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In contrast to the largely stationary internet of the early 2000s, Americans today are increasingly connected to the world of digital information while “on the go” via smartphones and other mobile devices. Explore the patterns and trends that have shaped the mobile revolution below.

Mobile phone ownership over time

The vast majority of Americans – 97% – now own a cellphone of some kind. The share of Americans that own a smartphone is now 85%, up from just 35% in Pew Research Center’s first survey of smartphone ownership conducted in 2011.

Mobile phone ownership
% of U.S. adults who say they own a …
YearCellphoneSmartphone
10/27/200262% 
11/30/200465% 
2/9/200566% 
12/31/200567% 
3/28/200666% 
4/6/200673% 
9/5/200776% 
12/2/200775% 
1/13/200877% 
5/11/200878% 
8/10/200882% 
12/20/200884% 
1/27/200985% 
4/19/200985% 
9/14/200984% 
12/27/200983% 
1/19/201080% 
5/30/201082% 
9/13/201085% 
11/1/201084% 
11/24/201082% 
11/28/201082% 
12/21/201081% 
3/20/201186% 
5/22/201183%35%
8/26/201184% 
12/21/201187% 
1/8/201288% 
1/15/201287%39%
2/19/201288%45%
4/3/201288%46%
8/5/201287%44%
8/7/201289% 
9/6/201285%45%
9/23/201288%43%
9/30/201289% 
10/14/201288% 
11/4/201289% 
11/10/201284%46%
12/9/201287%45%
12/16/201288% 
1/6/201389%51%
5/19/201391%56%
7/14/201390%53%
7/28/201391%53%
9/16/201389%54%
9/30/201391%55%
10/6/201392%58%
1/5/201492%55%
1/12/201490%58%
1/26/201491%55%
2/18/201490% 
4/27/201492% 
9/21/201491% 
12/21/201489%59%
4/12/201592%67%
7/12/201592%68%
11/15/201591%69%
4/4/201692%72%
5/3/201692%70%
11/6/201695%77%
1/10/201895%77%
2/7/201996%81%
2/8/202197%85%
Download data as .csv

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2002-2021.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Who owns cellphones and smartphones

A substantial majority of Americans are cellphone owners across a wide range of demographic groups. By contrast, smartphone ownership exhibits greater variation based on age, household income and educational attainment.

CellphoneSmartphoneCellphone, but not smartphone
Total97%85%11%
Men97%85%11%
Women98%85%12%
Ages 18-29100%96%4%
30-49100%95%5%
50-6497%83%12%
65+92%61%29%
White97%85%11%
Black99%83%15%
Hispanic100%85%14%
High school or less96%75%19%
Some college98%89%9%
College graduate98%93%5%
Less than $30,00097%76%19%
$30,000-$49,99997%83%14%
$50,000-$74,99997%85%12%
$75,000+100%96%3%
Urban98%89%9%
Suburban97%84%12%
Rural94%80%14%

Ownership of other devices

Along with mobile phones, Americans own a range of other information devices. About three-quarters of U.S. adults now own a desktop or laptop computer, while roughly half own a tablet computer.

Ownership of other devices
% of U.S. adults who say they own a …
 E-readerTablet computerDesktop/laptop computer
1/13/2008  74%
4/19/20092%  
9/14/20093%  
5/30/20104%3% 
6/20/2010  78%
9/13/20105%4% 
11/24/20106%5% 
5/22/201112%8% 
8/26/20119%10% 
12/21/201110%10%75%
1/8/201218%20% 
1/15/201219%19%78%
2/19/201214%14% 
4/3/201218%18% 
8/5/201219%21% 
8/7/2012 25% 
11/10/201219%24%77%
12/16/2012 29% 
1/6/201326%31% 
5/19/201324%34% 
9/30/201324%34% 
4/12/201519%45%73%
4/4/201617%48%74%
11/6/201622%51%78%
1/10/2018 53%73%
2/7/2019 52%74%
2/8/2021 53%77%
Download data as .csv

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2008-2021.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Smartphone dependency over time

There has been a steady decline of those who use smartphones as their primary means of online access at home in recent years. Today, 15% of American adults are “smartphone-only” internet users – meaning they own a smartphone, but do not have traditional home broadband service.

