You May Want to Think Twice About Bringing Your Phone into the Bathroom

“Scroll less, strain less!”

BY STEPHNIE @the Brimly Test Kitchen

June 1, 2025

Image Source/Visuals

10 minute Read

INFO CONTENT

FEATURE ARTICLE

Objective VIEW

“It’s a private habit with public health consequences—scrolling on the toilet may be doing more harm than we think.”

Let’s be honest, a lot of us are on our phones while on the toilet. Maybe you’re scrolling through social media or catching up on news in the privacy of your bathroom. Surveys say that well over half of adults admit to using their phones while using the bathroom, and in certain age groups the figure is close to 90%. It’s a modern habit that’s become almost a reflex. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s harmless. In fact, bringing your smartphone into the bathroom could have some unpleasant consequences for your health. Hemorrhoids and Germs. Here’s what the research and experts say about why your bathroom phone routine might be worth reconsidering.

view:

LISTEN

“Toilet time can stretch far longer than needed when your phone’s in hand—raising your risk for hemorrhoids.”— Image courtesy of Claire Mueller

The Part About Hemorrhoids

Spending too long sitting on the toilet is a known risk factor for hemorrhoids, and smartphones are making it easy to stay seated. Before smartphones, people would distract themselves with magazines or newspapers. Now, a phone offers endless content to scroll through, so bathroom breaks can go on for much longer than needed. Doctors are starting to notice the problem. Dr. Rajiv Bhuta, a gastroenterologist, says many of his patients with hemorrhoids were surprised to learn that one contributing factor was their habit of scrolling on the toilet.

Why does sitting too long on the toilet cause trouble?

Part of the issue lies in basic anatomy. As one gastroenterologist pointed out, the design of the toilet seat leaves the central area unsupported, meaning the lower part of your body isn't fully supported in the same way as your thighs. In this position, gravity naturally pulls downward on the rectum. Even without actively straining, simply remaining seated for extended periods can cause blood to pool in the area, leading to increased pressure on sensitive veins. Over time, this pressure can cause those veins to swell and become irritated. If you also tend to push or strain—perhaps because your attention shifted to your phone and your body’s natural cues were interrupted, that can place additional stress on the area. The result may be discomfort, itching, or even bleeding, which are all common signs of a hemorrhoid flare-up.

Video courtesy of WBZ-TV | CBS News Boston & Image courtesy of Brian McGowan

A recent study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reveals that using your phone on the toilet may increase your risk of developing hemorrhoids by up to 46%. This segment breaks down what prolonged sitting really does to your body—and why experts say it’s time to rethink your bathroom scroll.

New research is pointing to this link between smartphones and hemorrhoids. In 2025, a team at a major gastrointestinal conference presented a survey of bathroom habits among 125 adults. The findings indicated that people who regularly used their phone on the toilet had a significantly higher rate of hemorrhoids. In fact, the avid bathroom phone users were about 46% more likely to have hemorrhoids than those who never brought a device to the bathroom. Now, this was a small study and it can’t prove that phones cause hemorrhoids, but it did account for other factors like diet and exercise. The simplest explanation is the most likely—using the phone leads to spending more time on the toilet, which in turn ups the hemorrhoid risk. Notably, the survey also found that a lot of the phone users knew they stayed on the toilet longer because of their phones. Many admitted they often exceeded six minutes per session, whereas non-phone users were more likely to round up their bathroom use in under six minutes.

Doctors have been warning about this even before that study. A few years ago, a colorectal surgeon, Dr. Karen Zaghiyan, noted that it’s not the smartphone per se that harms your bottom, it’s the extended sitting.

About 1 in 20 Americans are dealing with hemorrhoids at any given time, and nearly 4 million doctor visits a year in the U.S. are related to this condition. Hemorrhoids can range from mildly itchy to agonizing. People often suffer in silence because it’s an embarrassing topic, but it’s pervasive. While hemorrhoids have many causes (like chronic constipation, pregnancy, or simply genetics), the consensus is that straining and pressure are key triggers.

The good news is that this is one risk factor for hemorrhoids we can actually control. The fix is simple, limit your time on the toilet. Many experts suggest keeping toilet sessions under 10 minutes, max. Essentially, get in, do what you need to do, and make your way out.

