Smartphone-Only Internet Statistics
Published September 18, 2026 · StatsGalore
Adults with a smartphone but no home-broadband subscription in 2025 [1]
Pew Research Center classifies adults as smartphone-only internet users when they own a smartphone but do not subscribe to home broadband. That group represented 16% of U.S. adults in 2025. [1]
The numbers
| Survey year | Share classified as smartphone-only | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 8% | [1] |
| 2019 | 17% | [1] |
| 2021 | 15% | [1] |
| 2023 | 15% | [1] |
| 2024 | 15% | [1] |
| 2025 | 16% | [1] |
Only describes a particular combination
The label combines smartphone ownership with the absence of a home-broadband subscription. It does not necessarily mean the smartphone is the only device a person ever uses to access the internet.
A person can use a computer at work, a library connection, or another shared service while meeting this definition. The source's wording should remain attached to the statistic.
[1]This is not a measure of connection quality
The percentage does not reveal data allowances, connection speeds, service reliability, or the cost of mobile access. Those conditions can vary widely among people in the category.
It also does not measure preference. Some people may choose this arrangement while others face constraints. Explaining the reasons requires questions beyond device ownership and home subscription.
[1]The denominator is all adults
The reported share is of U.S. adults, not only smartphone owners and not only people without broadband. Changing the denominator would produce a different percentage.
This distinction is especially useful when comparing the figure with a smartphone-ownership rate. Ownership is a broader category that includes people with and without home broadband.
[1]What the historical figures show
The selected observations give a sense of how the published share has varied. They are not a smooth annual census, and missing years should not be filled with invented estimates.
Pew changed its survey mode in 2023 and flags that change in the series. Small differences across years should be read with sampling and measurement uncertainty in mind, particularly across methodological changes.
[1]Sources & notes
Pew Research Center Mobile Fact Sheet. Smartphone-only means smartphone ownership without a home-broadband subscription. Historical figures use the source's survey years; the survey mode changed in 2023.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction