Topics: Technology, Sex and Relationships, Phones, iPhone, Apple, WhatsApp, Snapchat
A woman has lifted the lid on the secret but common apps cheaters may be using to conceal their infidelity.
According to a YouGov poll, an eye-watering 33 percent of Americans who have been in monogamous relationships say they have cheated on their partners.
And with the likes of the state-of-the-art technology sitting in our back pockets, of course there are apps designed with tech-savvy cheats in mind to help them conceal their disloyalty in plain sight.
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Now, Daily Mail journalist, Libby Galvin, has found out some of the most common apps cheating spouses use to keep their messages and dirty secret... well, secret.
Apparently, two calculators on your partner's iPhone should ring alarm bells as some apps can be disguised as the run-of-the-mill essential apps that come with the phone.
Galvin said these apps may look innocent on the surface, but are actually a secret portal to hide photos, videos and even contacts.
One such app is called Calculator#, and you need a password or key of some kind to gain access.
Not only that but it has a 'panic button' so users can drop out of the app almost instantly if someone so much as steals a glimpse at the screen.
Android users aren't safe either, with Calculator Pro+ working more or less in the same way.
Galvin said LGBTQ+ dating apps such as Grinder also permits its users to change its icon to 'discreet' alternatives, one of which looks like a blue and grey calculator icon.
Avid investor or not, Galvin says it's worth checking to see if those stock market apps are really what they say they are.
An app called Vaulty, which can hide porn, nude snaps and more, can actually disguise itself as a stock market app, offering several icon options.
But it's risky to even peek at as the app will take a selfie of you and save it to the secret photo stream if you try to guess the password and fail. So your efforts to thwart your partner will turn right back on you immediately.
While WhatsApp appears innocent enough with many of using the instant messaging technology to keep up to date with friends, family and the group chat, Galvin says it has a hidden 'locked chats' function.
The secret folder is encrypted and accessible through passwords or face recognition, and actively hides them away from the rest of the app's conversation history.
It can only be revealed by scrolling up on the home screen.
WhatsApp wrote in a tongue-in-cheek blog post: "We think this feature will be great for people who have reason to share their phones from time to time with a family member or those moments where someone else is holding your phone at the exact moment an extra-special chat arrives."
Sneaky.
There are other messaging apps like WhatsApp that are even more secure, reports Galvin, such as Signal which uses fingerprints and/or password verification.
This one is even harder to rumble, however, as it has self-destructing and disappearing messages once the two parties conversing have seen each other's texts.
Telegram works in similar ways while Galvin warns Snapchat on an adult man's phone is a 'billowing red flag' in itself.
However, it has stood the test of time as one of the most popular apps to exchange inappropriate messages or photographs without leaving a crumb of evidence.
Viber is another one to watch out for as voice calls can be made through the app without leaving a trail - as can its hidden and secret chat features.
A surprising number of people have built legitimate relationships having met on video games - and even the games we have on our phones, like Words With Friends.
However, some might be using the app to speak to their secret mistress or sparking a new relationship, Galvin warns.
Finally, the reporter says CoverMe is another one to be mindful of as while it doesn't advertise for cheaters specifically, it does offer a second phone number to help its users keep secrets.
Galvin said it acts like a 'burner phone' to allow users to send a text or make a call from a different number - and the app locks when the phone is shaken.
