How Much Time Does the Average Person Spend on Their Phone?

Brrrt. It’s your phone vibrating. In the middle of a client meeting. You are making a good impression as usual. Whether you are reaching for your device to read the latest tweetstorm, message a friend or simply play games, these devices have become an essential part of our belongings. So how much time does the average person spend on their phone? Despite technophobic remarks about the negative effects of phones, recent data shows that smartphone usage is on the rise. The most-hardcore users devote up to 12 hours daily to smartphones, and there are indications that such practices are affecting mental health and productivity.

But the figures are hardly surprising. Almost any activity imaginable is being switched to mobile in order to meet the needs of increased information flows, flexible markets and reshaped social conventions. Read our smartphone usage statistics to get the pulse of the mobile world.

Smartphones Statistics

For some in the developed world, owning a smartphone is no longer a privilege, it’s a necessity. However, we often forget that smartphones are an unattainable luxury for many around the globe. The following segment delves into global smartphone ownership and the state of the smartphone market.

1. Statistics on smartphone usage show that there are over 3 billion smartphone users in the world, and the number is expected to grow by hundreds of millions in the coming years.

(Statista)

2. According to smartphone usage statistics worldwide, more than 5 billion people own mobile phones, and over half of those are smartphones.

(GSMA)

3. Business smartphone usage statistics reveal that the global mobile industry earns more than $1 trillion per year.

(GSMA)

4. Smartphone ownership statistics tell us that there are more phones than people in the world.

(Quartz)

5. Phone usage statistics reveal that it took 3.5 years to reach 4 billion mobile users and an additional 4 years to reach 5 billion. The data underscores a slowdown in mobile growth.

(Business Insider)

6. Smartphone stats show that 1.46 billion smartphones were produced globally during 2018.

(Statista)

7. Mobile phone statistics point out that smartphone sales stopped growing annually for the first time in 2018.

(Digital Trends)

8. Predictions based on statistics about cell phone usage indicate that more than 1.5 billion smartphone units will be shipped in 2022.

(Statista)

9. Looking at the average time spent on smartphones per day, it’s no wonder that the global revenue from smartphone sales was $478.7 billion in 2017.

(Statista)

10. The number of smartphones sold to end users worldwide are expected to surpass 1.56 billion in 2020. The projections follow a slight decline in sales throughout 2019 compared to the year before.

(Statista)

11. Statistics on smartphone usage show that 88% of smartphones sold to end-users during 2018 were Android.

(Statista)

12. In 2016, smartphones consumed an average of 1.7 GBs of cellular data per month. According to smartphone data usage statistics,that number is expected to reach 8.9 GBs in 2021.

(Statista)

13. According to statistics on the increase in smartphone usage, 61% of the world population and 86% of unique subscribers will be reached by mobile internet penetration by 2025.

(GSMA)

14. Global smartphone adoption will increase by 20% between 2017 and 2025. Smartphone use statistics tell us that by that time three out of four mobile connections will be on smartphones.

(GSMA)

15. Smartphone internet usage statistics reveal that three-quarters of the global population will exclusively use smartphones when accessing the internet by 2025.

(CNBC)

16. According to statistics on smartphone usage from 2019, over 1 billion people in the world can’t own a cell phone because they don’t have access to electricity.

(Quartz)

17. Smartphone and tablet usage statistics for 2020 show that Apple has 55.5% of the US mobile vendor market share, while Samsung has 26.95%

(StatCounter)

Smartphone Usage Statistics

We’ve presented you with data on smartphone ownership, but how do we actually use smartphones and for how long? Recent figures show that we spend several hours each day staring into those little screens, especially on social media, and experts are sounding the alarm. But is there any real cause for concern? These are some of the questions we explore in the section below.

18. Globally, how much time does the average person spend on their phone in a day? The most recent data indicates that people spend an average of 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones.

(RescueTime)

19. How much time does the average American spend on their phone? Data on phone users in the US shows that the average person spends around 5.4 hours a day on their device.

