Everywhere you look, people are on their mobile phones.

Screen time is up among the entire world, but how much time does the average American spend on their phone?

That’s the topic we’re covering today in this article.

If you have a mobile or smartphone, this data will be interesting to you and in some ways could change your habits.

Likewise, if you’re a brand, business, or marketer, knowing this information will be invaluable for creating your marketing strategy.

Some of this information may surprise you, while other pieces of data will not.

Let’s explore the world of American phone usage.

Key Statistics

• On average, Americans spend 3 hours and 43 minutes per day on their phones.
• The expert recommendation for phone usage is under 2 hours per day.
• 60.28% of all web traffic is from mobile devices.
• People are checking their phones an average of 58 times daily.
• Nearly 52% of phone checking occurs during work hours.
• 46% of American smartphone owners think they spend four to five hours on their phones daily.
• 76.3% of Gen Z smartphone users believe they use their phones too much.
• 78% of women say they spend time on their phones more than their partners.
• In the past 10 years, smartphone usage went from 27.3% to 53.5%.
• 51.8% of smartphone users video social media apps out of pure boredom.

How Much Time Does the Average American Spend on Their Phone in 2023?

1. On Average, Americans Spend Over 3 Hours on Their Phones Daily.

There are some differences among the figures for how much phone time Americans expend.

The data shows that it’s between 3 hours and 15 minutes up to 3 hours and 43 minutes of daily phone usage among American mobile phone owners/users.

Regardless, we know it’s over 3 hours per day.

The recommendations from experts regarding phone usage is under 2 hours per day.

(Exploding Topics, The Small Business Blog, Zippia)

2. 58 Times per Day Is how Often People Check Their Phones on Average.

On average, people check their smartphones 58 times per day.

This correlates with 60.28% of all web traffic that comes from mobile devices.

Moreover, 52% of these users check their phones during their work hours.

(Exploding Topics)

3. 28% of Gen Z Phones Users Spend 9 Hours on Their Phones Online.

While Gen Z uses their phones for going online an average of 9 hours per day, Millennials spend a whopping 12 hours on their phones every day.

While these figures may not represent all online phone activities, they do represent a shocking amount of phone screen time overall.

(The Small Business Blog)

4. 76.3% of Gen Z Smartphone Users Believe They Use Their Phones Too Much.

One survey revealed that Gen Z phone users are more likely to admit they use their phones more than preferred.

Likewise, 41% say they are taking steps to decrease screen time.

As you might suspect, Millennials are second at 67.3% admitting they use their phones too often. Only 30.5% of them say they are trying to reduce their phone usage.

(Exploding Topics)

5. 66.7% of Gen X Phone Users Said They Are on Their Phone Too Much.

We have the figures for Gen Z and Millennials, but 66.7% of Gen X phone users have admitted to using their phones more than they should.

Gen X also comes in second after Gen Z among with 40.7% of them saying they are trying to reduce screen time.

Moreover, 51.6% of Baby Boomers admit to being on their phones too much and 31.3% say they are trying to use their phones less.

(Exploding Topics)

6. 78% of People Who Identify as Female Say They Spend More Time on Smartphone Usage than Their Partners.

A survey conducted in February 2021 revealed that 78% of female respondents admitted that they spend more time on their phones than they partner.

Also, 80% of women check their phones first thing in the morning before they even say “Good morning” to their partners.

Furthermore, 64% of male phone users admitted to using their phones more than their partners.

(Sell Cell, Statista)

7. Between the Third Quarter of 2013 and 2021, Smartphone Usage Went from 27.3% and 53.5%.

Over 10 short years, smartphone usage grew by nearly double.

Between the Q3 of 2013 and the Q3 of 2021, smartphone time usage grew from 27.3% to 53.5% among users.

In terms of raw minutes, going online has also taken an upturn YoY (year-over-year) in the last 10 years.

(Exploding Topics)

8. Pure Boredom Is the Main Reason Smartphone Users Go to Social Media Apps at 51.8%.

In a survey, 51.8% of people said they use social media apps out of pure boredom.

Smartphones are used for a variety of reasons, but this survey revealed boredom as the number one reason people use social media apps.

Other uses include curiosity (18.6%), information (16%), loneliness (9.4%), necessity or work (3.8%, and health reasons (0.4%).

(Exploding Topics)

9. It’s Expected that There Will Be 7.69 Billion Global Smartphone Subscriptions by 2027.

In 2016, there were around 3.67 billion smartphone subscriptions all over the world.

As this industry grows, it’s expected to reach 7.69 billion by 2027.

In the United States the smartphone industry is work $409 billion, generating over $130 billion in sales annually.

(Exploding Topics, Zippia²)

10. The United States Has 307 Million Smartphone Users.

The data from 2022 revealed that the United States has 307 million smartphone users.

Also, 88% of Americans use smartphones and another 12% use mobile phones that aren’t smartphones.

The most used smartphone brand in the United States is the Apple iPhone which is represented by 116 million users in the United States.

(Zippia²)

FAQs

Conclusion

As a smartphone user, how do you feel now about your phone usage?

Will any of this data change how and how often you use your smartphone?

We all must choose how much or how little we use our smartphones.

Many factors go into deciding when, where, and how we use our smartphones.

As a marketer, will these statistics help you update your marketing strategies?

Overall, we intend to help our readers gain insights and information they may otherwise not obtain.

What do you think about people trying to reduce their smartphone screen time?

We hope you feel more enlightened about smartphone usage after reading this information.

Now you should at least know the answer to the question of “how much time does the average American spend on their phone?”

Sources