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Cheating is incredibly heartbreaking, no matter how you look at it. But while sometimes the betrayal is impossible to miss, other times it’s much harder to spot.

On Reddit, people shared the subtle signs that revealed their significant other was being unfaithful—and some of them are genuinely wild. We’re talking about things you’d never even consider, like a partner suddenly using a completely different set of emojis.

Read them below so you know what red flags to watch for in your relationships. Hopefully, you’ll never have to deal with any of it yourself.

#1

40 Times Cheaters Got Caught After One Small Slip-Up Gave Them Away The dog loved every guy that ever stopped by the house. 

Except one. 

She would bark at him, look at me, and then continue barking at him. 

Checked wife’s phone. Filed for divorce a week later.

freshdrum , Tatiana Mokhova Report

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    #2

    A couple sitting on a couch having an intense conversation about phone and cheating suspicions in a living room. The way they stopped including me in their future "we" sentences. it wasn't a fight or anything big, but suddenly it was 'I’m going to do this' or 'I might move there' instead of 'We should do this.' The future just started shrinking until I wasn't in it anymore.

    ProofGrab7994 , simonapilolla / freepik (not the actual photo) Report

    Sentina in the swamp
    Community Member
    1 day ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That last sentence is the saddest sentence I've ever read.

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    #3

    Woman sitting on a blue couch, looking thoughtful and holding her chin, with a phone on the table nearby. I'd come home from work at lunch to surprise her, she wasn't there.

    I went back to work and come home normally. Asked her how her day went.

    "Nothing much, just hanging around the house."

    SnooPeripherals1914 , zinkevych / freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    #4

    They suddenly started accusing me of cheating. Projection is the loudest confession.

    Ai_Simplified_ Report

    Dee Hampton
    Community Member
    21 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Liars always think everyone is lying to them.

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    #5

    Woman sitting on a couch putting on white high heel shoes, illustrating subtle moments before cheating was revealed. It was Valentine’s Day and we were going out for dinner. We lived in downtown Toronto so it was super snowy and we walked a fair bit. I was wearing heels and he always gives me his hand to climb steps or whatever when I wear them.

    But this night he didn’t help me once. He didn’t help me get off the streetcar, he didn’t help me through the snow, he didn’t help me get over curbs… I found out 2 days later.

    himmieboy , Karolina Grabowska / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #6

    Close-up of phone screen showing various emojis, highlighting the role of the phone in revealing signs of cheating. The recent emojis on the keyboard of the phone were ❤️💔💋.

    They were not being sent to me.

    namednone , Domingo Alvarez E / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    Julie S
    Community Member
    Premium
    12 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ❤️💔💋 so are mine now.

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    #7

    Close-up of a showerhead with water flowing, illustrating privacy and secrecy linked to phone and cheating topics. The showerhead angle was adjusted. She can't reach it.

    bill1024 , Caleb Wright / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    Glix Drap
    Community Member
    Premium
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It all comes out in the wash.

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    #8

    Man focused on his phone screen, highlighting the role of phone clues in cheating revelations. I got a text explaining the (intimate) things she was looking forward to us doing later that night. It got deleted as I was reading it. When I replied asking what she deleted she said "sorry. It was to remind (sister's name) not to forget we have to get mum a present this weekend and I sent it to you by mistake."
    A 12yr relationship was ended right there.

    redwolve378 , Jonas Leupe / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #9

    He called my dog by a different name and it rubbed me wrong. Later that week he got a flirty text from his coworker and told me she was obsessed with him but he kept turning her down 🙄 (ya ok) I looked her up on Instagram and she had a dog with the same name as the one he had accidentally called my dog.

    hennny_Lilah Report

    #10

    A chunk of glitter. I have tons of glitter makeup. He tried to pass it off as mine. Wrong. This was big, cheap glitter. I know my glitter.

    leatherandvinyl Report

    More Information
    Community Member
    22 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Im gonna start saying "I know my glitter" instead of "I know my worth".

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    #11

    Person holding a smartphone with a social media login screen, a laptop open to a social media feed in the background. This sounds incredibly odd... it was FB advertisements. I kept getting ads for "Is he cheating" or "How to save your marriage". It made me take notice his behavior had changed. He had been chatting with her on FB messenger.

    _iron_butterfly_ , thaspol_s / freepik (not the actual photo) Report

    Dee Hampton
    Community Member
    21 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I normally feel annoyed when I am targeted by the internet gnomes but, in this case, they were right on the money.

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    #12

    I went from being his favourite person to him suddenly being annoyed at everything I did. That's when I knew something had changed.


