How to Fake a Boyfriend or Girlfriend (Without Catfishing)

Get nosy people off your back with these stealthy tips

Making a Fake Partner

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Benefits of Being Single

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Tips

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Warnings

Maybe you’re tired of being the only single person in your friend group, or you’re looking for an effective way to deflect attention away from your current relationship status (or sexuality). We’ll walk you through some subtle but effective ways to create the perfect partner persona so friends, loved ones, and acquaintances can stop bothering you. You don’t have to create a ruse, though—we’ll also cover some benefits of being single to you feel empowered as you proudly embrace the single life.

Things You Should Know

Give your fake partner a name and age, along with a general backstory (like where they went to high school or college).
Give them some personality traits, as well as a few flaws. This way, the persona is more convincing.
Refrain from making a fake social media account for your fake boyfriend, as this goes into catfishing territory.

Section 1 of 2:

Creating a Fake Persona

1
Pick a name and age for your fake partner. Start by coming up with the barebones information for your fake significant other—a good place to start is by picking a name and age for them. As a general rule of thumb, stick with names that aren’t too out of the ordinary but also aren’t too plain, either. To keep things convincing, try picking an age that’s pretty close to your own.
- Try picking either a last name or a first name that is fairly common while having the other name be a little less common. For instance, Joe Smith might be too plain, while Alberto Merryweather may be too much. You can mix them up to generate better results, like Joe Merryweather or Alberto Smith.
2
Set up the background story. Flesh out your partner’s backstory by giving them a profession, as well as a hometown, college, and high school. Don’t go too overboard with this, though—if their background is really elaborate, other people might catch onto the ruse.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Try lightly basing your partner off someone you met in the past, like an old high school acquaintance or your old lab partner from college.
- Make sure to change some details around—with social media, it’s easier to be called out if you use someone's exact background.
3
Create a personality for your partner. If you’re planning on faking some texts from your fake partner, you’ll need to know how he communicates. Are they outgoing and flirtatious, or are they a little more reserved and nerdy? Understanding their personality is a key part of selling their fake persona.
- Try to imagine how this person would act on the internet. Would they use tons of emojis, or speak with perfect grammar?
- Think about one of your favorite characters, whether from a book, movie, or television series. Think about the traits that the character has, and use that to create a personality for your partner.
- Come up with some likes and dislikes, such as favorite foods and books or least favorite movies. The more you about them, the better!
4
Give your fake partner a few flaws. As fun as it might be to pretend that you’re dating a supermodel bodybuilder, that scenario might not be super convincing to the people around you. Instead, give your partner some realistic traits and flaws to help bring them back down to earth.
- For example, maybe your partner has a terrible fear of heights or is allergic to peanuts.
- Warning: Don’t create a fake social media account for your boyfriend. This is borderline catfishing, where someone makes a fake social media profile to pretend to be someone else (often used to scam/fake date someone).^{[2]XResearch source}
5
Talk about your partner like they’re real. Little stories and extra details are an essential part of selling the ruse. Mention a date you went on recently, or talk about how they’re away on a business trip for work.
- For instance, you could say, "My boyfriend and I had the best time this weekend. We decided to go see that new movie. Have you seen it yet?"
6
Answer any questions people have about your fake partner. When you mention your fake partner for the first time, people will definitely have questions. Expect a few familiar ones, like “How did you meet?” or “How long have you been together?” Comfortably and confidently answer these questions so no one suspects a thing.
- If someone asks “How did you meet?”, you might say “We matched on Bumble” or “We met at a party.”
- If you come to a question you can't answer off the top of your head, change the subject. You could say, "Oh that's enough about my guy, what about yours?"
7
Ask a friend for help. If you want to seem like you're texting your partner in a particular situation, ask your friend to send you texts. Change their name to your fake partner’s name in your phone and have the friend text you as needed as that person.
- You could also have pretend phone conversations to help sell it. Just make sure you use a male friend in case the person you're with can overhear you.
- These conversations don't need to be elaborate. For instance, you could have a 5-minute conversation to set up plans for later or decide who's picking up the milk for dinner.
8
Use an app to sell your story. For iPhone users, an app like Kurved makes it easy to manufacture screenshots of texts and other digital conversations with your beau. Google Play offers apps with similar features, like Fake Messenger - Fake Chat and Fake Chat Conversation - prank.
- Unfortunately, the popular “Invisible Girlfriend” and “Invisible Boyfriend” apps from the mid-2010s are no longer available for download.
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Section 2 of 2:

Benefits of Being Single

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You realize what you’re capable of when you’re single. While it’s perfectly healthy and great to tackle difficulties with a partner, handling problems solo really shows you what you’re made of. When you’re single, you’re the only person you have to rely on is yourself—and that can be a really powerful feeling!^{[3]XResearch source}
- If you’re struggling a bit with your self-confidence, jot down what you’re good at, as well as what you’ve accomplished lately. If you’re struggling, ask a trusted friend or loved one to share traits about you.^{[4]XTrustworthy SourceCleveland ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source}
2
You can figure out your long-term goals. It’s not always easy to get in touch with yourself when you’re part of a long-term, committed relationship. When you’re single, you have the unique opportunity to really define your values and priorities so you can best figure out what you want in life. Ask yourself questions like:^{[5]XResearch source}
- What am I happy with in my life right now? What could I fix?
- Where do I want to be 5 years from now? 10 years?
- What are my most important morals and principles?
- What is the most meaningful change I can make to my life right now?
3
You don’t have to worry about the pain of a breakup. There’s no getting around it—relationships can be tough, and it can hurt immensely when they come to an end. By embracing the single life, you don’t have to have to worry about any pain and heartbreak on your imminent horizon.^{[6]XResearch source}
- With that being said, you shouldn’t avoid relationships purely because you’re afraid of getting hurt.
4
Being single can be very peaceful. When you’re in a relationship, it’s not just about you—it’s about balancing your needs and wants with that of another person. Being single takes away a lot of the extra stress that automatically comes with dating someone else, and it can be nice to only have your own struggles and difficulties to worry about.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Plus, you don’t have to worry about any arguments or disagreements when you’re single.
Being part of a long-term relationship comes with its fair share of commitments—you have to care for your partner’s needs as well as your own, and you have to properly maintain your relationship and make sure that you and your partner are in a healthy place. When you’re single, you can put your own needs and wants first without worrying about anyone else.^{[8]XResearch source}
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Tips

Don’t panic if people ask you questions about your fake partner. They haven’t necessarily found you out—it’s very likely that they just want to know more about them (what's their name, how they are, where they live, etc.).
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Warnings

Try not to let your relationship go on too long—the longer you and your fake partner are “together,” the more likely you are to slip up. It isn't easy to keep a lie going for a long time!
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Making a fake girlfriend or boyfriend may decrease your chances of getting an actual one. If someone unexpectedly wants to ask you out, they’ll most likely forget it seeing as you're already "taken."
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