Keeping Your Phone Secret
If you have nothing to hide, there is no reason to keep your phone a secret. Keeping your phone secret from your partner is a big no-no. When you’re in a relationship, you agree that privacy is no longer a primary luxury as when you were single. This doesn’t mean you must go through every app your partner has or be with each other 24/7. But if they need/want to grab your phone for whatever reason, you shouldn’t have a problem with it. This works both ways.
When you’re in a relationship, you commit to being with that person. Don’t put anything on your phone that would jeopardize your relationship. This may include texting other people of the opposite sex, apps, images, videos, etc.
Share your passcode
Most of us have some form of security to unlock our phones. That information should be shared with your partner; why you may ask? You should know your partner’s passcode/password in an emergency to get into their phone. It’s usually not an emergency, and you are asked to text/call someone from their phone. If you have trust issues in a new relationship, wait until you get more serious and then share your code. You don’t want to share your code with every single person you date. This should (only happen) if you are in an exclusive relationship.
What About my Privacy?
You commit to be one when you enter a relationship. There is no more my, me, I. Your phone should be open for your partner to look through, but it is common courtesy not to snoop around. Couples will interpret privacy differently. Some couples believe there should be no privacy, while others believe they should have all the privacy in the world. There needs to be a happy medium. The line of privacy changes when you enter a relationship. There is no longer zero privacy, and there is no longer all the privacy.
“Privacy and secrecy are two different things” (Stacey Herrera). There is a difference between having privacy and being secretive. There should still be a level of privacy among couples. However, secrets should have no place in a relationship. This might be a topic for another day. Your partner is the one person you should confide in, and if you are keeping secrets from each other, it leads to future relationship problems.
Trust Issues
There is a problem if someone is too secretive or too snoopy. Partners should trust each other enough to let them take their phones without worrying about finding something on there. You shouldn’t worry when leaving your phone out. Doing so will often make you look shady or give the impression that you’re hiding something. Furthermore, partners should develop enough trust to talk things out. Going through your partner’s phone because you suspect something isn’t the right way to go about things. Talk things out, especially when they are difficult topics.
Reference
Stacey Herrera, 2022. 3 Reasons Why Privacy Is Important in Romantic Relationships. https://medium.com/hello-love/3-reasons-why-privacy-is-important-in-romantic-relationships-39682e7d19a#:~:text=Privacy%20means%20being%20entitled%20to,helps%20build%20trust%20and%20intimacy.