Have you ever snooped on your partner's smartphone?

People expect that they are being watched online in cyberspace, but who would expect to be spied on by the people closest to them? You better watch out – your partner may be spying on you more than the NSA: One in five men and one in four women admitted to checking their partner’s smartphone in a survey with 13,132 respondents conducted by Avast in the United States.

Is there something on your phone you don't want your partner to see?

Playing detective

The survey found that while the majority of women check their partner’s device because they are nosy, a quarter of married women suspect their spouse is cheating on them and want to find evidence.

Married women are not the only ones who suspect their partner is cheating on them. The reason why most men pry on their partner is because they too are afraid their better half is being unfaithful and want to confirm their suspicions – especially if the relationship is fresh.

Caught red-handed

One may think that people who snoop on their significant other to find evidence of cheating or lying are being paranoid. Unfortunately, the majority of them are not paranoid--their gut feeling is often correct.

Seven out of ten women and more than half of men who turn to their partner’s device to find proof their partner is deceiving them, have found evidence. Which of the two sexes is more likely to confront their partner regarding their findings? Women. The survey revealed that women are 20% more likely than men to confront their partner with the facts.

“Picking” the mobile lock

Cracking their partner’s device passcode wasn’t necessary for the greater number of snoopers. A shockingly high percentage of respondents claimed they didn’t need a passcode to gain entry to their significant other’s device. Women did, however, have an easier time with 41% reporting their partner’s device did not have a passcode compared to the 33% of men. Coming in at a high second, both male and female respondents claimed to know their partner’s device passcode because their partner had shared it with them in the past, unknowingly setting themselves up to get caught.

An eye for an eye

More than half of men and women who check their significant other’s device think their partner checks their device as well. There seems to be a low level of trust between partners who feel the need to keep tabs on their significant other.

The survey results show that respondents who just started dating and check their new companion’s device are less likely to suspect their new love of doing the same, compared to snoopers in established relationships. People in long term relationships were the most likely to think their partner does the same behind their backs.

Tips to protect your privacy

Be it from your partner or somebody who finds your lost phone – you should always protect your mobile devices from prying eyes.

• Protect your mobile devices with passcodes!

Everyone should protect their smartphones and tablets with passcodes, even if you aren’t worried about snoopers. Passcodes not only make it more difficult for nosey partners to access secrets and surprises, but can also protect your data should your device get lost or stolen.

• Lock your precious apps

Apps that contain sensitive information deserve an extra layer of protection. With Avast Mobile Security’s app locking feature you can password protect your most precious apps.

• Free your phone from old data – and back it up

Backing up your mobile data allows you to save your data to the cloud so you can delete old data from your phone. This not only prevents data loss, whether you lose your phone or accidentally delete data from your phone, but can prevent your partner from finding out about activity you want to keep to yourself. Avast Backup backs up your call log history, SMS, contacts and photos for free.

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