Irritating smartphone habits called out in study into the UK's phone etiquette

The UK's most irritating smartphone habits have been laid bare in a UK study.

Research by SMS marketing group Textlocal has found smartphone use in the UK has risen to a record high of more than 85 per cent and more than a third of Brits claim to be addicted to their phones.

The findings show that phones are to hand around 16 hours a day, with 15 per cent checking their phone within 15 minutes of waking and more than 150 times a day.

However, etiquette - or ‘Smetiquette’ – smartphone etiquette - remains important for Brits and there was great debate amongst respondents as to what was deemed as acceptable behaviour on smartphones.

The report highlights the six most annoying habits:

1. Nearly half (46 per cent) felt phones should not be used during family time – the biggest culprits were not sulky teenagers but 25 to 34-year-olds with more than 66 per cent feeling it’s OK to use the phone during family meals

2. More than 80 per cent felt it was wrong to talk on your phone while on public transport, although nearly 50 per cent listen to music

3. Three quarters (75 per cent) feel that is unacceptable to use a phone in the cinema – although one in 10 millennials felt it was perfectly acceptable

4. Seven out of ten were unhappy when phones were used to text or receive calls when meeting friends – although 66 per cent of people also feel it’s acceptable to answer personal calls in the office.

5. Nearly a third (31 per cent) think it’s OK to text and walk, regardless of people around them

6. Texting while someone is talking to you - one in five (21 per cent) of consumers confess to being ‘constantly on their phone’ (16 to 24-year-olds biggest offenders with 70 per cent using instant messaging or texts throughout the day).

Jason Palgrave-Jones, managing director of Textlocal, said: “Smartphones have been widely adopted and with this growth in ownership and usage comes the inevitable conflicts in how we use our phones and what’s appropriate or not.

"There are marked differences in usages between age groups and even sexes and we believe that guidelines on appropriate ‘smetiquette’ will be inevitable and challenge Debrett’s to publish a guide.”