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25 Signs of Instagram Cheating: How to Catch a Cheating Partner?

April 10, 2024

Do you suspect infidelity in your relationship? Are you worried your partner is using Instagram to cheat on you? What is Instagram cheating, and is this something your partner is doing? 

It can be simple to learn how to catch someone cheating on Instagram. You might need to monitor your partner’s Instagram activity over a period of time or watch your partner’s phone habits before you can safely say that he or she has been caught cheating.

Luckily, this article will walk you through 25 signs that will help you catch a partner cheating on you or at least determine if this is a problem. Whether it is on Instagram or on other social media apps, it is never fun to find evidence that there’s cheating in your relationship.

Let’s look at clear signs your partner is cheating on Instagram - the red flags that will point you in the best direction on this topic.

Table of Contents

How to Catch Someone Cheating on Instagram (Signs to Monitor)

There are several drawbacks to being on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook so much. For example, we can connect on many different levels. We can communicate silently with ex-partners on Instagram. We can make comments without our partners knowing about it. 

It is so easy to flirt or add new people to our list of followers. In fact, you could say that it is inevitable that some people end up cheating, thanks to Instagram. It’s simply too irresistible for them, too much of an opportunity to pass up on. 

With a platform like Instagram, you can easily search for people in your past and talk to them privately. 

Of course, not everyone decides to cheat on our partners. But it does help to know the signs. So just how do you catch someone cheating on Instagram?  

What exactly should we be looking out for? What are the signs of a cheating partner? 

If you want to know how to catch a cheater on Instagram, be sure to read on for the signs to look out for. 

1. They are secretive about their phone

The first sign your partner might be cheating on social media is when they start being secretive with their phone. If you don’t have anything to hide, you won’t suddenly slam your laptop down when your partner enters the room.

If you’re not cheating, you certainly won’t turn your phone over to hide your texts. Also, you don’t go into another room to make phone calls. If you find your partner is whispering on their phone in the bathroom with the door closed or they frequently text out of sight, watch out. 

2. There is constant liking and commenting on another user’s profile

Does your partner always seem to like or comment on one particular person’s profile or account on social media? This is a sign of infatuation, which could lead to cheating. When we socialize, we interact with several different people. However, when we start falling for one person in particular, we zone everyone out and zoom in on them. 

Paying too close attention to another Instagram profile could mean they are interested in someone new, which leads us to the next point.

3. They are always mentioning someone new

Man looking at his phone

When we fall for someone else, we can’t help but talk about them, even to our current partner. It’s as if our minds are so full of them that our mouths can’t help but talk about them. It doesn’t have to be name-dropping, either.

With these new and sudden changes, is it difficult to get your partner to spend time with you? It could mean they are bored with you. Perhaps, another individual is just piquing their interest more at this moment. If you are struggling to capture their attention, consider having a heart-to-heart talk about how you feel.

4. You feel like they are ignoring your tags and comments

Have you found that your partner has started to ignore comments you make on their Instagram posts? Have they even detagged you from social media pictures? This is a huge red flag and needs to be taken seriously.

What your partner is perhaps saying is that you do not exist in their Instagram world. They are trying to portray themselves as a single person. This is very dangerous and could indicate cheating. You should start immediate action by having a conversation about this very thing. 

5. You don’t text one another like you once did

As well as ignoring your comments on Instagram, you may have noticed that your partner doesn’t really text you anymore. Even though they are spending more and more time on their phone, the activity is not directed toward you

So who exactly is getting all this attention? It is a question that is easily answered. If you have noticed that he or she has started obsessing over someone in particular on Instagram, take a moment to see how many times they are commenting. Speak to them about your concerns.

6. They now post more attractive selfies

Did your pictures on Instagram once look like two people madly in love? Maybe your partner now seems to post really attractive selfies on Instagram. You, on the other hand, are nowhere to be seen.

It’s almost as if they are sending a message to the world, saying, “Look at me; look at how beautiful or handsome I am. Oh, and look at how single I am.” Yikes! You need to sit them down for a good conversation about how they are feeling about your relationship!

7. They are always laughing and giggling on their phone

It’s all very well to find something amusing on your phone, but if it’s that funny, why not share it with your significant other? There’s nothing more irritating than a person sitting in a corner, giggling away on their phone, claiming it’s nothing when you ask what is making them laugh. 

