Nearly all adults in the United States own a smartphone. Most check the device dozens of times daily while using it for payments, searches, and social media. Data on ownership rates, time spent, privacy concerns, and distracted driving deaths outline the scale of these habits.
Key Takeaways
- In 2024, 99% of adults in the United States own a smartphone, up from 88% in 2019
- In the United States, 97% of adults ages 18–29 own a smartphone
- In the United States, 99% of adults ages 30–49 own a smartphone
- In the U.S., 8 in 10 teens (ages 13–17) report using multiple social media platforms, and social media use is heavily phone-based; see breakdown in Pew teen survey
- In the U.S., 95% of teens say they use YouTube, and many use it via smartphone
- In the U.S., 94% of teens say they use Instagram
- In the U.S., 44% of smartphone owners report using their phone to pay bills
- In the U.S., 36% of smartphone owners use their phone to shop online
- In the U.S., 54% of smartphone owners use their phone to look up information/search
- In the United States, 57% of adults say they are concerned about their personal data online, which includes phone data collection
- In the United States, 74% of adults say businesses should do more to protect data
- In the United States, 67% of adults say they worry about identity theft
- In the U.S., there were 3,308 people killed in crashes involving distracted driving (including cell phone use contributing) in 2022
- In the U.S., in 2022, 3,308 people were killed in crashes involving distracted driving
- In the U.S., 414,000 people were injured in crashes involving distracted driving in 2022
In 2024, nearly all Americans own smartphones and use them daily for internet access and social media.
Related reading
01 · Category
Smartphone Ownership & Usage Rates30 stats
01
In 2024, 99% of adults in the United States own a smartphone, up from 88% in 2019
02
In the United States, 97% of adults ages 18–29 own a smartphone
03
In the United States, 99% of adults ages 30–49 own a smartphone
04
In the United States, 100% of adults ages 50–64 own a smartphone
05
In the United States, 98% of adults ages 65+ own a smartphone
06
In the United States, 97% of cell-phone users say they have a smartphone
07
78% of U.S. adults use a smartphone daily
08
35% of U.S. adults say they are online “almost constantly,” and among those most likely to be smartphone-dependent is higher; see Pew’s “almost constant” online access context
09
In the United States, 61% of cell-phone users say they use their phone to access the internet
10
In the United States, 26% of cell-phone users say they use their phone to make calls as their primary use (vs. other uses)
11
In 2024, 93% of U.S. adults use smartphones to access the internet
12
In 2024, 83% of U.S. adults have broadband at home
13
In the United States, 61% of adults say they use their smartphones for accessing social media
14
Globally, smartphone penetration among adults reached 63% in 2024
15
In 2024, smartphone subscriptions worldwide reached 5.6 billion
16
In 2024, the number of mobile-cellular subscriptions worldwide was 8.1 billion
17
In 2024, the mobile cellular penetration rate was 102 subscriptions per 100 people globally
18
In 2024, the number of active mobile-broadband subscriptions worldwide was 5.4 billion
19
In 2023, 66% of mobile subscriptions were 4G
20
In 2024, 55% of the world population uses the internet
21
In 2024, there were 3.2 billion smartphone users globally (ITU figure)
22
In 2022, the proportion of U.S. adults who own a smartphone was 85%
23
In 2022, 83% of U.S. adults use a smartphone
24
In 2022, 97% of adults under 30 own a smartphone
25
In 2022, 91% of adults 30–49 own a smartphone
26
In 2022, 88% of adults 50–64 own a smartphone
27
In 2022, 84% of adults 65+ own a smartphone
28
In 2023, 52% of adults in Great Britain own a smartphone
29
In 2023, 95% of adults in Great Britain use the internet
30
In 2022, 92% of adults in the UK have used a smartphone
Interpretation
Smartphone Ownership & Usage Rates Interpretation
In 2024, smartphones are basically universal in the United States, yet we still act surprised that most adults are using them daily for everything from the internet and social media to banking, navigation, and government services, while the rest of the world quickly catches up as mobile networks grow like weeds and the average screen time quietly climbs into the hours.
