One of the crucial things in every relationship is trust; without it, Chekhov wrote, ‘life becomes impossible’. But in our increasingly digital world, it’s easier than ever to give into suspicion and snoop on those we love. More than a third of Brits admit to having spied on a partner’s devices and social media accounts, with four in 10 confessing they do so at least once a week. On top of that, over 20% of men say they’ve used their sleeping partner’s fingerprint to unlock their phone.
![[A woman looks insecure as her partner ignores her to look at his phone]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-1296179400.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
In recent reports from Daily Mail, ‘digital detective work’ was the catalyst for Lily Allen and David Harbour’s four-year marriage ending. The singer is said to have downloaded Raya – where the pair first met – to find out if her husband was seeing someone else, with the revelation David had an active profile on the dating app leaving her ‘devastated’.
![[Man on his phone in bed next to sleeping partner]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-931804786.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
But just because we’re all doing it, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. According to sex and relationship therapist, Rhian Kivits, the desire to go digging ‘suggests that the relationship is not built on healthy foundations and is unlikely to be robust enough to last in the longterm.’.
![[Gay couple arguing outdoors]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-1485204907-e1736244730542.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
It signals a lack of trust, as well as ‘a lack of honest, open communication between partners’ — but there are mitigating circumstances that may justify this kind of reconnaissance. Love reading juicy stories like this? Need some tips for how to spice things up in the bedroom?.
