October 15, 2020 • 8 mins
8 clever ways that tech can reveal a cheating wife or girlfriend
People cheat. Not everyone, not all the time, but extramarital affairs are downright common. Even now, in the age of serial divorces and polyamory, when marriage is as flexible – and even disposable – as it ever has been, devoted husbands and wives succumb to temptation.
When looking for evidence, partners usually turn to spy apps. These secretive phone apps track everything a person does and where the person goes.
In addition, camera technology has advanced a lot in the past few years. They keep getting smaller and smaller, making it possible to conceal them any which way.
Spycam manufacturers have been creative in producing some of the most cleverly disguised (and tiny) camera/DVR systems, complete with HD video, motion detection, large storage card support and remote controls.
In many ways, technology makes infidelity easier to pull off. Spouses can hold erotic video chats, send “pins” that mark their favorite meeting spots, and exchange images and text with their lovers in countless different ways. An actual tryst requires people to be physically present in the same place, but foreplay can happen anytime, anywhere – and the faithful may have no idea.
At the same time, years of marriage will hone a spouse’s instincts, and we often know when something seems funny. Computers, tablets, and smartphones absorb adulterous evidence like a sponge, and once suspicions are aroused, tech can offer many clues about a potential dalliance.
Let me be clear: The best thing you can do is have a frank and honest conversation with your spouse about your marriage. Couples therapy can work wonders. However, if your relationship wasn't healthy to begin with, or you need something tangible before starting divorce proceedings, these are basic methods for busting a cheater.
1. A Hidden or Locked Phone
Many people turn their phones away from others to protect their privacy. However, most of us don't hide our phones from our spouses. This gesture is subtle, but it can suggest illicit text conversations. Cheaters are often protective of their phones; they don't share their passwords, and they even change their passwords to keep their phones' content a secret.
Push notifications are a nightmare for unfaithful spouses, because they may show snippets of conversation – from texts, emails, and so on – that could incriminate both parties. Spotting a suspicious push notification, or even noticing the sudden absence of them, can be suggestive.
2. A Second Phone
The easiest way to keep two romantic lives separate is to buy two separate phones. That way, the cheater doesn’t get confused and text the wrong person by mistake. The existence of this second phone is also a liability, even if it is described as a “work” or “emergency” phone.
Another technique is to purchase a separate SIM card, which can be switched out of phones that have been “jail-broken.” This is a lot of work and unlikely for most cheaters, but if you find a SIM card lying around, you may be able to extract its data by inserting it into another phone.
3. Scanning Any Digital Receipts
Receipts are often sent by text message or email. If you have access to your spouse’s online accounts, you may be surprised to find these digital receipts for products and services you’ve never heard of. (Read: hotels, restaurants, jewelry stores). Most people don’t leave a physical “paper trail,” but virtual documentation often persists.
The same goes for frequent flyer miles and credit card points, which a cheater may spend on a fling. Cheaters often go to great lengths to avoid using their checking and credit card accounts, but there are many other ways to pay for a rendezvous, from Groupon to Paypal to Venmo, and they will still leave a trace of their transactions.
4. Try to Find Their Phone
Many popular devices utilize some form of location technology and often make it easier to have the service turned on than to disable it. If your spouse uses an Apple device that is connected to a family account and they have enabled location sharing, you can locate their device by logging on iCloud.com and clicking on Find My iPhone or by using the Find My Friends app.
If your spouse uses an Android phone and is logged on to Google on a shared computer, you can type "Find My Phone" into the search bar, and you'll be provided with the phone's location.
5. Then, Look to GPS
As we become more reliant on GPS these days, you may also want to take a peek at your spouse's location history. For Google users, the "previous destinations" menu option on the navigation system may chronicle your spouse's movements; for Android users, the Google Timeline feature (found in the Google Maps app or Google Maps online if they are log
People cheat. Not everyone, not all the time, but extramarital affairs are downright common. Even now, in the age of serial divorces and polyamory, when marriage is as flexible – and even disposable – as it ever has been, devoted husbands and wives succumb to temptation.
When looking for evidence, partners usually turn to spy apps. These secretive phone apps track everything a person does and where the person goes.
In addition, camera technology has advanced a lot in the past few years. They keep getting smaller and smaller, making it possible to conceal them any which way.
Spycam manufacturers have been creative in producing some of the most cleverly disguised (and tiny) camera/DVR systems, complete with HD video, motion detection, large storage card support and remote controls.
In many ways, technology makes infidelity easier to pull off. Spouses can hold erotic video chats, send “pins” that mark their favorite meeting spots, and exchange images and text with their lovers in countless different ways. An actual tryst requires people to be physically present in the same place, but foreplay can happen anytime, anywhere – and the faithful may have no idea.
At the same time, years of marriage will hone a spouse’s instincts, and we often know when something seems funny. Computers, tablets, and smartphones absorb adulterous evidence like a sponge, and once suspicions are aroused, tech can offer many clues about a potential dalliance.
Let me be clear: The best thing you can do is have a frank and honest conversation with your spouse about your marriage. Couples therapy can work wonders. However, if your relationship wasn't healthy to begin with, or you need something tangible before starting divorce proceedings, these are basic methods for busting a cheater.
1. A Hidden or Locked Phone
Many people turn their phones away from others to protect their privacy. However, most of us don't hide our phones from our spouses. This gesture is subtle, but it can suggest illicit text conversations. Cheaters are often protective of their phones; they don't share their passwords, and they even change their passwords to keep their phones' content a secret.
Push notifications are a nightmare for unfaithful spouses, because they may show snippets of conversation – from texts, emails, and so on – that could incriminate both parties. Spotting a suspicious push notification, or even noticing the sudden absence of them, can be suggestive.
2. A Second Phone
The easiest way to keep two romantic lives separate is to buy two separate phones. That way, the cheater doesn’t get confused and text the wrong person by mistake. The existence of this second phone is also a liability, even if it is described as a “work” or “emergency” phone.
Another technique is to purchase a separate SIM card, which can be switched out of phones that have been “jail-broken.” This is a lot of work and unlikely for most cheaters, but if you find a SIM card lying around, you may be able to extract its data by inserting it into another phone.
3. Scanning Any Digital Receipts
Receipts are often sent by text message or email. If you have access to your spouse’s online accounts, you may be surprised to find these digital receipts for products and services you’ve never heard of. (Read: hotels, restaurants, jewelry stores). Most people don’t leave a physical “paper trail,” but virtual documentation often persists.
The same goes for frequent flyer miles and credit card points, which a cheater may spend on a fling. Cheaters often go to great lengths to avoid using their checking and credit card accounts, but there are many other ways to pay for a rendezvous, from Groupon to Paypal to Venmo, and they will still leave a trace of their transactions.
4. Try to Find Their Phone
Many popular devices utilize some form of location technology and often make it easier to have the service turned on than to disable it. If your spouse uses an Apple device that is connected to a family account and they have enabled location sharing, you can locate their device by logging on iCloud.com and clicking on Find My iPhone or by using the Find My Friends app.
If your spouse uses an Android phone and is logged on to Google on a shared computer, you can type "Find My Phone" into the search bar, and you'll be provided with the phone's location.
5. Then, Look to GPS
As we become more reliant on GPS these days, you may also want to take a peek at your spouse's location history. For Google users, the "previous destinations" menu option on the navigation system may chronicle your spouse's movements; for Android users, the Google Timeline feature (found in the Google Maps app or Google Maps online if they are log
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