11 Shady Things Partners Do When They’re Secretly Flirting with Someone Else

Unspoken signs that your partner may be cheating on you.

No one is immune to the flirtation bug.

We’ve all been there. You spot someone across the room and suddenly, you can’t take your eyes off them. You start thinking about how cute they are, what their voice sounds like, and whether or not they’re single.

Before you know it, you’re sending out all the signals of someone who is interested in getting to know the other person better.

And while flirting is a normal and healthy part of any relationship, there are some shady things partners do when they’re secretly flirting with someone else.

If you’ve ever wondered if your partner might be secretly flirting with someone else, here are eleven signs to look out for.

1. They’re Always on Their Phone

When your partner is constantly glued to their phone, it can be a sign that they are flirting with someone else. If you find yourself spending each night waiting for them to get off their phone so you can spend time together without the constant distraction of their screen, it’s time to have a talk.

If they seem to always be chatting with someone or getting bombarded by texts, it’s a good idea to ask them who they’re talking to. And if they refuse to tell you, that can be a sign of something shady going on behind your back.

Flirting with someone else is likely the last thing they want to tell you, and if they refuse to come clean and talk about it with you, it’s better to take a critical look at the relationship.

2. They’re Acting Suspiciously Shy

When someone is flirting with another person, it can be hard for them to hide their feelings. If your partner has been acting shy or jumpy around someone else, it could be a sign that they’re into them.

If you find yourself trying to get your partner to open up about their behavior, but they keep deflecting your questions, it’s time for the two of you to have an open and honest conversation.

You don’t want to jump the gun and accuse them of cheating, but you also don’t want to ignore any red flags.

3. They’re Always Making Excuses to Leave

If your partner keeps making excuses to leave your time together or break plans with you, then they could be trying to spend more time with someone else behind your back. It doesn’t mean that they’re cheating on you, but they could be trying to see someone else without your knowledge.

4. They Suddenly Want to Spend All Their Time with You

If your partner always seems like they want to spend all their time with you and are constantly telling you that they love you, it could be because they’re getting ready to break up with you.

While it might sound crazy that someone would want to spend all of their time with you right before they end the relationship, it’s actually a pretty common tactic.

If someone else comes into the picture while your partner is still trying to make things work with you, they could be using intimacy as a way of keeping you around until they can make their escape.

Of course, this tactic could also mean that they’ve already started seeing someone else and are trying to make you think that it’s because of them when in reality, the breakup was coming along way before you got involved.

Don’t let yourself fall into this trap and go through all the pain for nothing. Leave them, if only so you can move on with your life.

5. They Can’t Stop Talking About Them Behind Their Back

When someone is flirting with you, it’s only human nature to want to brag about it and talk about how cute they are with your friends. And while you might not be ready to admit that there is something going on between the two of you, your partner might be.

If you’re constantly bringing up your secret crush and telling everyone who will listen how cute they are, it could be because you feel guilty about cheating on your partner and want to let them know that there’s someone else on the line so they don’t get mad when they find out what’s going on.

It might not be the best way to deal with your guilt, but it could be an attempt at getting back together.

For the partner cheating on their significant other, this can be a way of trying to see if they’re still interested in them or if they should move forward without them.

If you find your partner constantly talking about their crush behind your back about how cute they are, it’s time to think about whether or not you want to be with them anymore.

6. They Keep Changing the Subject When You Try to Talk About Your Relationship

If your partner seems like they’re always avoiding talking about the relationship and keeps bringing up other subjects, there might be someone else on their mind. And if they want to keep you happy, they might be more willing to talk about their crush than you.

While it might seem like a compliment that they’re so into someone else that they don’t want to think about being with anyone else, it could also mean that there’s something going on between the two of them.

7. They Don’t Want to Make Plans with You or Spend Time with You

If your partner doesn’t want to make plans with you or spend time with you, it could be because they don’t care about what happens in your relationship. They might even be seeing someone else and still trying to keep you as a backup plan if things don’t work out as planned.

This could also mean that they aren’t ready to let go of their previous relationship and want to have you around in case things don’t work out with them.

If you plan on being friends with your ex, it might be time to break up for good since a friendship isn’t going to happen if someone else is involved.

8. They Ask Questions about the Other Person

Partners who are starting to flirt with someone else often won’t know a lot about where their flirting partner lives or what they do for a living.

Instead, these people ask a lot of questions about this other person in an effort to get to know them better.

If your partner is asking a lot of questions that you don’t normally ask about someone else, take note. It could mean that they’re trying to learn things that will allow them to spend more time with this other person when they’re not around you.

9. They Try to Make Plans for the Future

Another sign that your partner is flirting with someone else is when they start planning future dates with them.

When you’re trying to get to know somebody, it’s not uncommon to talk about going out for a drink or seeing a movie sometime in the near future. However, if your partner seems more interested in suggesting activities with this other person than they do with you, it might be a sign that they’re looking to spend more time with them.

10. They Keep Their Phone Close by at All Times

In today’s day and age, people don’t usually go anywhere without their phone.

However, if your partner seems to have a bit of separation anxiety when it comes to their phone, this could be a sign that they’re flirting with someone else.

In order to keep in touch with the other person while you’re apart, it’s necessary to have your phone on you at all times.

If your partner seems to be attached to their phone more than usual, it might mean that they don’t want to miss the chance of chatting with their new love interest.

11. They Get Defensive When You Ask Where They Were

If you’ve ever received a suspicious phone call or text message, then you know how bad it can make you feel.

This feeling of dread is only heightened when your partner seems particularly defensive about where they were and who they were talking to when you ask them about it.

If your partner seems on edge or accusatory when you ask them where they were, it could be because they’ve been caught hiding something from you.

The Bottom Line

While flirting with someone else is relatively harmless if it doesn’t turn into anything more serious, the main problem with a partner who’s flirting with someone else is that they could be planning to leave you.

If your partner seems interested in talking about their future together and asking questions about another person, it might be time to have a serious conversation about where this relationship is going.

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