GettyA woman discovered her boyfriend had Tinder after he sent her an incriminating screenshot.
Usually, people in committed relationships don’t have a need for dating apps.
If you’ve only just started seeing each other, then fair enough. It’s fine to hang on to Tinder, or whatever your app of choice is, for the first couple of dates just in case it all goes up in flames, then you can quickly get yourself back on the market.
But once things start to get serious, or in the case of my brother who has a bit of a God-complex, when you’ve narrowed down everyone you’ve been stringing along to one successful candidate, it’s time to delete the app.
GettyIf you still have Tinder and actively use it after a year of being in a ‘committed’ relationship, well, you’re a terrible person or the subject of a Louis Theroux documentary.
This particular 26-year-old woman found out her boyfriend was in fact one of these terrible people, and turned to Reddit for some advice on how to handle the situation.
Choosing to remain anonymous, the suspicious girlfriend explained her 23-year-old boyfriend had Tinder before they got together, but ‘uninstalled it and deleted his profile when [the] relationship got serious’.
After dating for a year, the boyfriend sent his girlfriend a screenshot. She didn’t say exactly what the screenshot was of; maybe a cute animal or funny meme he’d thought would be nice to share.
Unfortunately the man had failed to clear his notifications before sending the screenshot, and his girlfriend spotted the tell-tale Tinder logo glaring away in the notification bar.
Rather than creating a fake profile and trying to catch him out on Tinder (which I probably would have done), the woman confronted him and asked about the notification.
In her Reddit post, the woman explained her boyfriend insisted he didn’t actually have the app, but rather said his phone had a virus which kept sending him notifications from previously installed apps.
A likely story. This actually could be about my brother, to be honest. I wouldn’t put it past him.
The worst part is, Tinder isn’t the only dating app the guy had been having ‘issues’ with – Happn had also been sending him notifications.
I’m sure lots of people would love a virus which floods you with notifications about potential dates.
The Reddit user explained the notification was encouraging the Tinder user to link Bitmoji, writing:
I understand that maybe he could’ve forgotten to delete the app but the fact that he won’t just tell me this way instead of pretending there is a virus on his phone bothers me.
We’ve had trust issues before so it’s hard for me to believe this story. Is there is anyway he could be telling the truth ? Oh and yea, Tinder is not the only dating app he got issues with Happn, is also one of them.
I’ll also add that bitmoji was introduced into Tinder on Jul 2018 so there must have been an exchange between his phone and the updated app. Therefore Tinder must have been on his phone… Right ? [sic]
I think she should probably just pack her bags now. Or use my cunning plot of creating a fake Tinder profile – though she’d have to be weary of not ending up on Catfish.
Many Reddit users agree the man was lying about the virus and offered some kind words of advice for the worried girlfriend.
One supportive commenter responded:
Sweetheart, he’s the virus.
PixabayAnother said such a virus doesn’t actually exist, writing:
I work with computers and phones, no such thing as a virus that sends notifications of previously installed apps. Props to him for being creative tho.
Hopefully she swiped left on that relationship.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to [email protected].
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.