It turns out, many Americans have a phone etiquette problem.
Whether it’s a speakerphone conversation echoing throughout a quiet coffee shop, or someone scrolling during a dinner date, poor phone manners are everywhere.
But just how common is bad phone etiquette, and which cities are the worst offenders?
To find out which cities have the worst phone etiquette in the country, NumberBarn, a phone number management company and marketplace, surveyed more than 1,500 residents among the 30 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. We asked about their phone behavior in public, social, and private settings.
We also asked which behaviors Americans find most annoying, then broke down the findings by age and gender to better understand the generational divide when it comes to phone use in public.
Key Findings
- Cities with the worst phone etiquette include Miami, New York, Austin, San Antonio, and San Diego.
- The most annoying phone offenses are talking on speakerphone in public (58%), watching videos or playing music without headphones (57%), and taking phone calls in quiet places like cafés and waiting rooms (39%).
- One in three (37%) Americans admit to using speakerphone in public, with Gen Z being the most likely generation to do so.
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) admit to using their phone while in the bathroom. Portland, San Diego, and Las Vegas residents are the most likely offenders.
Which Cities Have the Worst Phone Etiquette?
Where in America are you most likely to find bad phone manners?
Based on responses from residents in 30 of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas, some cities stand out for particularly poor phone behavior.
Drum roll please…
Miami takes the dubious top spot for the worst phone etiquette overall. (Sorry, Florida!) Residents were especially likely to admit to talking on speakerphone in public, using their phone in front of a significant other, and watching videos or listening to music without headphones, a trifecta of tech-related faux pas.
Meanwhile, New Yorkers were most likely to talk on the phone while waiting in line, a behavior that may not surprise anyone familiar with the city’s fast-paced culture and dense public spaces.
Major cities rounding out the top 5 include Austin, San Antonio, and San Diego, all of which ranked high for behaviors like texting during face-to-face conversations, taking calls in quiet public places, and phone use during social interactions.
Here’s a look at the full top 10 cities, ranked by overall phone etiquette score:
- Miami
- New York
- Austin
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- Houston
- Orlando
- Baltimore
- Nashville
- Indianapolis
Phone Behavior by City
Annoying phone behavior can look like a lot of things. Holding up the checkout lane to finish a text or scrolling while someone’s talking to you makes silly people out of all of us eventually. But in some cities, those habits seem more common than others.
For example, respondents in Miami say they are most likely to use their phone while talking to someone face-to-face. And New Yorkers admit to frequently taking calls in quiet spaces like coffee shops, libraries, or waiting rooms.
These findings show that while phone etiquette slips happen everywhere, certain cities stand out for particular behaviors.
How Americans Use Their Phone in Public
How does your phone etiquette compare to the rest of the country?
If you’ve ever taken a call in a quiet public space, you’re not alone. According to respondents, more than half (57%) admit to chatting it up on their phone at coffee shops, in airplanes before takeoff, and waiting rooms.
And if you feel your phone is glued to your hand even when you’re having a face-to-face conversation with someone, it’s not just you. Overall, only about one in four (24%) say they always put their phone away during social interactions.
As for the worst phone behavior? Speakerphone use in public tops the list, and Gen Z is the biggest culprit. Overall, nearly half (47%) of Gen Z respondents admit to using speakerphone in public, more than any other age group.
If you think bad phone habits are harmless, think again. One in five Americans (22%) said they ended a relationship over poor phone etiquette!
Top 10 Worst Phone Behaviors
We asked respondents to select which phone behaviors they found the most annoying, and some clear culprits rose to the top.
The most universally annoying behaviors? Here is what respondants told us:
- Talking on speakerphone in public (58%)
- Watching videos or playing music without headphones (57%)
- Taking phone calls in quiet places like waiting rooms or cafes (39%)
Bathroom Habits
When we asked Americans about their phone use behind closed doors, the numbers were surprising — and maybe a little unsettling.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans admit to using their phone while in the bathroom, whether texting, scrolling, or even answering calls. (And honestly, that seems pretty low to us.)
So who was actually being honest? Residents in Portland, San Diego, and Las Vegas topped the list of the most frequent toilet texters.
It’s clear that even in the most private moments, we’re rarely without our phones.
Overall, bad phone etiquette is everywhere, including in line at the grocery store, across the dinner table, and even in the bathroom. But some cities (and age groups) admit to being more guilty than others.
Methodology
In June 2025, we surveyed 1,509 American residents within the 30 largest metropolitan areas in the country. Survey respondents were asked about their phone use in public, social, and private settings, including how frequently they engage in common phone-related habits and what behaviors they find most annoying.
To determine city rankings, we focused on responses to eight key phone etiquette behaviors, including speakerphone use in public, using phones during meals, and answering calls in quiet spaces. Each behavior was scored on a 1-to-5 scale, with higher averages indicating more frequent engagement in that behavior. We then calculated an overall etiquette score for each city by averaging across all eight metrics. To maintain accuracy, we identified and excluded outliers using the Interquartile Range (IQR) method, ensuring that extreme responses did not skew the averages.
Demographics: The survey respondents included 55% females, 44% males, and 1% identifying as non-binary/non-conforming. The average age of the respondents was 39 years. Limitations: The survey responses rely on self-reporting, which may be subject to recall bias or social desirability bias.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Pew Research Center
Fair Use
When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing https://www.numberbarn.com.
Media Inquiries: For media inquiries, contact media@numberbarn.com
Header Illustration by Theresa Chiechi
