Bacteria on Your Smartphone: How Dirty Is Your Phone Really?

According to Techniker Krankenkasse, we tap our smartphones over 2,500 times a day on average – and germs can transfer from hands to screen with every touch. Most come from skin, mouth and hands themselves and are usually harmless for healthy people with an intact immune system, but can spread easily, especially during cold and flu season.

According to TÜV, only around one in four people in Germany cleans their smartphone consciously and regularly.

Techniker Krankenkasse cites an average of around 100 different bacterial species on a smartphone. Another cited study found up to 173 bacterial species and eight fungal species on individual devices. An extreme example from a US study of hospital staff: work phones were found to carry 3,895 bacteria per square centimetre – 84 times more than a toilet seat. That study, however, examined a high-risk environment (clinical staff), not everyday use by the general public.

A clean microfibre cloth – the same kind many glasses wearers already use – reduces grease, dirt and germs on the screen by up to 80%, according to mobile provider guidance. Important: always use a fresh, clean cloth, otherwise previously wiped-off germs just get reapplied (see also The dirtiest objects in your household for a comparison with other everyday items).