Using someone else's iPhone

[ManuCH]

Hey guys,
I've been reading through a lot of the Face ID vs Touch ID discussions, and I see the following argument come up over and over:

"Face ID is a disadvantage because now I need to enter the PIN if I want to unlock my wife's iPhone, while with Touch ID I could store my fingerprint" (or similar).

Now, this is a non-technical thread. I'm just wondering: are you free to access your S.O.'s phone, and vice-versa? I've always considered the phone to be the most personal thing ever, even if you don't have anything to hide, and all the mutual trust in the world. Just as a matter of principle.

How do you see this? Is sharing phones in your relationship something normal? Or are phones considered private? And why?

Discuss

 

[Gryzor]

Whilst I've nothing to hide, nor is there any reason for my partner to have open access to my phone and vice-versa. I'll hand it over for her to flick through pictures or read certain things, then it's handed back. Given how generally speaking our phones are glued to our person, when we are together our phones are too. If hers dies and there's no charger and she needs to use mine to call or text, she can do. I'll unlock and hand it over, but that's a very rare situation given how I've got multiple chargers and cables in the house, at work and in the car.

 

[akash.nu]

Privacy for me comes above everything and everyone. I might not have anything specific to hide but nobody gets access to anything that stores sensitive data that includes my phone and computer and home server.

 

[tromboneaholic]

Hey guys,
I've been reading through a lot of the Face ID vs Touch ID discussions, and I see the following argument come up over and over:

"Face ID is a disadvantage because now I need to enter the PIN if I want to unlock my wife's iPhone, while with Touch ID I could store my fingerprint" (or similar).

Now, this is a non-technical thread. I'm just wondering: are you free to access your S.O.'s phone, and vice-versa? I've always considered the phone to be the most personal thing ever, even if you don't have anything to hide, and all the mutual trust in the world. Just as a matter of principle.

How do you see this? Is sharing phones in your relationship something normal? Or are phones considered private? And why?

Discuss

If you don’t trust your partner with your phone, you chose the wrong partner.

 

[maflynn]

Not only do I let my wife use my phone (though she rarely goes on it), my kids use my iPhone as well.

 

[missbing]

For the people who don’t let there partners have access to their phones, I wonder whose married vs not married.

 

[rugmankc]

For the people who don’t let there partners have access to their phones, I wonder whose married vs not married.

not too sure that matters now days--

 

[arkitect]

My husband is free to use my phone if he needs to.
And vice versa.

 

[rugmankc]

Not only do I let my wife use my phone (though she rarely goes on it), my kids use my iPhone as well.

KIDS, I may have drawn the line there. They are in their mid 40's now. So,not an issue.

 

[Jinkst]

For the people who don’t let there partners have access to their phones, I wonder whose married vs not married.

I did think that too haha.

I'm not married, but have no issue with my partner using my phone. She loves the camera on the X so I often pick my phone up to find many new photos of the pets, photos for her blogs etc. I wouldn't be happy with a stranger using it, nor would I be happy if she was trolling through it for any sensitive information, but just using it for it's features doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Gryzor]

If you don’t trust your partner with your phone, you chose the wrong partner.

Cuts both ways. If you have a partner who doesn't respect your privacy and doesn't believe that you have nothing to hide, you chose the wrong partner. If you need to have access to each others devices to prove there's trust, there's deeper issues elsewhere.

I've absolutely no problem letting my partner use my phone without me being present if she needs to. 99.99% of the time we are together, she'll have her phone with her and use her own anyway. On that phone she has a shared gmail account for our common contacts and and a shared e-mail we can use for odd things. She has Google Play Music that's a family plan, and we share all of our photos via Google Photos. I rarely use social media crap, so only personal stuff left is messages, mostly to people we both know.

Thing is, I don't need or want to know my partners passcode. Just like I don't need or want to know her computer password, or Facebook, or Instagram. It's private information and I completely respect that. By the same token, she doesn't need to know mine, and she respects that too.

 

[tromboneaholic]

Cuts both ways. If you have a partner who doesn't respect your privacy and doesn't believe that you have nothing to hide, you chose the wrong partner. If you need to have access to each others devices to prove there's trust, there's deeper issues elsewhere.

I've absolutely no problem letting my partner use my phone without me being present if she needs to. 99.99% of the time we are together, she'll have her phone with her and use her own anyway. On that phone she has a shared gmail account for our common contacts and and a shared e-mail we can use for odd things. She has Google Play Music that's a family plan, and we share all of our photos via Google Photos. I rarely use social media crap, so only personal stuff left is messages, mostly to people we both know.

Thing is, I don't need or want to know my partners passcode. Just like I don't need or want to know her computer password, or Facebook, or Instagram. It's private information and I completely respect that. By the same token, she doesn't need to know mine, and she respects that too.

I’m not sure why you quoted me, but since you did I’ll reply. It sounds like your partner has something to hide.

 

[rui no onna]

My parents have TouchID access and know the pin to each other's phone and iPad. They almost never use the other's devices, though. They don't share devices but they're able to access each other's just in case it's needed.

I'm the IT person in the family so I have access to their devices and accounts. I'm also the one tasked with remembering their passwords (moreso for my dad than for my mom).

 

[Gryzor]

If you don’t trust your partner with your phone, you chose the wrong partner.

