Why Does My Boyfriend Take His Phone Everywhere?

My Boyfriend Says Using His Phone in the Bathroom Helps Him Relax

My boyfriend takes his phone into the bathroom as soon as he wakes up. He goes in three or four times a day, and each time, he stays in there for 20 to 30 minutes. He brings his phone every single time.

He also has all his phone notifications turned off. Sometimes he seems uncomfortable if I need to use his phone for a moment. So one day, I asked what he was doing in the bathroom for so long.

He explained that scrolling on his phone in the bathroom is his way of unwinding. He even offered to show me his phone if I was suspicious. I already know his passcode, actually.

But I don't want to search through his phone. His explanation makes sense to me, at least partly. Still, something about it leaves me uneasy. Should I just accept this as an everyday habit?

He Turned Back to Get His Phone Before Taking a Shower

I've been with my boyfriend for over a year, and lately he takes his phone absolutely everywhere. He used to leave it on the couch or in the bedroom. Now he grabs it even when he's just going to the bathroom or kitchen.

The other day, something really stood out. He was on his way to take a shower, then suddenly turned around and went back to the bedroom. Turns out he'd forgotten his phone on the charger. Seriously, does he need it with him even while he's showering?

So I asked him why. He said I was being overly suspicious and trying to start a problem. But I've never gone through his phone behind his back. I don't even want to.

It's just that he never used to do this, and now he does. Am I really overreacting just by asking about it?

He Says He Carries His Phone Everywhere Because He Once Lost It

I've been with my boyfriend for two years. I tend to worry a lot, and sometimes I wonder whether he might be cheating. But I've never actually caught him lying. When he says he's going to see friends, that's what he's doing.

Still, he takes his phone everywhere, even to the bathroom or when he's going to shower. When I asked why, he said he'd lost a phone before, and ever since then he's kept it close.

He doesn't spend all our time together staring at it. He doesn't deliberately hide his screen when he texts, and we watch videos on it together. If I ask to see it, he seems annoyed but still lets me.

That's what makes this so confusing. I want to believe his explanation, but I still notice how rarely he leaves the phone behind. Once, he actually did leave it near me, and I got upset with him about something else. Could that have made him even more careful?

A Conversation Revealed Why He Was So Protective of His Phone

A 24-year-old woman wrote that her boyfriend of four years was extremely protective of his phone. During a double date, he became frightened when a male friend used his phone to play music. Later, he told her that an ex-girlfriend had repeatedly searched his phone without permission, and that he now felt anxious whenever anyone used it. He said he wanted to change and was considering seeing a therapist, although he worried about being able to explain his feelings honestly.

She Found a Webcam Site and Asked Him About It

An 18-year-old woman said her boyfriend took his phone everywhere, including into the shower, and slept with it under his pillow. When she used his phone one night, she found an account on a webcam site. He said he had only been checking whether he remembered a password. Days later, she checked his phone again and asked about a message; he deleted it and became angry. When she tried to discuss his phone secrecy along with other relationship problems, he became angry again and stopped engaging with the conversation. The post did not establish what ultimately happened between them.