minimalist phone
Global Screen Time Report 2026
We tried to answer a simple question:
How much time do people spend on their phones before they start changing their habits?
Smartphone use is no longer just about quick checks throughout the day. For many people, phones have become a major part of daily life — shaping focus, rest, routines, and free time.
At minimalist phone, we looked at initial screen time data from users during their last 7 days before installing the app. This gives us a look at screen time before new habits have had time to fully take shape.
The screen time trends were collected from minimalist phone users over the reporting period and show how much time people were already spending on their phones at the beginning of their screen time control journey.
Average weekly screen time passed 40 hours
Our 2026 screen time report showed an average initial screen time of 40.3 hours per week — about 5.76 hours per day.
That means the average phone week was slightly longer than a standard 40-hour workweek, and 17 of the 35 countries were above it.
Key findings
40.3
hours / week
Weekly average
Average initial weekly screen time
5.76
hours / day
Daily average
Average initial daily phone use
40+
hours / week
More than a workweek
Average screen time crossed 40 hours per week
50.4
hours / week
Highest reported
Highest country shown in the report
Where screen time was highest
In some countries, weekly phone use was even higher.
South Africa reached 50.4 hours per week, while Thailand came close at 48.9 hours per week.
South Africa
50.4
hours / WEEK
Thailand
48.9
hours / WEEK
The numbers show how quickly scrolling, notifications, videos, games, and quick app checks can add up across a normal week.
Weekly screen time · 2025 and 2026 reports
South Africa stayed at the top: South Africa had the highest screen time in both reports, reaching 50.1 hrs/week in 2025 and 50.4 hrs/week in 2026.
Thailand moved up to second place: Thailand moved from 47.3 hrs/week in 2025 to 48.9 hrs/week in 2026, getting closer to the 50-hour mark.
The U.S. stayed just above the workweek: The United States went from 41.3 hrs/week in 2025 to 40.9 hrs/week in 2026. That's a small drop, but still above a standard 40-hour workweek.
The U.K. edged closer to the workweek mark: The United Kingdom moved from 38.1 hrs/week in 2025 to 38.5 hrs/week in 2026, still just under the 40-hour threshold.
Mexico stayed high, even as rankings shifted: Mexico was one of the highest countries in 2025 at 47.3 hrs/week and remained high in 2026 at 46.3 hrs/week, even after dropping from 2nd to 6th.
Europe was lower — but still far from low
Countries like Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Portugal appeared lower than the highest-ranking countries, but still showed weekly screen time in the mid-to-high 30s or around 40 hours.
Countries breakdown
Average weekly hours · Jan–May 2026
Data for the 2026 Global Screen Time Report by minimalist phone is based on anonymized usage data from 602.482 users collected between 2026-01-01 and 2026-05-31. The report shows the median weekly mobile screen time during the period before users started using the minimalist phone app.
1 January–31 May 2026 · Original CSV values, unrounded.
Country | Median weekly screen time |
|---|---|
Australia | 37.020273 |
Austria | 33.509134 |
Brazil | 41.393582 |
Canada | 39.203147 |
Czechia | 36.938911 |
France | 36.868133 |
Germany | 36.339857 |
Greece | 40.034283 |
India | 47.092633 |
Ireland | 38.948401 |
Israel | 41.704597 |
Italy | 39.031901 |
Japan | 44.669136 |
Mexico | 46.333327 |
Netherlands | 36.19682 |
New Zealand | 35.165106 |
Norway | 34.568295 |
Pakistan | 46.340463 |
Portugal | 38.388065 |
Singapore | 44.695614 |
Slovakia | 36.298172 |
Slovenia | 33.412788 |
South Africa | 50.434285 |
South Korea | 45.789173 |
Spain | 36.543513 |
Sri Lanka | 46.357202 |
Sweden | 35.440538 |
Switzerland | 33.052958 |
Taiwan | 41.346611 |
Thailand | 48.937158 |
Turkey | 42.214661 |
Ukraine | 43.473518 |
United Arab Emirates | 42.563549 |
United Kingdom | 38.467677 |
United States | 40.937856 |