communicate well and learn how to do better in future. Overall it has been a respectful, kind, safe, loving relationship. Or so I thought.

One of those stressful personal situations was recent, and we had a few cross words. As mentioned, we talked about it after we'd cooled down and was OK.
Well 2 weeks after that, partner was staying over. Their phone kept buzzing so I picked it up just to check it wasn't their parents trying to get hold of them (1 parent is pretty unwell, never looked at their phone before or felt the need to, they've never been secretive over it and will leave it next to me when out the room etc). Anyway, what i saw was a newly downloaded dating app (I know it's new as it's one that has only recently been advertised so didn't exist until very recently).
I woke them up and confronted them about it, but they got mad at me for having their phone, grabbed it back and stormed out.

That was 3 weeks ago.
I have had all the professions of love, sorry, 'it was a stupid lack of judgment'. They say they saw the advertisement after we had the falling out 2 weeks prior and just clicked download, but then didn't bother setting up a profile and hadn't thought about it since.
I am of the opinion it's cheating and whether or not a profile was made, intent was there if only for that moment they sat and downloaded it.
They don't understand why I'm making such a big deal about it and why am I willing to throw away 2 mostly amazing years on their 1 moment of stupidity. I say they are the one who threw away 2 years the moment they decided to download an app.

It's been 3 weeks since I ended it after discovering the app.
I currently don't trust my own feelings or judgment as it's still quite fresh and I have other things going on at the moment causing me a lot of stress too.

Am I overreacting? Would you react the same?
Is it cheating, or not? Would you end what was overall a good relationship on this one occasion?

So i suppose, AIBU to call it cheating and dump them, or AINBU as it is definitely cheating.

OP posts:
RemindMeIn15Minutes · 01/08/2026 18:47

It’s not a good look is it! Have a tiff with your partner and then get straight onto a dating site. Unfortunately, you could never trust him to not have a ‘not thinking straight’ moment again.

PinkyFlamingo · 01/08/2026 18:43

It's very telling the first thing he does after a difficult period with you is not only to download a dating app, but set up a profile ....you've done the right thing, as heartbreaking as it will be just now you are stopping a lot of pain in the future

Theunamedcat · 01/08/2026 18:38

If they hadnt set up a profile what was going off? Because it wouldn't alert if the profile wasn't active?

Download the app yourself look for him?

But yes cheating he certainly isn't committed if he is looking for a warm bed before he has even left yourself

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