    Fast-forward to me checking his phone one night while he was asleep (I usually believe in privacy but I needed answers) and the first three text conversations were him telling different girls that he loved them. This happened in 2019 and I have genuinely never been the same again.

    MegaSoftie Report

    Crystalwitch60
    Community Member
    20 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I really hope you went to an std clinic asap ! Cos he is a walking Petri dish of STDs ! Also that’s likely only the three u found out about !

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    #13

    The distance. It starts off small and incremental, but one day you wake up next to someone you don't recognize anymore.

    whackymolerat Report

    hannahbahngswife
    Community Member
    19 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "But one day you wake up next to someone you don't recognize anymore" d**n.

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    #14

    Got herpes out of the blue.

    Water_Lily_05 Report

    Dee Hampton
    Community Member
    21 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    STDs don't lie. Hope you are better now, recovering from the virus and toxic people.

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    #15

    Man in a car adjusting controls on the dashboard with focus on the hand and phone hidden nearby. I have a habit of listening to the same song over and over again on repeat until I am sick of it.

    There was this one trendy hip hop song I liked and my then partner would get irritated because I would play it everytime I sat in their car. Got to the point where they would force me to change it or turn it off.

    Then one day the same song came up on their Pandora or Spotify as a random suggested song and to my surprise my partner turned up the volume and said "oh [coworker's name] loves this song".

    idkmybffdw:

    My ex hated music from a specific artist I loved and one day started listening to them. I found out a few days later he had an entire second relationship.

    Faysian , Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    Mike F
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That gives them away. It sure did mine.

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    #16

    Found a toll road bill open on the floor with multiple 12am-3am trips on it to another city. When confronted he said he was “going to the mall.” I was like … bro what mall is open at 3am? That quickly changed to “oh sometimes I go sit at the pier by myself to think.” Then I was accused of invading his privacy and being a psycho.

    guruSaj Report

    Daisydaisy
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 day ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They will ALWAYS start accusing you of being crazy when you ask them about it!! 🤣

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    #17

    Man sitting on a sofa playing guitar, illustrating moments that made sense once the cheating came out, highlighting the phone. His clothes.

    He suddenly had sandals and button up shirts, that I'd tried to get him into for literal years.

    I guess that means he did listen. All those things I told him he'd look good in, he started wearing as soon as he cared about looking good for someone else.

    Sweet_Cinnabonn , Fellipe Ditadi / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    Dee Hampton
    Community Member
    21 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If he steps out on you, it's not OK, even if he is wearing Birkenstocks.

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    #18

    The mystery baby that he was tagged in a photo with. 

    Oh, you said subtle?

    Similar_Climate_227:

    SAMEEEE he was tagged in an ultrasound picture on FB and that’s how I found out :) after 6 years of being together.

    jo-z Report

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    #19

    A man in a dark hoodie explaining something to a woman outdoors, highlighting signs that made sense after cheating came out. She was a co-worker and it was the way he spoke about her. It was different than the way he spoke about his other female co-worker "friends." He would get excited talking about her and his face would light up when he got a text from her.

    I may just be a stranger in the internet, but please believe when I say - it usually is the one that they tell you "not to worry about." Also, for the women out there, it's called "women's intuition" for a reason. Your gut will let you know way before your brain catches up

    Edit- Just wanted to say that I probably should have used the term "gut instinct" instead of "woman's intuition," as guys can also get a gut feeling when something is off with their partner.

    Usual_Sympathy3140 , freepik (not the actual photo) Report

    #20

    iPhone box on soft fabric background symbolizing the role of phone in revealing cheating secrets He had gotten a new phone when we were together for about a year and he let me program my fingerprint on it so I could unlock it for emergencies.

    Towards the end of the second year, he handed me his phone to show me a video but the screen locked. Put my finger on it to unlock it and it didn’t work. Handed it back to him…he’d changed it to a number code.

    Weird_Bluebird_3293 , Nicholas Santoianni / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    Deborah B
    Community Member
    18 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That doesn't have to be cheating. Fingerprint locks are annoying AF to use.

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    #21

    Woman with long curly hair drinking water from a faucet, symbolizing little things that made sense after cheating revealed phone use Showed up at 1:30 am drunk after being out with her girls… hey babe, where’s your wedding ring?

    It really sucked but I was very appreciative of her at least taking if off because it was my grandmother's wedding ring and she was a saint.