“Even the most innocent-looking setup can turn into a problem spot when you’re sitting too long.”— Image courtesy of Immo Wegmann

The Part About Germs

Bathrooms, especially toilets, are notoriously germy environments. Every flush can release a fine mist of aerosolized toilet plumes that spreads bacteria and viruses onto nearby surfaces. That means if you’re scrolling on the toilet or even just have your phone out on the sink counter, it’s getting sprinkled with whatever is in that toilet bowl. Studies have shown that flushing can launch microbes like E. coli (a bacteria that can cause serious food poisoning) into the air, where they can land on your phone, toothbrush, and everywhere else. And let’s be honest, not everyone in public restrooms washes their hands perfectly, so if you touch door handles or faucets and then tap on your phone, you’re transferring those germs straight onto your device.

How dirty can a phone get, really?

Quite dirty. Research has found that the average smartphone is filthier than a toilet seat in terms of bacterial load. One study by some University of Arizona scientists found cell phones carry ten times more bacteria than most toilet seats. Another study in the UK discovered fecal bacteria on 1 out of every 6 smartphones tested, evidence that people’s phones are indeed picking up fecal matter from bathroom use. And it’s not just harmless bacteria from your own skin. Some phones have been found to harbor pathogens that can make you sick, including Streptococcus (which can cause strep throat), Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant kind that can cause serious infections), and yes, E. coli. These bugs can live on your phone surface, and enter your system when you touch your phone and then touch your mouth, nose, or food.

“Your phone might need a wipe-down more often than you think—especially after bathroom use.” — Image courtesy of Kelly Sikkema

Most of us touch our phones hundreds of times a day, creating endless opportunities to pick up whatever microbes are on there. An infectious disease specialist points out that people frequently have their phones out while urinating or defecating, exposing the device to bathroom bacteria, and then they shove that phone into a pocket or purse. In that warm, dark space, bacteria can multiply. Later on, you pull the phone out and handle it, transfer some germs to your hands, maybe eat a snack or rub your eyes, and just like that—pathogens have a pathway into your body. One epidemiologist went so far as to say that taking your phone out of the bathroom uncleaned is equivalent to not washing your hands at all, in terms of germ exposure.

Have people actually gotten sick from a dirty phone?

While we don’t usually trace infections back to a specific object, it’s very likely that phones have played a role in spreading illnesses. In daily life, many infections (some estimates say around 80%) are transmitted by touch, not just by sneezing or breathing. You touch a surface with germs (or a phone that visited the germy bathroom), then you touch your face or handle food, and soon you’re feeling ill. There have been case reports in medical settings of phones causing hospital-acquired infections among healthcare workers, which is why hospitals now often treat phones as a contamination risk.

So, what can you do?

The simplest answer is, don’t use it in the bathroom. Keep the phone away from the toilet area, especially in public restrooms. If you do take it with you, be mindful of where you set it down (don’t place it directly on the toilet paper dispenser or the sink counter in a public bathroom, for instance). And make washing your hands thoroughly before touching your phone again a strict habit. Some experts have even called for making the bathroom a “smartphone-free zone” for the sake of public health. It might sound drastic, but given how attached we are to our devices, it’s a habit change that could cut down on germ transmission significantly. Also, consider cleaning your phone regularly. Disinfecting the phone using disinfectant wipes recommended by phone manufacturers a few times a week can help remove the germ build-up. Ultimately, the best prevention is not exposing the phone to bathroom germs in the first place.

"Yes, your phone can be filthier than a toilet seat. A good scrub goes a long way." — Image courtesy of Getty Images

The Bottom Line:

Our smartphones are great devices that keep us connected, informed, and entertained. But not every place is a good place for a phone. The bathroom might feel like a private mini-escape like a place to check emails or watch a quick video in peace—but that illusion of harmless “me time” can come at a cost. Prolonged toilet sitting with a phone can literally be a pain in the butt later, and using your phone in a bathroom all but guarantees you’ll carry invisible bathroom bacteria with you when you leave.

None of this is meant to induce panic or shame, but rather to highlight a simple lifestyle tweak that could benefit your health. Hemorrhoids and germs are problems nobody wants, and this one habit of bringing your phone into the bathroom happens to be a common thread in both. The solution is straightforward, think twice and maybe leave your phone out of the bathroom.