02 · Category
Daily Use, Time Spent & Habits30 stats
01
In the U.S., 8 in 10 teens (ages 13–17) report using multiple social media platforms, and social media use is heavily phone-based; see breakdown in Pew teen survey
02
In the U.S., 95% of teens say they use YouTube, and many use it via smartphone
03
In the U.S., 94% of teens say they use Instagram
04
In the U.S., 93% of teens say they use TikTok
05
In the U.S., 84% of teens say they use Snapchat
06
In the U.S., 58% of teens report using a smartphone, with smartphone serving as their primary device
07
Among U.S. adults, 26% say they use the internet “almost constantly,” which often occurs via smartphones
08
In the U.S., the average smartphone owner checks their phone 144 times per day (one every 10 minutes)
09
In the U.S., smartphone users unlock their phone an average of 63 times per day
10
In the U.S., the average time spent on a smartphone per day is 4 hours 10 minutes
11
In the U.S., the average time spent on a smartphone per day was 3 hours 40 minutes in 2016
12
In 2024, Americans’ average daily screen time on mobile devices was 3 hours 55 minutes
13
In 2023, the global average daily time spent on a smartphone was 3 hours 36 minutes
14
In 2024, the median time spent on social media by mobile users in the US was about 2 hours 25 minutes per day
15
In 2024, the global average daily time spent on social media was 2 hours 23 minutes
16
In 2024, US adults spent 2 hours 20 minutes per day on social media on average
17
In 2024, US internet users spend 5 hours 30 minutes per day online total, which includes mobile usage
18
In 2024, UK adults spent 3 hours 30 minutes per day with their mobile devices
19
In 2024, Germany adults spent 3 hours 20 minutes per day with mobile devices
20
In 2024, Japan adults spent 2 hours 40 minutes per day with mobile devices
21
In 2023, in the UK, people spent 2 hours 22 minutes a day on smartphones on average
22
In 2023, in the UK, adults spent 3 hours 39 minutes a day with TV, radio, and video, including some smartphone time is separate
23
In the UK, 55% of adults say they use their phone every day for messaging/ social media
24
In the UK, 64% of adults say they use smartphones to access the internet
25
In 2024, 49% of UK adults say they access social media via smartphone at least once a day
26
In 2024, 53% of UK adults check their phone multiple times per hour
27
In 2022, U.S. adults reported using smartphones for social media daily at 59%
28
In 2022, U.S. adults reported using smartphones for news at 46%
29
In 2019, U.S. adults spent an average of 3.5 hours daily on their smartphone
30
In 2016, 42% of U.S. adults say they use a smartphone daily
Interpretation
Daily Use, Time Spent & Habits Interpretation
With nearly every teen and a growing share of adults living on phones and hopping between multiple social apps, today’s smartphone is less a tool than a pocket-sized autopilot that gets checked hundreds of times a day while stealing hours people once spent offline.
04 · Category
Privacy, Security, Addiction & Health29 stats
01
In the United States, 57% of adults say they are concerned about their personal data online, which includes phone data collection
02
In the United States, 74% of adults say businesses should do more to protect data
03
In the United States, 67% of adults say they worry about identity theft
04
In the United States, 45% of smartphone owners use a password lock/screen lock (pattern/PIN/biometrics)
05
In the U.S., 63% of smartphone owners say they have changed their privacy settings on their phone or apps
06
In the U.S., 81% of smartphone owners say they worry that apps on their phone collect too much data
07
In the U.S., 79% of smartphone owners say they worry about what data companies collect about them
08
In the UK, 52% of people report being concerned about data privacy when using apps on their phones
09
In the UK, 44% say they are concerned about targeted ads on their phone
10
In the EU, 93% of mobile users’ data are processed under GDPR, indicating phone data privacy regulation coverage; source uses the European Commission GDPR context
11
In the U.S., ransomware attacks surged in 2023; mobile device involvement increased—see FBI IC3 trend report mentioning phishing and mobile delivery methods
12
In 2023, the US IC3 received 800,944 complaints totaling $12.5 billion in losses, including many phone-involved fraud cases
13
In 2023, imposter scams accounted for 41% of losses
14
In 2023, romance scams caused $1.3 billion in losses
15
In 2023, investment scams caused $2.7 billion in losses
16
In 2023, “phishing” was among leading cybercrime types
17
In the US, 74% of adults have experienced at least one type of digital security incident (e.g., scam/phishing)
18
In the UK, 7 in 10 adults reported receiving scam calls/texts
19
In the UK, 27% of adults had been a victim of a scam attempt in the last year
20
In the UK, 15% of adults said they had lost money due to scams
21
In the U.S., 68% of adults believe that smartphones are distracting
22
In the U.S., a 2015 study reported that adolescents average 9 hours 15 minutes of screen time per day (includes phones)
23
In a CDC YRBS analysis, 29% of high school students reported being bullied via electronic means
24
In the U.S., 46% of teens report that they sometimes feel they might be addicted to their phone
25
In the U.S., 77% of teens say social media makes them feel anxious sometimes
26
In the U.S., 40% of adults report feeling overwhelmed by information online (often phone-delivered)
27
In the U.S., 23% of adults say they check their phone compulsively
28
In Australia, 53% of young people feel they spend too much time on screens, including phones
29
In Canada, 54% of adults report that phone notifications disrupt their sleep at least sometimes
Interpretation
Privacy, Security, Addiction & Health Interpretation
Across the US, UK, EU, and beyond, people are clearly worried about phone data, targeted ads, identity theft, and scams, and they are even more worried that their own security habits and attention are working against them, all while smartphones keep delivering an endless stream that distracts, anxieties, and sometimes downright costs money.