This type of behavior can be quite childish and immature. It is almost selfish if you are doing this to your partner. Instead of acting this way, please go live with the person making you laugh, so your partner does not feel as if they are in the dark.

Use this tool to check whether he actually is who he says he is
Whether you're married or have just started seeing someone, infidelity rates are on the rise and have increased over 40% in the last 20 years, so you have all the right to be worried.

Perhaps you want to know if he's texting other women behind your back? Or whether he has active Tinder or dating profile? Or worse yet, whether he has a criminal record or is cheating on you?

This tool will do just that and pull up any hidden social media and dating profiles, photos, criminal records, and much more to hopefully help put your doubts to rest.

8. You catch them communicating late into the night

This is described as a form of 'micro-cheating' and is the thin line between harmless flirting and unfaithful behavior. Talking or texting people other than your spouse or partner is considered to be unfaithful by most women.

Other forms of unfaithful communication include romantic emojis, liking someone’s pictures on Instagram, or even just having an ‘inside joke’ with a person that is not your partner. One thing that is suspect here, in particular, is the fact that this behavior happens late at night.

This is because we are often most devious at night (or at least that’s what modern media suggests). When it is late, we experience decision fatigue. That means that our brains are not working as well as they were when we first woke up. It’s easy to make bad choices at night.

9. They are always adding new attractive ‘friends’

We all have new people come into our lives now and then, but does your partner always seem to add attractive or good-looking friends - people you do not know? Perhaps this is happening quite a bit.

Chances are he or she is on the hunt for some inappropriate activity via Instagram. There’s something a bit dodgy about a person who is already in a relationship but is continually adding people based on their profile picture to their friend list. 

There is a good chance that they are looking to these nice-looking people to do more than discuss quantum physics. They are hoping for something new and exciting! Make sure you have a conversation with your love about their antics, deciding what you will and won’t tolerate.

10. They begin liking very old Instagram posts

This is a sign of a person trawling through someone’s Instagram account for hours and hours. When a person likes a post or picture on Instagram that is very old, you must remember that it takes a long time to get to that particular post. 

You have to be pretty invested in people to want to spend that much time looking through their Instagram account.

This is the obsessive behavior of someone who is infatuated with someone else. This is called deep-surfing, especially if they then publicly like it. You might as well fly an airplane over their house with a message stating your love for them. It would be just as subtle. 

11. Their phone is stuck to them like glue

Man addicted to his phone

Remember the days when your partner could never find his or her smartphone, and you always had to tell them where it was? Well, maybe those days are over. Now your better half is never without their phone. 

Actually, these days their phone is locked with a passcode or turned off at night. Before, you would even swap phones or take your partner’s phone if you wanted to share stuff online. Now it’s hands-off. 

This kind of protective behavior gives you the indication that they are trying to hide something from you. It would be wise to find out what that “thing” is before they break your heart by cheating on you or making you out to be quite the fool.

12. There are strange contacts listed on their phone

If you manage to pry the phone away from your partner’s grubby hands, take a quick look at their ‘contacts.’ Are there entries that just consist of a single letter or number?

Are there contacts such as ‘John Window Cleaner’ or ‘Mike IT Guy?’ Do you know for a fact that you don’t have a window cleaner, and your partner has no need for an IT guy?  

Someone with something to hide will certainly get creative in this way. They might disguise the person’s name like this or come up with a totally new system. To get inside their head, you’ll need to think like a cheater or ask your partner who these people are. Get them to talk.

13. Your partner only follows Instagram accounts of the opposite sex

Have you ever wondered why your better half only ever wants to follow the social media accounts of people who are of the opposite sex? This is called “being on the back burner.”

If a person in a relationship forms many relationships with others in the hopes of having a good backup plan, they are trying to keep their options open in the event that something goes wrong in their current relationship. 

It’s not that they think anything will. But they like to think they have options. The problem with these back-burner relationships is that they often occur behind a keyboard. In this atmosphere, we can take our time to formulate the best responses. We can showcase our best selves or a version that we like better - something fake. 

14. You find that they refuse to add you to their Instagram account

Long ago, I had a boyfriend who would not add me to his social media account, and I later discovered that he was cheating on me the whole time. I should’ve seen the signs.

