A new study from mobile network operator Talkmobile reveals most adults living in Nottingham have 41 apps on their phone - but have not used 18 since they were first installed, and 19 in the last month.
The findings suggest that over two-fifths (44%) of all smartphone apps do little more than take up valuable storage space, and that just under half (46%) are not in regular use.
In comparison to the wider East Midlands region, just under two-fifths (38%) of all apps on the average smartphone have not been touched since installation, and more than two-fifths (43%) have not been used in the past month.
Across the UK, most UK adults have 39 apps on their phone - but have not used 18 since they were first installed and 22 in the last month.
The findings suggest nearly half (46%) of all apps on UK smartphones are redundant, and more than half (56%) are rarely used.
Talkmobile - the winner of eight customer care awards since 2023 - commissioned the study as part of its drive to declutter the lives of its customers, promoting great value over complexity.
Researchers asked 2,000 Brits how many apps they have on their phone, how many they regularly use, and how many they have not used since the day they were downloaded.
Gen Z – aged 18 to 27 - has the highest proportion of unused to used apps on their mobiles compared to all other age groups, followed closely by Millennials – aged 28 to 43.
The average Gen Z has 44 mobile apps, but has not used 25 of them since they were first downloaded, and 26 in the last month.
This suggests Britain’s most digitally-connected generation has the most redundant mobile apps – over half (57%) are completely unused, and nearly three-fifths (59%) are mostly inactive.
On average, Millennials have more apps on their phones at 45, but have slightly fewer sitting dormant since download at 24 (53%), and 27 apps inactive for the last month (60%).
Older generations have far fewer apps installed and a lower percentage of unused apps, suggesting more mature smartphone users may be better at decluttering their devices.
Gen X – aged 44 to 59 – have an average of 38 mobile apps and have not used 16 of them since they were installed (42%), a number that rises to 19 for the last month (50%).
Baby Boomers – aged 60 to 78 – have the lowest number of phone apps at 33. Of those, they have not used 12 (36%) since first downloading them and 18 in the last month (54%).
The survey suggests most Brits are active users of the apps they do engage with, receiving notifications from 21 of them – this would suggest they get updates from every app that is not redundant on their phone.
However, the findings suggest Gen Z are regularly being alerted by seven apps that they have not opened since they first downloaded them. For Millennials, it is six apps.
Talkmobile has won multiple customer care awards and has an industry-leading customer-rated Trustpilot score of 4.7. The mobile network operator is committed to giving UK customers a straightforward mobile service with great prices and great coverage.
Sarah Boyle, Head of Operations at Talkmobile said: “Our busy lives are cluttered enough already, so it’s perhaps no surprise to see a reflection of that in the phones we carry with us.
“At Talkmobile, we are passionate about providing simple, functional tech that doesn’t needlessly complicate our customers’ lives.”