I quoted you because you said that nonsense. You clearly have issues if that's your thinking and attitude. Sounds to me like you've been burned in the past and are the bitter, jealous, negative type out prove something.

My partner and I both completely respect each others privacy, have nothing to hide, and feel no need to prove it because we just trust each other. We use each others phones when passing around and casually looking at stuff of interest from the day. If I wanted to make a phone call, browse the internet, send a text, take a photo, send an e-mail or whatever, why would I use my partners phone? I wouldn't. Why would I pick up her phone to just browse through it? I wouldn't.

It's just one of those things that people use to say "Hey, look how close we are, look how good I am, she can look through my phone whenever she wants." What that really means is, she doesn't believe that you've nothing to hide so you feel you have to prove it.

 

[tromboneaholic]

I quoted you because you said that nonsense. You clearly have issues if that's your thinking and attitude. Sounds to me like you've been burned in the past and are the bitter, jealous, negative type out prove something.

My partner and I both completely respect each others privacy, have nothing to hide, and feel no need to prove it because we just trust each other. We use each others phones when passing around and casually looking at stuff of interest from the day. If I wanted to make a phone call, browse the internet, send a text, take a photo, send an e-mail or whatever, why would I use my partners phone? I wouldn't. Why would I pick up her phone to just browse through it? I wouldn't.

It's just one of those things that people use to say "Hey, look how close we are, look how good I am, she can look through my phone whenever she wants." What that really means is, she doesn't believe that you've nothing to hide so you feel you have to prove it.

I don’t have issues. Is it possible you are projecting?

I share my life with my partner. My phone is inconsequential in comparison.

 

[eyoungren]

There is equal access…with permission, granted for a specific task or thing.

We both have nothing to hide, but we both value our privacy. Just because you have nothing to hide it does not then follow that anyone is allowed to romp through your stuff with no regard.

I know my wife's PIN, but that is because I am the one to fix her problems. I do not know her Apple ID password because I don't use her phone.

She does not know my pin (but could guess) but she has no reason to be using my phone when she has her own.

My kids have their own phones and they know that both of us could demand the phone at any time. We trust them. My son's email comes to my phone and to my wife's phone. We know anything he gets.

I know both of my kids Apple ID passwords and pin code/passphrase.

But I have no cause to be violating my son's privacy for no reason. My daughter is 9 and mainly uses her phone to view Mincraft videos on Youtube.

My wife and I have been married for 20 years.

 

[nburwell]

I answered no since my wife and I don't look at each others phones regularly. However, we both know each other's passcodes to get into each other's respective phones if we need to.

We both trust one another and value privacy. Plus, we do not have anything to hide.

 

[LucyLouie]

I'll throw a different scenario into this poll, which maflynn touched on above. All three of us in the house know each other's passcodes, including our 18-year-old son, who knows ours and we know his. The knowledge of the codes is not forced or even encouraged, either; it just is. Maybe we're all boring, but mostly none of us are suspicious of the other at this point, and we have respect for privacy and leave others' phones alone unless needed to make a call or the like. In our case, perhaps the first sign of trouble will be when one of the three of us locks his/her phone down?

Having said all that, I probably wouldn't be too happy if someone in the house did curiously rifle through my phone for various data, even though there is nothing there of shocking interest.

 

[mbhforum]

My wife and I can get into each other's phone, but we always ask each for permission. Not because we don't trust each other, but there are times where you might be working on a surprise gift and don't want the other to know, etc. By asking for permission, it's a sign of respect for their privacy.

In fact, this morning my wife asked if she can use my iPad to do some shopping. I have a feeling the younger couples probably have more of a privacy rule than some of the older couples who seemed to be more open. I am 39 and my wife is 36, so it would be interesting to see this poll with age attached to it.

 

[fatalogic]

I have access to my partners phone through touch id and she has access to mine but it's more for emergencies or if I have to fix a problem. I was hoping face id would allow you to have multiple faces but that would probably reduce the security considerably. Though maybe they will allow it once the technology improves. I can't imagine them bringing face Id to an ipad with single person access.

 

[44267547]

One thing to take in consideration with someone's significant other of having the access to iPhone if it's locked or secured, would be the need to access certain information inside the phone if there was ever an emergency for contacts or medical information.

I know that doesn't apply to everybody, but I do know those who share their passwords in case they need to access their phones in case they need to contact other family members for an emergency.

 

[DNichter]

I don't care what my girlfriend sees on my phone, and she doesn't care what I see on hers. Relationships are about trust.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I don't really ever have a reason to use my wife's iPhone so I put the last option although we both have touch id on each others phones just in case of emergency - we also share location with Find My Friends and send Waze notifications to each other when we're out and about - of our own free will.

So I should probably change my vote - but I never use her phone unless she asks me to text her friend something and I her while I'm driving.

OK I changed my vote to the top option. lol.

Yeah, if you can't trust your significant other, they have no business being your significant other.

 

[Stereo]

If you don’t trust your partner with your phone, you chose the wrong partner.

Agreed, my gf and I have access to eachother’s social media as well.

 

[ApolloBoy]

Me and my GF don't use each other's phone unless one of us forgets to bring our phone or we need to do something quickly and one of our phones is close by.