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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Which is the worse sin. Snooping on your partners phone or cheating?

33 replies

pokemongrief · 18/04/2020 14:20

My DP is always accusing me of snooping, even though I don't normally. However one day the little voice said, is it because he's snooping/cheating?

So I looked on his phone and there are messages to another woman who he is offering a relationship to or something along those lines. Clearly talking (?cheating) with another woman.

If I confront him I know his reaction will be to minimise, but mostly to rage at me for snooping on him. In fact I'm sure the only focus will be on me snooping.

It may be he's just flirting as he loves an ego stroke, but I don't know.

Should I confront him or just keep quiet and see what pans out?

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 18/04/2020 14:23

They both mean the relationship is no good.

Just end it.

PurpleDaisies · 18/04/2020 14:25

Why does it matter which is worse? You’re not staying with him, are you?

Whatsnewpussyhat · 18/04/2020 14:31

Why do you think this is what you deserve from life.
Leave him. He has no respect for you.

OhClover · 18/04/2020 14:31

Cheating is significantly worse

happytoday73 · 18/04/2020 14:34

Cheating... Significantly...

This relationship is no good for you... It'll eat you up..

Phifedean123 · 18/04/2020 14:34

Cheating.

Crackerscheesescabbyknees · 18/04/2020 14:37

I've never snooped on someone with no good reason to.

Anytime I have looked, I have found something.

Cheating is worse.

Leave the arsehole.

PumpkinP · 18/04/2020 14:40

Cheating is worse , I don't think looking on someone's phone is that bad (runs for cover )

OhCaptain · 18/04/2020 14:41

Does it matter?

You snoop because you don’t trust him.

Cheating is not ok.

So either way this isn’t a good relationship!

Honeyroar · 18/04/2020 14:51

Cheating. I wouldn’t mind if my husband snooped, I’ve no secrets. But I’d mind if he cheated!

pokemongrief · 18/04/2020 14:54

Or should I just say nothing and look again in a few weeks?

Can't do anything anyway during this lockdown.

Do I need more proof? He is good at taking his way out of things...it was just a joke, type of thing.

Should I phone this woman up and ask her what the hell is going on? I'd like to do that just to embarrass him, but would find it very stressful as I am very under confident and anxious

OP posts:
ChocolateDove · 18/04/2020 14:57

Cheating is worse, obviously.

Tell him and show him the messages. If he turns it around on you, say 'OK then cheating means nothing to you obviously, I'll go on tinder and see who I can find'. I imagine he will back track at that point and say its not fine, so you can then point out he is a dickhead who is doing exactly that. Don't let him turn it on you, he's the asshole, not you.

FizzyGreenWater · 18/04/2020 15:03

Cheating is about a billion times worse, obviously.

Use lockdown to make plans, especially financial ones, and to dig deep and try and work out what would make you happy from life, and how to start along that road. (Tip: it won't be with the gaslighting cheat).

Do you need more proof? No. In fact, the best way to get the power back here is to realise that it doesn't matter what he says - because the only person who decides what happens with what you do is YOU.

So - you can confront. Tell him you're leaving him because he's cheating. And sit and smile at him while he flies into his gaslighting, manipulating, lying routine. Watch him attack, blame, deflect and try and persuade you black is white. Then say - 'Ok. You're not cheating. I must have been completely mistaken, I'm so glad that you've 'persuaded' me. I'm still leaving you, because, err, let me think - ok, it's because I don't like the shape of your eyebrows. That sound better?'

And there's his power gone. Later, if you can be bothered, you could even tell him that the moment you knew he was history wasn't when you saw the messages - it was when you watched him strain every bone in his body trying to make you believe you were crazy, so he could carry on getting the benefits of being with you while shitting on you with every cheat's message he sent to another woman.

YOU get to decide who you live your life with.

YOU get to decide where your red line is, where your boundaries are.

It doesn't matter one flying fuck whether he thinks it's 'understandable' or 'ok' or 'yes but YOU did this' about his messaging.

If it's not good enough for YOU, he is toast.

You know what you saw, if you believe that makes him not the kind of man you want to be with - that's the only thing that matters.

