Here's What's Growing on Your Smartphone Screen

If you think your smartphone is clean just because it looks spotless, think again.

Your phone is likely one of the dirtiest objects you touch daily—harboring bacteria from your hands, face, pockets, and even your mouth and nose. The worst part?

You carry it everywhere, including places you’d never want to think about in the context of hygiene.

A study conducted at the University of Surrey in the UK gave students a shocking wake-up call about what’s actually living on their devices.

As part of his biomedical bacteriology undergraduate course, Dr. Simon Park, a senior lecturer in molecular bacteriology, asked his students to press their smartphones onto bacteriological growth Petri dishes to expose the invisible world clinging to their screens.

The results?

A thriving ecosystem of bacteria, sourced from our skin, environment, and even bodily orifices.

Your Phone Is a Breeding Ground for Bacteria

“It’s [an] unusual but very effective way of engaging our students with the often overlooked microbiology of everyday life,” Park told The Huffington Post.

One of the most concerning findings?

Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that normally resides in the nostrils.

“A furtive pick of the nose, and quick text after, and you end up with this pathogen on your smartphone,” Park explained.

This is particularly troubling because S. aureus is a known cause of skin infections, respiratory diseases, and food poisoning.

While everyday exposure might not be enough to make you sick, it’s a stark reminder of how bacteria spread in our daily lives.

The Hidden Bacterial Network of Your Phone

Dr. Park, who has been conducting this experiment since 2013, documents these findings on his blog, Exploring the Invisible.

He highlights that bacteria have countless transmission vectors, including water, food, insects, sneezes, sexual contact, and even raindrops. Now, we can confidently add smartphones to that list.

Think about it: We bring our phones everywhere—to the gym, the bathroom, public transport, and restaurants—rarely cleaning them properly.

It’s no surprise that they become bacterial petri dishes in their own right.

What’s Growing on Your Phone?

The bacteria found on phones often include:

Staphylococcus aureus – Linked to skin infections, pneumonia, and foodborne illness.
E. coli – A potential indicator of fecal contamination.
Streptococcus – Associated with strep throat and other respiratory infections.
Pseudomonas – A bacteria that can cause infections in wounds and the eyes.

These bacteria are often harmless in small quantities, but they highlight how much bacteria we unknowingly come into contact with daily.

Your Phone Might Not Be the Worst Offender

We often assume that the bathroom is the filthiest place, but your smartphone might be even worse than a toilet seat.

Studies have shown that a smartphone can carry 10 times more bacteria than a toilet handle.

Why? Because while we regularly clean bathrooms, we rarely disinfect our phones.

Even when we wash our hands, we often touch our phone immediately afterward, reintroducing bacteria within seconds.

How to Keep Your Phone Clean

If you’re now thoroughly grossed out, don’t worry—there are ways to keep your smartphone bacteria-free:

Use Disinfecting Wipes Regularly – Alcohol-based wipes (with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol) are effective in killing bacteria.
Wash Your Hands Frequently – Your hands are the main source of bacterial transfer to your phone.
Avoid Using Your Phone in the Bathroom – Studies suggest that 1 in 6 phones carries fecal bacteria—a direct result of bathroom use.
Invest in a UV Sanitizer – UV light can kill bacteria and viruses on your device without damaging it.
Don’t Share Your Phone – Just like sharing a drink, sharing a phone means swapping germs.