When a marriage turns rocky, some spouses “pull out all the stops” as they try to gather information about whatever they think may help them in a divorce – whether that’s evidence of an affair, secret spending, proof of addiction or something else.
Modern technology has made spying on a spouse not only easy but a common pattern of behavior. It’s now estimated that one out of every five spouses use some form of “spy gear” on their partners in anticipation of a split, legally or not.
While there are multiple ways your spouse could be spying on you, you’re most probably most vulnerable through your phone. Spyware and tracking apps are cheap, and it doesn’t take much technological know-how to install hidden software on a device when a spouse is in the shower or sleeping.
Here are some tell-tale signs your phone is compromised
You should be particularly concerned that your spouse is monitoring your communications when:
- Your phone is slower than normal. Spyware and tracking apps can be resource-intensive. When they’re active, your phone may seem sluggish. If you’re constantly having trouble getting websites to load or there’s a noticeable “lag” when you’re typing or sending messages, you need to investigate.
- Your battery keeps dying. Again, spyware of any sort can take a lot of energy, and that pulls the life out of your battery. If your phone suddenly seems to need charging more often than usual and you don’t think it is due to age, you should ask questions.
- Your data usage is higher than normal. If you’re suspicious, you can check your data usage for a sudden spike. Spyware typically eats up a lot of data because it needs to send all that information it collects to the person in control of the software.
If you think your spouse is using your phone to spy on you, you can try to resolve the problem yourself, take it to an electronic repair store and ask for help or confront your spouse about your suspicions. In the meantime, stop using your phone for anything important.
If your spouse is spying on you, your divorce may get complicated. Seeking legal guidance can help you avoid missteps that can haunt you later in court.