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Who Uses Their Phone on the Toilet? Most of Us

A new survey from electronics trade-in website BankMyCell sheds light on America's dirtiest little tech secret. It doesn't matter whether you're a man or woman, iOS or Android user, from the East or West Coast—you probably use your smartphone on the can.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Admit it: You use your smartphone on the toilet. At least three in four Americans do.

The Why Axis Bug

That finding comes from a new survey from electronics trade-in website BankMyCell that sheds light on America's dirtiest little tech secret. It doesn't matter whether you're a man or woman, iOS or Android user, from the East or West Coast—you probably use your smartphone on the can, the survey of 2,114 Americans reveals.

Conducted between June 1 and August 31, the survey found that 80 percent of men and 69 percent of woman use their phone on the toilet, albeit some more often than others. Another fun fact: Android smartphone users are 12 percent more likely than iPhone users to text and go.

Teens and young adults are some of the worst offenders. BankMyCell says that 96 percent of Americans under the age of 23 "won't go to the bathroom without their phone."

Cell Phone Usage on Toilet stats

So what are we all doing on our smartphones as we do our business? Browsing social media, mostly. Texting is the second most common activity, followed by playing music, watching videos, and gaming. Toilet texting is most prevalent in Georgia, California, New York, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania.

When it comes to gaming, hilariously, 25 percent of men admitted to earning a high score on the john. One in 10 men copped to using dating apps on the crapper. And one in three women have sent a selfie snap on the loo.

This unsanitary trend adds up to a lot of germy phones. BankMyCell found that while 90 percent of Americans clean their hands after going to the bathroom, a mere 16.5 percent clean their phones.

Phone Usage on Toilet infographic

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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