Loud music and public calls top Brits' list of worst phone habits

Things that can ruin your day: train cancellations, forgetting your keys, knocking a bowl of breakfast over before you’ve even had a bite, and, of course, the big kahuna: someone playing music obnoxiously loudly sans headphones in the middle of your journey. You may feel like that’s your secret, unconfirmed pet peeve, but new research shows that actually, it’s at the top of most Brits’ lists.

Perhaps feeling slightly guilty about the modern lack of phone etiquette, mobile network O2 has released new research which shows Brits’ desire for mobile manners and the pet peeves that annoy them the most. Clearly, Martin Freeman isn’t alone in being driven mad by public phone usage…

First, we had table manners, now, in the 21st century, we have mobile manners – and 84% of Brits agree this is a vitally important skill – in fact, most of us think phone manners are even more important than their dining counterparts. Things like silencing your phone in public, not using a loudspeaker, and not choosing your phone over your friends (phubbing) are high up on the list of mobile manners.

Also on the list was photographing people without their consent and backdoor browsing (when you snoop at a stranger’s phone screen), both of which are considered highly impolite.

It turns out that 76% of Brits are in favour of public spaces like gyms and restaurants having clearer guidelines on mobile etiquette, whilst 71% say these poor manners and bad habits have become more widespread in the last decade – which sort of tracks given the global rise of phone usage.

It’s not just about bad manners, though; it could be affecting your dating life too, as over half of Brits said that poor mobile etiquette was as much of a turn-off as having poor personal hygiene. Yikes.

Whilst it may be a case of see it, say it, sorted for suspicious behaviour, it sounds like it’s more don’t see it (over someone’s shoulder), don’t say it (loudly), and you’re sorted.

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