Pocketing is keeping a partner hidden from your friends, family, and social life as if tucked away out of sight.
Pocketing means dating someone while keeping them separate from the rest of your world. You spend time together privately but never introduce them to the people who matter to you.
It can look like no group hangouts, no meeting the family, no shared plans with friends, and no mentions that publicly acknowledge the relationship. The person stays in your “pocket,” out of view.
Sometimes it reflects early caution or a need for privacy, but ongoing pocketing often signals doubt about the relationship’s future or discomfort being seen with that partner. It overlaps with stashing, where a partner is hidden specifically from your online life.
If months pass and you still have not met anyone in their life, ask directly about it. A partner who values you will want to fold you into their world over time, not keep you tucked away indefinitely.