---
title: 5 Smartphone Usage Statistics and the Growing Importance of Mobile Accessibility
description: Plan to skip mobile accessibility testing? Consider these five smartphone stats showing how important it is, brought to you by the Bureau of Internet Accessibility.
---

[Digital Accessibility Blog ](https://www.boia.org/blog)

# [5 Smartphone Usage Statistics and the Growing Importance of Mobile Accessibility](https://www.boia.org/blog/5-smartphone-usage-statistics-and-the-growing-importance-of-mobile-accessibility)

 Written by [Tracy](https://www.boia.org/blog/author/tracy) | Dec 2, 2019

The jokes and memes that the younger generations are glued to their smartphones appear to evolve from some truth — but research suggests that truth spans all age groups.

Thinking of mobile accessibility as secondary, or skipping it altogether, puts organizations at legal risk and makes it likely that a large percentage of users will have negative or even unusable experiences. Here are five stats to show why.

## 1. 81% of Americans own a smartphone

Sky-rocketing up from 35% in 2011, 81% of Americans now own a smartphone, according to [Pew Research Center's Mobile Fact Sheet](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/). While this fact probably isn't surprising as we get ready to usher in 2020, it is significant — and that figure jumps up to 96% of 18-to 29-year-olds.

The future of the web is mobile.

Further reading: [Don't overlook iOS and Android testing](https://www.boia.org/blog/dont-overlook-ios-and-android-testing-for-accessibility)

## 2. 37% of American adults access the web with a smartphone most of the time

This number, according to [Pew Research Center's Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2019](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/06/13/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2019/) report, is huge because it indicates a clear trend toward mobile-only web access. The statistics go further, clarifying over half (58%) of 18-to 29-year-olds use smartphones as their primary internet device, and that over a quarter (27%) of Americans skip out on broadband internet subscriptions altogether.

## 3. Almost 75% of internet users will be mobile-only by 2025

According to a report by the [World Advertising Research Center (WARC)](https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/warc-datapoints/almost_three_quarters_of_internet_users_will_be_mobileonly_by_2025/124845), 72.6% of internet users around the world will only use their smartphones to get online by 2025. If accurate, this means within about five years, 3.7 billion people will be mobile-only (not own a smartphone or use desktop and mobile, but mobile-only).

Organizations simply can't wait until after this shift is completed to act or they will be left behind by their more accessible competitors.

## 4. 61% of people won't return to an inaccessible mobile site

Smartphone users who have trouble accessing a site are unlikely to return ([61% according to one source](https://www.sweor.com/firstimpressions)). There a number of studies and reports on this topic, and the numbers vary based on a bunch of criteria, but all the number share this in common: they are big numbers.

This shouldn't be surprising. Whether a person with a disability can't use a site because of unnecessary accessibility barriers or a person without a disability has trouble using a site because something on it isn't functional or isn't easy to use, they're not likely to come back.

Organizations get one chance at a first impression and consumers in the digital age have enough options to hold onto a negative one.

Further reading:

- [Accessibility improves bounce rates](https://www.boia.org/blog/accessibility-improves-bounce-rates)
- [What if your customers could resolve accessibility issues in real-time?](https://www.boia.org/blog/what-if-your-customers-could-resolve-accessibility-issues-in-real-time)

## 5. 86% of screen reader users use a screen reader on a mobile device

According to the latest [WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey](https://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey8/), 86.3% of respondents said they use a screen reader on a mobile device or tablet. This percentage is higher than desktop computer (67.5%) and laptop (83.9%) screen reader usage.

The preference for the convenience of smartphone usage isn't limited or specific to any demographic.

## Get your Definitive Checklist for Mobile Accessibility

Download the [Definitive Checklist for Mobile Accessibility](https://www.boia.org/definitive-checklist-for-mobile-accessibility) to help make your mobile experiences accessible for people with disabilities. Or, [contact us](https://www.boia.org/contact) to get started with an accessibility compliance strategy for your organization.

[View full post](https://www.boia.org/blog/5-smartphone-usage-statistics-and-the-growing-importance-of-mobile-accessibility)

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