My Boyfriend Won’t Delete Pictures Of His Ex; if you are hurt and don’t know how to handle the situation, this article is for you.
I remember when my then girlfriend, now my ex, wanted to call her ex.
She wrote the number from her memory. I was like, wow, what is happening here? I didn’t pay much attention to it.
But one day, I accidentally bumped into a secret folder in her phone that had only pictures of her ex; as if that was not enough, I also discovered that she had been chatting with him.
It was hurtful because the more I tried to make her pay attention to our relationship, the more fights we had until one day when I took the obvious decision to quit.
If you are in a relationship where your boyfriend has refused to delete the pictures of his ex or has a hidden folder where he kept all her pictures, then this article is for you.
But first, why is he refusing to delete the pictures?
There are many possible reasons, but I would share a few.
My Boyfriend Won’t Delete Pictures Of His Ex: Why He Won’t Delete Them
1. He Still Has Feelings For Her
Having feelings for her is the obvious one.
He still has feelings for her and possibly dreams of getting back together with her someday.
So many people want to get back together with their ex.
In fact, according to statistics, 44% of Americans have gotten back together with their ex, and your boyfriend might want to join them.
Pictures of his ex are not enough to conclude he still has feelings for her.
There are other signs, such as He visits her consistently,
They often talk about their past and how they made a mistake breaking up,
He’s always laughing when chatting with her, and they call each other soul mates.
If your boyfriend does the things above, he still has strong feelings for her and might leave you soon.
2. He Doesn’t Have Closure.
It’s possible your boyfriend still has photos of his ex because of how the relationship ended.
Maybe he didn’t know what went wrong and why the relationship ended suddenly.
When people don’t get the closure they need, they find it difficult to move on and won’t discard personal items of their ex, like pictures.
If your boyfriend’s ex broke up with him suddenly and he’s yet to find out what he did wrong, that might be why he’s keeping the pictures.
He’s yet to get over her and the breakup.
3. He Thinks It’s Not Important
Some guys think the picture of their ex means nothing and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
A guy who took lots of pictures with his ex might not see any valid reason to delete them because it’s just a picture and reminds him of fun places and things they did.
If your boyfriend is not doing anything suspicious with her, you can ignore it.
4. He Not That Proud Of You
Yeah, I know it hurts, but it could be the reason.
Maybe he feels his ex is hotter than you, and he would rather have her pictures on his phone than yours.
If you find your boyfriend fantasizing about his ex’s pictures, that could be a sign he’s not satisfied with you and prefers his ex.
If he keeps saying his ex is so hot and refuses to delete her pictures, that’s proof he’s still fantasizes about her.
5. They Have A Baby Together.
If your boyfriend has a child with his ex, they would have a lot of family pictures that he might not want to delete.
If they had a child, it means they share a lot that you might not be able to get him to delete quickly.
Guys like to keep family pictures for future reference.
All the memories they share would be difficult for him to erase just like that.
If he’s not actively pursuing his ex for a comeback, and it’s obvious he has moved on, then you can ignore the pictures.
Although they might no longer be together doesn’t mean they didn’t do fun things as a couple that they would both want to keep because of the child.
My Boyfriend Won’t Delete Pictures Of His Ex: The Actions You Can Take
6. Talk To Him About It
The goal of every relationship is to make each other happy.
If you are unhappy that your boyfriend is still keeping the photos of his ex, let him know.
It all comes down to communicating your feelings and making him aware.
Let him know keeping photos of his ex-girlfriend hurts you, and you are not okay with it since the relationship has ended.
7. Will He Be Okay If You Acted The Same Way
Of course, I know he wouldn’t be okay with it.
He would lash out at you and probably accuse you of cheating.
If he doesn’t tolerate seeing photos of your ex, you shouldn’t tolerate pictures of his ex on his phone.
Part of the responsibility of a relationship is to treat your partner the way you want to be treated.
8. Give Him Sometime
If you’ve spoken with your boyfriend already about having photos of his ex,
And he’s yet to do anything about it, you should be patient and give him some time to decide what he wants.
But if you have given him enough time and he’s not serious about deleting the pictures, you should take action based on the next point.
9. Ignore It Or Breakup
If you’ve spoken with him and he still refuses to delete the pictures of his ex, you can ignore it.
Only if it doesn’t threaten your relationship and your boyfriend isn’t showing any signs of cheating.
But if you are uncomfortable and it’s beginning to affect your self-esteem, you should quit and find someone else who wouldn’t give you much trouble.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Normal For Your Boyfriend To Keep Pictures Of His Ex?
It depends. If your boyfriend had a baby with her, it might be difficult to delete all the pictures because they capture irreplaceable moments of happiness.
A guy who genuinely wants to heal from his past relationship should not have pictures of his ex all over his phone,
Except he’s not yet over her and hopes to someday return to her.
Should My BF Delete Pictures Of His Ex?
Except if a baby or a memorable vacation is involved, I see no reason he won’t delete it.
Things like that cause unnecessary tension in a relationship and make it difficult for your boyfriend to heal and love you the way he ought to.
What Do I Do About A Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Delete Pictures Of His Ex On Facebook?
The only thing you can do is to ask him to delete them if it makes you uncomfortable. But if he refuses based on specific reasons that make sense, such as baby or family vacation pictures, then you can ignore it.
Otherwise, he should delete them, and if he refuses, you should be on your way out of the relationship.
Should I Ask My Partner To Delete His Ex’s Photos On His Phone
Asking your boyfriend to delete the photos of his ex would make you sound insecure.
I would recommend you talk to him about it and let him decide what to do with the pictures of his ex.
You can either ignore it or quit the relationship if he still doesn’t do anything about it.
Boyfriend Still Has Loads Of Pictures Of His Ex On Instagram. Should I Be Upset?
Yes, that’s enough to upset anyone. Imagine if you were the one that has lots of your ex’s pictures; won’t your guy be upset?
Talk to him and make him know you are uncomfortable with pictures of his ex on Instagram, then listen to what he has to say.
If he apologizes and removes them, he values your feelings, but if he ignores you, that’s a sign he’s not yet over his ex.