Gen Z and Millennials say they secretly judge people based on specific phone feature

One in seven Americans says they secretly judge people based on their phone background, according to new research.

The survey of 2,000 Americans found that 14% of respondents say they think someone’s phone background image says something about their personality.

According to the data, younger Americans are most likely to use phone backgrounds as a vital piece of information about someone.

An astounding 33% of Gen Z Americans admit to judging someone based on their phone, with 17% of millennials agreeing.

The survey, conducted by Talker Research, also dug into exactly what kind of picture is on America’s default home screens.

The top phone background was revealed to be family members and children, with 19% of Americans reporting this to be their background image.

Coming in second place was a photo of nature or landscapes (11%), and third place was found to be a personal memory (11%).

Humorously, photos of pets (10%) were found to be a more popular phone background than photos of partners and spouses (7%).

One in ten Americans opt out of this game entirely and use one of the built-in defaults provided by the phone’s manufacturer.

This specific type of background sparks a lot of debate, and the data delved into what people think of those with default backgrounds.

For 12% of Americans who admit to judging people’s phone backgrounds, having a default background sparks a negative reaction — this group thinks having a default background means one is uninspired or unengaged and lacks the ability to be expressive or creative.

However, a third of those Americans (32%) were more positive and said having a default background means you’re practical and minimalist and don’t want to clutter your screen with distractions.

A quarter of those say it means you view your phone purely as a tool — and not as an extension of your personality.

And naturally, 22% of those say it’s completely meaningless.

TOP 7 MOST POPULAR PHONE BACKGROUNDS FOR AMERICANS:

1. Family members/children 19%
2. Nature and landscapes 11%
3. Personal photos/memories 11%
4. Pets 10%
5. Default wallpapers 10%
6. Romantic partner 7%
7. TV shows, movies, etc. 5%

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans; the survey was administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Jun 11, 2026 – Jun 17, 2026. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.