Expert reveals that this habit could mean your partner is cheating on you

cheating partner
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It can be difficult to spot a cheating partner, and one expert has outlined a seemingly innocent habit that could be a red flag.

If your partner puts their phone face down on a table, it could be a sign that they’re cheating on you, according to one couple therapist.

Melissa Ferrari, a Sydney-based couples therapist, told WHIMN, “A phone that is suddenly placed face down after being years with someone would be a possible red flag.

"The truth is that by the time the phone is switched to silent and face down it means that you have likely missed numerous red flags upon the journey."

Another big red flag is if your partner seems more “distracted”, and “kind of like they are elsewhere”, according to Melissa.

In fact, Melissa believes that if you really suspect that your partner is cheating, then it’s okay to start snooping around and even confiscate their phone.

cheating partner

This innocent habit could be a sign of something more sinister... (Credit: Getty Images)

Whilst some people might frown upon that behaviour, more than half (56 per cent) of cheaters use their mobile phone first and foremost when contacting other partners.

This figure is according to extramarital affair site Ashley Madison, who also revealed that emails came in at 44 per cent and 20 per cent choose to communicate via dating sites.

11 per cent of people even have a secret phone to communicate, separate from their everyday one.

However, placing a phone face down does not automatically mean someone’s cheating, and some users might unconsciously do it with no real meaning behind it.

But others might be doing it because they're being more secretive than normal.

If you are suspicious, we’ve put together the 12 tell-tale signs to look out for in a cheating partner.

These include your friends noticing something, or even the “cheating guilt signs” they might display afterwards.

Lucy Buglass
Digital Writer

Lucy Buglass is a Digital Writer for What's on TV, Goodto.com, and Woman&Home. After finishing her degree in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes University she moved to London to begin her career. She's passionate about entertainment and spends most of her free time watching Netflix series, BBC dramas, or going to the cinema to catch the latest film releases.