'It was only a joke...'
'What a shame for you, looks like that's the kind of joke that's a dealbreaker for me. Bye'

Oh and phoning the woman? You know what's going on already.

GilbertMarkham · 18/04/2020 15:04

So I looked on his phone and there are messages to another woman who he is offering a relationship to or something along those lines.

Not sure why you'd need her input.

You've said above that he is offering her a relationship or something along those lines. Whether she'd actually take him up on it or not is irrelevant.

You had suspicions/intuition, you had a snoop (which turned out to be entirely justified/vindicated) ... You've had it confirmed he's trying to cheat or leave you. You also already know he's manipulative (could talk his way out if anything, will pass it off as a joke etc).

You know all you need to know about him. What's is the point really on confronting him and having to.lidyen to.him turn the focus on you snooping, make out it's a joke, bullshit you etc etc?

There are more men in the world.

mushlett · 18/04/2020 15:05

Definitely Cheating, that’s what normally leads to the checking xx

GilbertMarkham · 18/04/2020 15:07

Do you have any ties to this dude?

You might be best spending this time working out the practicalities of separating (yourself I mean, don't give him a heads up) if you share any finances etc.

GilbertMarkham · 18/04/2020 15:12

As for the holier than thou anti snooping brigade that exists on Mumsnet - fk that noise.

Snooping is the only thing that saved countless women from cheating, lying, prostitute using, moral vacuum, duplicitous, STD spreading, sometimes in the closet, porn addicted, piss-taking scum-bags.

DBML · 18/04/2020 15:14

No, you absolutely do not need to wait for more evidence! He’s been talking to (cheating) with another woman. Of course he’ll try to turn the tables and blame you for snooping...but if you hadn’t looked, he’d still have been doing it wouldn’t he!

He’s not just a sleaze, he sounds like a bully. Why would you want to stay with a man like that! Do yourself a massive favour and let the ow have him.

Zazu44 · 18/04/2020 15:19

This happened to me OP. We have been going through a rough time for a few years, the catalyst he says is because I've put weight on! I too checked his phone he was sexting another woman, relationship worse he changed his code, I found it checked again near Xmas, more flirty texts with another woman.
He says he wouldn't have done it if I was thinner, I say he's cheated, he says not. And so it goes on. He talks me round but I am being a complete walkover BUT I am getting stronger. There are other financial issues with us but hopefully soon sorted. Please be careful, I know how you feel they always manage to turn in round to be your fault or that you're crazy, it has contributed to severe mental health problems with me. Take care x

NuffSaidSam · 18/04/2020 15:21

'Do I need more proof?'

No. You can leave an unhappy relationship for any reason, at any time. There is no burden of evidence.

'As for the holier than thou anti snooping brigade that exists on Mumsnet - fk that noise.'

It's not that you shouldn't snoop. It's just the relationship is done, regardless of what you find, when the urge to snoop sets in. Save yourself some time and heartache and just end it if your gut is telling you that something isn't right.

CoronaIsShit · 18/04/2020 16:35

‘Snooping’ is protecting yourself from living a lie with a possible cheating scumbag and totally justified in most circumstances.

Cheating is not.

I don’t get this MN often touted line that ‘if you feel the need to snoop the relationships finished anyway so don’t bother’. Of course you need to know for your own MH, not to mention the cheater blaming you for ending the relationship and breaking up a family, labelling you as nuts and paranoid to DC, family and friends and getting off scot free with their disgusting behaviour Hmm.

Chocolate123 · 18/04/2020 16:41

Cheating is worse obviously but if you get to the point that you have to snoop you know your relationship is in trouble

StormBaby · 18/04/2020 16:46

The only times I've ever needed to snoop it's because I know something is going on. Kick him to the curb. You don't need proof!

monkeymonkey2010 · 18/04/2020 19:34

The cheating is worse.
Projecting one's guilty conscience onto another - like he has been - is just as bad.

Confront him - you got nothing to feel scared about.
He's messing with your head.

Recoverandthrive · 18/04/2020 20:58

I've never understood the uproar on here when someone has checked their partners phone and found evidence of cheating. I think everyone has the right to find out if they are being lied to, deceived and cheated on. Asking someone outright isn't exactly going to get the answers needed and how are people meant to end a relationship on just a suspicion.

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