    KA047 , Tony Frost / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #22

    Perfume bottle spraying mist in a dark setting, symbolizing the importance of the phone in cheating revelations. Cologne. I don't wear any and I noticed her clothes had a faint lingering smell of some expensive [stuff]. Checked her phone and she texted the guy that she couldn't believe she was pregnant. And couldn't believe I brought home a stray dog a few days before. Miss that dog.

    potsgotme , Andrew Petrischev / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    Crystalwitch60
    Community Member
    20 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dint tell me the s***k took your dog 💔💔💔

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    #23

    Couple sitting apart on couch looking upset, illustrating relationship tension after cheating was discovered involving the phone. Distance, feeling like you’re getting bread crumbs suddenly, somehow [intimacy] feels different or less frequent, they are suddenly very paranoid about your behaviors. So a combination of projection + subtle indifference.

    sethcera , drobotdean / freepik (not the actual photo) Report

    nomnomborkbork
    Community Member
    9 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is happening to me. Except I know he isn't cheating, he's drinking again. And we're old. But I miss him, and he won't listen any more.

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    #24

    Constantly finding other women's hair & accessories, him smelling weird when he came home, having makeup on his clothes, change in attitude, he became incredibly cold and cruel towards me. I found evidence of him buying gifts for women that I never got. We even had a run in in public that was extremely weird. I became extremely sick.

    Would never admit any of it & insisted it was all in my head. 

    SaltyLaw800 Report

    Vexed Panda
    Community Member
    7 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh, have i got one for you! On Valentine's Day, he showed up with a box of Victoria's Secret pretties. The receipt was in the box in case i needed to return something. It listed four other items, not in the box, sized two cups bigger than i wore. Ahem.

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    #25

    The immediate shower as soon as he got home, and the random ATM withdrawal receipts of cash from our buildings ATM when I would never see him use cash for anything together.

    Empiremind44 Report

    Bewitched One
    Community Member
    Premium
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well that’s cause he didn’t want you to have access to his card statements and see here he was spending his money

    #26

    Person holding a smartphone with a cup of coffee nearby, highlighting the role of the phone in cheating revelations. Mostly about the phone. An interest in hiding it, silenced, no notifications etc. I went looking for reasons. And did not like what I found. I ended it 4 years ago.

    itsobviouslymeduh:

    Phone always on DnD, and takes it with her to the bathroom even to just wash her hands. Screen always facing down. It’s always the phone.

    neimaacutie:

    The sudden obsession with their phone and suddenly it's always on silent.

    Parking-City-6725 , joy_studio / freepik (not the actual photo0 Report

    XenoMurph
    Community Member
    21 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dungeons and Dragons setting is the best setting.

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    #27

    The entire list of suggested followers on my instagram was random women with ‘followed by *bf*’ under every one.

    I asked him about it and they were all ‘old friends’, of course this prompted me to go through his phone and he was messaging all of them.

    Never thought I’d say this but Meta’s a real one for real.

    lobotomy-cuntbag Report

    hannahbahngswife
    Community Member
    19 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Didn't even think about making another account?

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    #28

    I encountered myself in a dream and he (I?) said "She's cheating on you, dude."


    Woke up instantly in a cold sweat. After a couple days of thought, I confronted her. Turns out dream-clone me was right. Never met myself in a dream before or since.

    DrewRyanArt Report

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    #29

    Shaved her private parts after never doing it.
    20 year relationship, she ended up confessing after she got caught up.

    Icy-Candidate-6467 Report

    Borg
    Community Member
    20 hours ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    My only question is: Who SHAVES their private parts!!!??????? There are other options.

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    #30

    Her twitter kept popping up in my “people you may know”. I joked about it with my ex and he seemed uncomfortable - she was “just some ex who was obsessed with him”. Sure enough, he dumped me a few weeks after this. I still had his location, and saw he was at a hospital. I found out that, right after he bought a new car, he went to go cheat on me with his ex and they got t-boned when he picked her up.

    idkhowtoswim Report

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    #31

    It was an ldr, and every time we had an argument, he would either block me or refuse to talk to me until the next day. I found out he had been chatting up with other women and begging them to meet him while I was crying myself to sleep, waiting for him to unblock me or talk to me.

    baddie_since1988 Report

    #32

    You can sense that something is off, TRUST YOURSELF. Do not let them try to tell you, you’re crazy, overthinking, over analyzing.

    Honor your feelings.

    My ex would gaslight me over this feeling, and when I would say let me go through your phone, “you should just believe me, you should trust me” then he would flip it around on me. It was awful and truly an evil thing to do to someone. Instead of just letting me go, he had to have me and her.