15. They seem to have unhealthy boundaries with complete strangers

If their boundaries are not in place with even strangers, what are they saying to those who are striving to get their attention through flirting?

16. They will not even allow you to touch their phone

Couple fighting about a tablet

I have seen this behavior truly reveal damaging results. It’s often best to share most everything with your partner.

17. You see that they never reply to your Instagram comments

If they are not paying attention to you, there might be a reason behind it. Have a good talk about this to determine what’s going on.

18. You feel as though you are coming in second place to their phone

This is never a fun feeling in a relationship. Be sure you are a priority in their life.

19. Talking on Instagram is common practice in every conversation

This means there is an obsession in this person’s life. Get things balanced and under control with your man or woman to determine their intentions in your relationship. Do they even know you still exist?

20. You are not on the same page when it comes to social media boundaries

If you frequently feel like you are not clicking with your partner when it comes to the amount of time you spend on social media, you should have a talk about this right away. Introduce a third party if you need to.

21. They often compare you to people they admire on Instagram

This can lead to low self-esteem and even damaging results in your relationship. Be sure to let your man know how you truly feel about this.

22. They forget that they have not told you the “story” or “inside joke”

If they frequently chat with you about things as though you already know what they are talking about, they are sharing their heart with someone else

23. They have become much less attentive to your needs

Do you feel neglected? Do you feel as if you do not matter anymore? Maybe you are feeling like you are coming in second place to everything. Have a chat with your boyfriend about this.

24. They ensure their phone is always properly charged so that they can get on Instagram

This can be very annoying, so be sure to discuss boundaries with your partner. Make sure you are on the same playing field.

25. They follow and interact with their ex on Instagram too much

Relationships with exes can be very damaging. Consider setting some boundaries here to ensure that you do not end up with jealous or inappropriate behavior.

FAQs

What is Instagram DM cheating?

DM refers to direct messaging. That means talking one-on-one with another individual. Of course, when a new partner is introduced to your relationship, this could be a red flag that they are an Instagram cheater, but this is not always the case. Be open and really honest with one another.

Do you need to know how to spy on your boyfriend on Instagram?

Sometimes, when in a healthy relationship, you need to show a great deal of trust - an amount of trust that far exceeds the amount in your comfort zone. Consider spending time talking with your partner in order to see if they are trustworthy and to feel more comfortable letting down your guard.

If not, you might, as a last resort, consider a background-checking tool like Instant Checkmate that will perform a thorough and confidential scan of your partner’s recent communications and provide you with the necessary information. 

It will reveal who he has been in frequent communication with, whether he has been using dating apps, and if he has any undisclosed contact information, among other things. 

Which social media accounts are used for cheating?

Cheating on Instagram used to be very popular, but with the rise of other social media apps, it is easy to find out if your partner is straying without much effort at all. Plus, there are obvious signs that don’t involve an Instagram account. Do they put away their phone quickly when you approach? Yikes!

How does the opposite sex know you are cheating online?

If you post photos of yourself with another individual and your partner sees them, it will not be a good sign that your relationship will see success. Attractive photos of couples tend to make others believe they are romantically involved, not just new friends. People often jump to conclusions!

What will happen if you learn how to catch your boyfriend cheating on social media?

If you discover many ways to catch your special someone cheating on Instagram, you’ll likely suspect the worst. You might not just think they are cheating on Instagram; perhaps you’ll think they are unfaithful via Whatsapp, Snapchat, or through text messages.

Conclusion

Do you now know how to catch a cheating partner on Instagram? Are you prepared for the worst?

If you think your spouse or partner is cheating on Instagram, did any of my above signs help you spot them? If so, please feel free to share my signs with your friends or anyone who might benefit from this information. 

Utilize this tool to verify if he's truly who he claims to be
Whether you're married or just started dating someone, infidelity rates have risen by over 40% in the past 20 years, so your concerns are justified.

Do you want to find out if he's texting other women behind your back? Or if he has an active Tinder or dating profile? Or even worse, if he has a criminal record or is cheating on you?

This tool can help by uncovering hidden social media and dating profiles, photos, criminal records, and much more, potentially putting your doubts to rest.

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