---
"title": "Cell Phone Activities 2012"
"description": "Photo taking, texting, and accessing the internet are the most popular activities people pursue with their mobile phones"
"date": "2012-11-25"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Maeve Duggan"
    "job_title": "Former Research Associate"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/maeve-duggan/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/2012/11/25/cell-phone-activities-2012/"
"categories":
  - "Mobile"
  - "Texting"
"tags":
  - "Banking"
"datasets":
  -
    "name": "March 15-April 3, 2012 – Cell Phones"
    "url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/dataset/april-2012-cell-phones/"
---

# Cell Phone Activities 2012

Fully 85% of American adults own a cell phone and now use the devices to do much more than make phone calls. Cell phones have become a portal for an ever-growing list of activities. In nationally representative phone surveys in the spring and summer, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project obtained readings on some of the most popular activities:

![Figure 1](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/media/EEB182BBD1E147ECB76C9F1FD9AEEAB7.jpg){.align}

Over time, the number of cell owners performing each activity has grown.

![Figure 3](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/media/F123E2E7AC064551960BA89780BA2786.png)

---

**Next:** [Additional Demographic Analysis](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/2012/11/25/additional-demographic-analysis-2/markdown)