(ZDNet)

20. 5.7 hours is the average time spent by millennials on phones each day, while baby boomers devote 5 hours to smartphone use.

(ZDNet)

21. When examining smartphone usage in the US, statistics reveal that around one-in-five US adults access the internet solely through their smartphones.

(Pew Research Center)

22. Smartphone app usage statistics show that in 2019 3.26 billion people used social media on mobile devices, representing a year-on-year increase of over 10%.

(We Are Social)

23. So, exactly how much time does the average person spend on their phone? The top 20% of smartphone users worldwide use their phones for more than 4.5 hours daily.

(RescueTime)

24. An overview of smartphone application usage statistics reveals that 90% of smartphone time is devoted to apps.

(eMarketer)

25. Smartphone user statistics show that most people actually spend slightly more time on their phones during weekdays than on weekends.

(RescueTime)

26. According to cell phone usage statistics, people check their phones 58 times a day on average with 30 of those occurring during working hours.

(RescueTime)

27. Smartphone usage statistics reveal that 70% of mobile sessions are shorter than 2 minutes.

(RescueTime)

28. On average, users spend about 1 minute and 15 seconds on their phone each time they use the device. Statistics on smartphone usage indicate that this translates into 37.5 minutes being wasted each day during working hours.

(RescueTime)

29. Short-lasting mental blocks created by distractions like looking at your phone can cost as much as 40% of your productive time if adult smartphone usage statistics are to be believed.

(RescueTime)

30. Smartphone usage statistics by age indicate that young educated people with higher incomes are most likely to be digitally connected.

(Pew Research Center)

31. Smartphone usage statistics from Pew Research show that the age gap in smartphone usage has been closing since 2015.

(Pew Research Center)

32. The gender gap in smartphone usage is also diminishing with smartphone statistics showing it usually amounts to a few percentage points.

(Pew Research Center)

33. Cell phone usage statistics by age reveal that 13% of millennials and 5% of boomers spend more than 12 hours daily on their phones.

(ZDNet)

34. On average, time spent on smartphones is mostly devoted to social media, with Americans spending an average of 64.5 minutes a day on Facebook and 48 minutes on Instagram.

(ZDNet)

35. According to average cell phone use per day statistics, millennials spend 48 minutes texting each day, compared to the 30 minutes that boomers devote to this activity.

(ZDNet)

36. Data collected about the average time spent on the phone shows that boomers spend 43 minutes per day on email compared to millennials who spend less than 10 minutes.

(ZDNet)

37. Statistics on smartphone usage by teenagers show that in 2012, less than 41% of teens owned phones. Today, that number has risen to 89%.

(USA Today)

38. According to smartphone addiction statistics, teens who spend five hours or more per day on electronic devices, including smartphones, are more likely to face mental health issues. They are 71% more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and 51% more likely to get less than seven hours of sleep at night.

(Tiger Mobiles)

Smartphone Usage Statistics by Country

Smartphone usage can vary depending on a number of factors including location. While developed countries are slowing down in smartphone user penetration, there is plenty of room for growth in developing markets. The following statistics explain the differences.

39. Still wondering how much time does the average person spend on their phone? Well, the answer to this question is closely linked to smartphone user penetration. Three-quarters of people in the 10 most developed countries own a smartphone.

(Newzoo)

40. How many people own a smartphone in developing countries? Only a quarter of the population in the top 10 developing states have a smartphone.

(Newzoo)

41. China has the world’s highest number of smartphone users - 850 million. According to smartphone usage statistics for India, this country is ranked second highest but has less than half of China’s users.

(Statista)

42. In 2018, South Korea had the highest smartphone penetration in the world at 95%.

(Statista)

43. India is an exception to the global trend of the shrinking gender gap in smartphone ownership. According to smartphone usage statistics by gender, 34% of men in India own a smartphone compared to 15% of women.

(Pew Research Center)

44. According to Gartner smartphone usage statistics, the only countries with a high number of smartphone users that are still experiencing smartphone sales growth are China and Brazil.

(Gartner)