Smartphone dependency
% of U.S. adults who say they do not use broadband at home but own smartphones
YearU.S. adults
20138%
2014
201513%
201612%
2017
201820%
201917%
202115%
Download data as .csv

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2013-2021. Data for each year based on a pooled analysis of all surveys containing broadband and smartphone questions fielded during that year.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Who is smartphone dependent

Reliance on smartphones for online access is especially common among younger adults, lower-income Americans and those with a high school education or less.

Smartphone dependency by age
% of U.S. adults who say they do not use broadband at home but own smartphones, by age
 18-2930-4950-6465+
201312%9%7%3%
2014
201519%16%11%7%
201617%13%11%7%
2017
201828%24%16%10%
201922%18%14%12%
202128%11%13%12%
Download data as .csv

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2013-2021. Data for each year based on a pooled analysis of all surveys containing broadband and smartphone questions fielded during that year.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Smartphone dependency by race
% of U.S. adults who say they do not use broadband at home but own smartphones, by race
 WhiteBlackHispanic
20136%10%16%
2014
201510%19%23%
20169%15%23%
2017
201814%24%35%
201912%23%25%
202112%17%25%
Download data as .csv

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown. White and Black adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2013-2021. Data for each year based on a pooled analysis of all surveys containing broadband and smartphone questions fielded during that year.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Smartphone dependency by gender
% of U.S. adults who say they do not use broadband at home but own smartphones, by gender
 MenWomen
20139%8%
2014
201514%13%
201612%12%
2017
201820%19%
201917%16%
202114%15%
Download data as .csv

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2013-2021. Data for each year based on a pooled analysis of all surveys containing broadband and smartphone questions fielded during that year.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Smartphone dependency by income
% of U.S. adults who say they do not use broadband at home but own smartphones, by annual household income
 Less than $30,000$30,000-$49,999$50,000-$74,999$75,000+
201312%9%5%5%
2014
201520%15%10%6%
201621%12%10%5%
2017
201831%22%14%9%
201926%20%10%6%
202127%19%6%6%
Download data as .csv

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2013-2021. Data for each year based on a pooled analysis of all surveys containing broadband and smartphone questions fielded during that year.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Smartphone dependency by education
% of U.S. adults who say they do not use broadband at home but own smartphones, by education level
 Less than high school graduateHigh school graduateHigh school or lessSome collegeCollege graduate
201314%11%8%4%
2014
201521%17%14%6%
201627%15%12%5%
2017
201839%22%21%10%
201932%24%16%4%
2021  23%15%4%
Download data as .csv

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown. ‘High school or less’ includes both ‘Less than high school graduate’ and ‘High school graduate’. The 2021 sample is too small to separate these two categories.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2013-2021. Data for each year based on a pooled analysis of all surveys containing broadband and smartphone questions fielded during that year.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Smartphone dependency by community type
% of U.S. adults who say they do not use broadband at home but own smartphones, by community type
 UrbanSuburbanRural
20139%7%9%
2014
201515%12%15%
201612%12%14%
2017
201822%17%17%
201917%13%20%
202116%12%17%
Download data as .csv

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2013-2021. Data for each year based on a pooled analysis of all surveys containing broadband and smartphone questions fielded during that year.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Find out more

Find more in-depth explorations of the impact of mobile adoption by following the links below.

Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2021 June 3, 2021
Digital divide persists even as Americans with lower incomes make gains in tech adoption June 22, 2021
Some digital divides persist between rural, urban and suburban America August 19, 2021
Americans with disabilities less likely than those without to own some digital devices September 10, 2021

All reports and blog posts related to mobile technology.