A man in Chongqing, southwestern China, broke up with his girlfriend during a holiday getaway after her phone automatically connected to a hotel WiFi—sparking suspicions of betrayal, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
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The woman, identified only by her surname Li, found herself abruptly single after her boyfriend accused her of being unfaithful during their stay at a hotel in Chongqing over the May Day holiday. According to a report originally aired by Chongqing TV cited by SCMP, the couple had visited the hotel together for the first time when Li’s phone unexpectedly auto-connected to the hotel'sWiFi—raising red flags for her partner.
WiFi connection raises eyebrows
The trouble began when Li, having forgotten her ID card, was attempting to retrieve her digital identification. As she stood at the hotel reception desk, her smartphone automatically connected to the WiFi — a detail her boyfriend immediately noticed.
Since both are locals, he questioned her about whether she had previously visited the hotel with someone else.
{{/usCountry}}Since both are locals, he questioned her about whether she had previously visited the hotel with someone else.
{{/usCountry}}Li said it was her first time visiting the hotel and that she could not explain why her phone had automatically connected to the Wi-fi there, as reported by SCMP.
Despite her insistence, her boyfriend became increasingly suspicious and eventually broke up with her, convinced she had been dishonest.
Li said even her friends doubted her version of events. Feeling insulted and eager to prove her innocence, she did some digging of her own — and discovered a plausible explanation.
She remembered she had previously worked at another hotel in Chongqing that used the same WiFi network name and password.
Li reached out to her ex to explain, but he refused to speak with her and deleted her from his messaging apps. Not seeking reconciliation, Li contacted Chongqing TV to tell her side of the story.
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TV test confirms WiFi quirk
To verify her claim, a reporter from Chongqing TV visited both Li’s former workplace and the hotel she had visited with her ex. The reporter’s phone also auto-connected to the hotel's WiFi— just as Li's had.
Cybersecurity expert Liu, also interviewed by the channel, explained: “It is normal for a smartphone to automatically connect to a new Wi-Fi network if it shares the same username and password as one the device has previously saved.”
He advised users to turn off the auto-connect function to avoid such misunderstandings and potential security risks.