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People that have been cheated on reveal the top three ‘subtle signs’ that their partner was being unfaithful

Home> News> Sex & Relationships

Published 16:38 21 Jan 2026 GMT

People that have been cheated on reveal the top three ‘subtle signs’ that their partner was being unfaithful

One is 'a surprisingly good point' which many probably haven't considered...

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

A Reddit thread has revealed the top three 'subtle signs' people spotted which led to them discovering their partner was cheating on them.

A private investigator may have broken down the 20 different signs your partner could be cheating on you, but apparently, there are three behaviours that are pretty recurring.

Whether or not you believe cheating is the worst thing you can do to someone, as an expert has recently revealed there are six other betrayals that are arguably worse, there's no doubt about it that cheating destroys trust, completely disrespects your partner, causes deep emotional pain, and can even establish long-term struggles with trust and self-worth.

So, if there's any advice on how to identify it to help you get the hell out of the relationship if they've not told you about the infidelity yet, a Reddit thread is here to help you.

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The thread r/AskReddit has led to a community coming together to share their experiences of being cheated on in a bid to warn others, users sharing the 'subtle sign' that 'made [them] realize [their] partner was cheating'.

And three signs came out on top.

Is your partner displaying any of these three 'subtle' cheating signs? (Getty Stock Images)
Is your partner displaying any of these three 'subtle' cheating signs? (Getty Stock Images)

Putting more effort into their appearance

In an answer which received over 6,000 upvotes, one user commented: "His clothes.

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

In a heartbreaking admittance, the user continued: "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."

And other users shared similar experiences too, another explaining their ex husband suddenly got 'interested in working out' alongside loving being taken out for 'practically a whole new wardrobe for his birthday'.

"I would have cut holes over all the nipples in every new shirt I had bought for him," a third user wrote. Iconic.

Is your partner suddenly caring about their appearance more? (Getty Stock Images)
Is your partner suddenly caring about their appearance more? (Getty Stock Images)

Obsession with their phone

A user wrote: "The sudden obsession with their phone and suddenly it's always on silent."

While one user questioned whether many don't simply have their phone on silent naturally, another explained it's 'the change in behavior that's noticed'.

"I think the key there is consistency. If you normally have it on silent, no problemo. After months or years of having it on loud and a sudden change in phone loudness is suss," a third echoed.

"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 four years ago," another exemplified.

Is your partner on their phone a lot more? (Getty Stock Images)
Is your partner on their phone a lot more? (Getty Stock Images)

Recent emojis changed on phone

A user wrote: "The recent emojis on the keyboard of the phone were [heart] [broken heart] [lips] [couple] [biting lip]. They were not being sent to me.."

"Exact same happened to me! He was driving us to a friend's BBQ and he asked me send a text, letting the friend know we were on the way. Went to add a smiley face and there they all were," another added.

Another user stressed for people to be mindful and 'take in to account your partner's personal friendships before you just see a kiss emoji and go ape s**t', which, fair enough.

"For example, me and my buddies are the immature dudes who are always [...] sending each other eggplant and kissy emojis, like 'See you in a little bit big boooiiii' when about to meet up for a beer or something," they added.

Either way, the signs are sadly very much real and present, with multiple users reflecting on their past relationships in a new light.

Has their emoji use changed? (Getty Stock Images)
Has their emoji use changed? (Getty Stock Images)

One wrote: "I'm starting to clue in some stuff from my last relationship from a lot of these."

No one deserves to be cheated on. If you have been, it wasn't your fault and it says nothing about you, and everything about the other person.

And remember, if anything ever feels suss, listen to your gut - and these three warning signs from Redditors.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: Reddit, Sex and Relationships, Social Media

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.

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