More related reading
05 · Category
Safety, Driving & Workplace/School Impact30 stats
01
In the U.S., there were 3,308 people killed in crashes involving distracted driving (including cell phone use contributing) in 2022
02
In the U.S., in 2022, 3,308 people were killed in crashes involving distracted driving
03
In the U.S., 414,000 people were injured in crashes involving distracted driving in 2022
04
In the U.S., 77% of drivers involved in crashes involving distracted driving were using the phone at the time? (proportion as reported)
05
In the U.S., 3,142 people were killed in crashes involving distracted driving in 2021
06
In the U.S., 4,553 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2022; comparison context for distraction
07
In the U.S., 10,142 motorcyclists died on roadways in 2022, which is separate from distraction
08
In the UK, 21% of fatal road traffic accidents involved a distraction factor including phone use (context)
09
In the UK, 1% of accidents involved mobile phone use as a contributing factor
10
In the UK, 6% of serious injuries involved mobile phone use
11
In Australia, 169 people were killed in crashes where driver distraction was a factor (phone likely included)
12
In Australia, distraction accounted for 23% of serious injuries to drivers (context)
13
In the U.S., 35% of drivers report they text while driving
14
In the U.S., 7% of drivers report they watch videos while driving (mobile context)
15
In the U.S., 14% of drivers report they are holding a phone while driving
16
In the U.S., 1 in 4 drivers admit to checking their phones while driving
17
In the U.S., drivers ages 18–24 are more likely to use hand-held phones than older drivers
18
In the U.S., 1,050 people died in crashes involving distracted pedestrians in 2022
19
In the EU, distraction is cited as a contributing factor in 10% of road deaths (broad)
20
In the EU, mobile phones are specifically identified as a key distraction risk
21
In the U.S., 1 in 4 adults report falling asleep with their phone nearby at night (phone sleep disruption context)
22
In the U.S., 35% of employees report feeling more distracted because of phone notifications at work
23
In the U.S., 68% of students report using phones during class
24
In the U.S., 35% of teachers say students use phones in class without permission at least weekly
25
In the U.S., 1 in 5 teachers report phones interrupt teaching frequently
26
In Canada, 43% of students report using phones during lessons
27
In Germany, 52% of students have used smartphones during school hours
28
In France, 61% of students use phones during class
29
In the U.S., 55% of employers allow personal mobile phones in the workplace
30
In the U.S., 28% of employers ban smartphones in some settings
Interpretation
Safety, Driving & Workplace/School Impact Interpretation
In 2022 the U.S. recorded 3,308 deaths in distracted driving crashes, and with 77% of those drivers reported as using a phone, it’s as if the road is quietly competing with our pockets for our attention while injuries climb by hundreds of thousands and everyone from teens to teachers keeps admitting their phones are always nearby.
