TikTok creator Madeleine McAdam has a blunt message for people questioning their relationships: check the phone. McAdam shared the advice in a video captioned “leave no stone unturned.” She added “DIG through their phone” as on-screen text. The clip takes a playful approach to a serious relationship question.
@madeleinemcadam leave no stone unturned
♬ original sound - Madeleine McAdam
McAdam McAdam repeated the advice throughout the clip, telling viewers they "1,000% should" check their partner's phone. She then tells viewers to grab “a shovel and a pail” and inspect the device. McAdam also tells them to check “every nook and cranny.”
TikTok Users Debate Whether Checking a Partner’s Phone Helps
McAdam encourages viewers to investigate apps they might normally ignore. She says people should check anything that could reveal “something sketchy” on a partner’s device. McAdam ends with a simple justification for her advice. “It is literally for our safety,” she says.
Some viewers strongly disagreed with that approach. One user warned, “99.5% of you are going to find something you wish you hadn’t.” They added, “I’d recommend just not looking.” Another commenter offered a stronger warning before anyone starts searching.
“DO NOT DO THIS UNTIL YOU ARE PREPARED TO WALK AWAY FROM THE RELATIONSHIP!!” the user wrote. A second comment described a longer investigation. The user said they checked their partner’s phone repeatedly and still missed something. Their experience highlighted how difficult thorough phone searches can become.
“I had went through his phone multiple times,” the user wrote. They said they eventually found “a singular email” from years earlier. The comment claimed they discovered it after three years together.
Other users got specific about where someone could look. One person suggested checking battery settings to see which apps consume the most power. They also recommended checking the App Store for apps missing from the device. “You’ll see if they’re deleting and redownloading,” the user claimed.
Another user pointed viewers toward Screen Time for additional information. “Go on screen time it’ll show what websites he’s been on and for how long xx,” they wrote. That comment shifted the discussion toward detailed digital investigation. However, not everyone saw phone access as an automatic relationship violation.
One commenter questioned why people objected to checking a partner’s phone. “If you have nothing to hide, then why is it a problem?” they asked. The response captured a different view of digital privacy. The user connected phone access with openness and trust.
McAdam’s video presents phone-checking as a form of relationship investigation. Her viewers offered competing experiences, warnings and practical suggestions. Some users urged people to avoid looking unless they could handle what they might find. Others argued that partners should not treat their phones as completely private spaces.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the personal experiences described by commenters in this video. The details above reflect the account shared on TikTok by @madeleinemcadam and the comments on that post.