    He would always sleep with his phone under him or close to his body, (never did that before he started cheating) I wiggled it out of his pocket and boom, everything confirmed. Jumped up gathered my [stuff] and left, the whole time he’s fumbling around half asleep trying to figure out what’s going on and stop me from leaving.

    babyfacereaper Report

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    #33

    She was out running errands and then told me that she was going to this guy’s place. It was already like 5pm. I had never heard of this man but didn’t want to seem insecure. She got home around 11pm that night. I spoke to her about it the next day because I wanted to be mature and regulated. She convinced me they were just friends.

    Around the same time her phone location started being weird (I would normally check to see her ETA so I could start dinner), but it would be turned off most the time, and when I asked her about it, we’d “fix it” only for it to do it again.

    Flash forward three months and she’s asking to open the relationship for her new guy “friend” and then refused to stop contact with him when I wasn’t down. Turns out she was being a lot “friendlier” with him than she was letting on.

    I was open to repair, but she immediately wanted separation and divorce, and turned the matter into my reaction being the problem rather than her infidelity. 12 years down the drain. Never thought I’d be both betrayed and abandoned by my best friend.

    covetedchub Report

    Norfolk and good
    Community Member
    17 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If somebody in a monogamous relationship suddenly wants to open the relationship, they have almost certainly already cheated, if not physically then definitely emotionally, and they're looking for retroactive permission.

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    #34

    The rage towards me. Suddenly i was at fault for everything. I mean i almost once put a glass on the wrong shelf and she broke down crying and screaming that i was a narcissist because i was taller than the other people in the house, and the glass was a sign of my [toxic] personality.

    She met someone and became super [toxci] because she needed ti find a way to justify her actions. Tbh it was way worse than the affair. The gaslighting and crazy was horrible.

    Khancap123 Report

    Dee Hampton
    Community Member
    21 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She was trying to turn you into the bad guy to justify cheating on you. I hope she didn't try to turn friends against you.

    #35

    1. She hired a personal trainer, started working out twice a week religiously, and dieting strictly for months and months, but stopped going out on hikes with me and our dogs.

    2. She started routinely exploding with rage, over the most minor of infractions.

    2. Offering breadcrumbs of time, attention, and [intimacy]. (Always my fault, because of something I’d done wrong )

    3. Phone locked down hard, and always in her hand.

    Then, I found a well worn, wall mounted iPhone holder, hidden in a weird spot in her bathroom. I asked her about it, and she got flustered, then defensive, then raging pissed off.

    Her phone and computer were on 24/7, high alert lock down. One day, she got an unexpected call, and left the house quickly, with her laptop un-locked. Which, she didn’t realize was set to back up her phone.

    I found the mother lode of explicit pics/videos, she was sending to her AP. They were video chatting, and she would mount her phone on the bathroom mirror, and they would “perform” for each other.

    Needless to say, I’ve moved on.

    Artistic_Split_3581 Report

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    #36

    He started calling me more often, which was unusual. This was so I would not call him, like because we already talked.

    Helpful-Ad-6408 Report

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    #37

    The power cord was incorrectly wrapped around my electric razor. Think about it....

    mordecai5fingerbrown Report

    kikinlivi
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've never been the other guy, but I can't imagine using #1's stuff. It almost seems like a deliberate insult.

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    #38

    When I saw he stopped using social media around me (especially instagram). I grew suspicious of it and I asked him politely if we can watch reels together on this account. He refused immediately and turned off his phone. It's been 1 yr since I ended that relationship. Never felt better. Found out about the other girl eventually by the end.

    aggressive_waffle Report

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    #39

    He got really mean about random, petty [things] - I could literally do nothing "right" by the end. I now know he was looking for things to justify him cheating on me.

    For instance, one day I cooked us breakfast & he got pissy that I hadn't cleaned up the kitchen he "just cleaned" 2 days prior, but he got mad while I was still actively cooking. It was like wth do you expect me to not cook for a week after you clean the kitchen? According to him, not cleaning as I cooked was all the proof he needed that I didn't value him.

    PM_ME_UR_CORNBALLZ Report

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    #40

    -his phone became an extension of his arm. Always having it face down and screen turned away from me. Smirking while texting and just constantly checking his phone in general. Never letting me touch his phone.

    -being very emotionally [toxic] towards me for seemingly no reason

    -coming home later than usual and claiming he had a lot of work to do. Also making excuse to leave the house on the weekend to go to “work” events

    -stopped being intimate with me and rejected me if I ever tried to initiate.

    suburbancheeseburger Report

    Note: this post originally had 71 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.

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