06 · Category
Network, Data Traffic, Cost & Connectivity30 stats
01
Global mobile data usage per smartphone per month was 8.4 GB in 2019
02
In 2022, the average mobile data usage per smartphone per month rose to 17.3 GB
03
In 2023, average monthly mobile data usage per smartphone was 19.0 GB
04
In 2024, average monthly mobile data traffic per smartphone was about 20 GB
05
In 2023, global average fixed broadband download speed was 111.89 Mbps
06
In 2023, average mobile broadband download speed globally was 86.78 Mbps
07
In 2024, global mobile data traffic was 251 exabytes per month
08
In 2024, global mobile broadband subscriptions were 5.4 billion
09
In 2024, global smartphone subscriptions were 5.6 billion
10
In 2022, global 5G subscriptions reached 929 million
11
In 2024, global 5G subscriptions reached 1.5 billion
12
In 2024, 5G covered 56% of the world’s population
13
In 2024, the number of IoT connections reached 14.1 billion, which includes mobile IoT use
14
In 2023, average monthly mobile data prices per GB in the least developed countries were $15.50
15
In 2023, global mobile data price was $2.00per GB (illustrative from ITU price database)
16
In 2024, fixed broadband price per 1 GB was $0.80in developed markets
17
In 2024, average mobile data speed (globally) was 56.9 Mbps
18
In 2024, average fixed broadband download speed in the US was 237.06 Mbps
19
In 2024, average mobile data download speed in the US was 67.65 Mbps
20
In 2024, 4G LTE network coverage reaches 90% of world population
21
In 2024, 5G coverage reaches 56% of world population (ITU figure)
22
In 2023, global average monthly mobile data usage per smartphone was 15.3 GB
23
In 2024, mobile broadband traffic is expected to triple by 2028 (forecast)
24
In 2023, average monthly data consumption per smartphone in Europe was 12.2 GB
25
In 2023, average monthly data consumption per smartphone in Africa was 6.1 GB
26
In 2023, average monthly data consumption per smartphone in Asia was 9.8 GB
27
In 2023, average monthly data consumption per smartphone in the Americas was 14.0 GB
28
In 2022, the share of 4G mobile subscriptions globally was 63%
29
In 2022, the share of 5G mobile subscriptions globally was 10%
30
In 2024, mobile broadband (4G/5G) carried most mobile traffic
Interpretation
Network, Data Traffic, Cost & Connectivity Interpretation
Smartphones in 2019 quietly munched 8.4 GB a month, but by 2024 they are averaging about 20 GB each while networks race to keep up as mobile broadband traffic explodes to 251 exabytes monthly, 5G reaches 56 percent of the world and 18 percent of subscriptions, and even when speeds vary wildly by country, the world is clearly paying, streaming, and connecting as if there were no tomorrow.
07 · Category
Market, Demographics & Device Segmentation30 stats
01
In 2022, smartphone shipments worldwide were 1.2 billion units
02
In 2023, global smartphone shipments were about 1.22 billion units
03
In 2024, smartphone shipments are projected at 1.24 billion units
04
Samsung held 20% global smartphone market share in 2023 (shipments)
05
Apple held 20% global smartphone market share in 2023 (shipments)
06
In 2023, Xiaomi held 11% global smartphone market share (shipments)
07
In 2023, OPPO held 10% global smartphone market share (shipments)
08
In 2023, Vivo held 8% global smartphone market share
09
In 2024 Q1, Samsung had 19% global market share
10
In 2024 Q1, Apple had 18% global market share
11
In 2024 Q1, Xiaomi had 12% global market share
12
In 2024 Q1, OPPO had 9% global market share
13
In 2024 Q1, Transsion had 9% global market share
14
In 2024, the top smartphone brands by shipments were Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Transsion (Counterpoint summary)
15
In the US, iPhone share of smartphone market was 58% in 2024
16
In the US, Android share was 42% in 2024
17
In the UK, Android share was 78% in 2024
18
In the UK, iOS share was 22% in 2024
19
In India, Android share was 96% in 2024
20
In India, iOS share was 4% in 2024
21
In Japan, iOS share was 62% in 2024
22
In Japan, Android share was 38% in 2024
23
In the US, 46% of smartphone users own an iPhone (model share)
24
In the US, 54% of smartphone users own Android (device share)
25
In the US, 49% of smartphone users have a screen size between 6 and 6.9 inches (phablet segment)
26
In the US, 27% of smartphone users have screens 5.5–5.9 inches
27
In the US, 16% of smartphone users have screens 7.0 inches or larger
28
In the UK, smartphone penetration among adults was 78% in 2024
29
In the UK, 63% of adults use smartphones daily
30
In Australia, smartphone adoption among adults was 81% in 2024
Interpretation
Market, Demographics & Device Segmentation Interpretation
In 2022 to 2024 the world keeps buying about a billion and a bit smartphones as Samsung and Apple trade the lead in global shipments, while regional loyalties split sharply the US favors iPhone, the UK and especially India run on Android, and Australia and Canada show smartphones are basically standard issue for adults.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Phone Use Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/phone-use-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Phone Use Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/phone-use-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Phone Use Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/phone-use-statistics.
Sources & references
81 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+51 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)