Always on: how the smartphone became hard to put down in Cameroon 📱🇨🇲

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For many Cameroonians, the first reflex on waking, before greeting anyone at home, is to grab the phone. In taxis, at restaurants, at the office or mid-conversation, eyes keep drifting back to the screen. A WhatsApp message, a TikTok video, a Facebook notification… It takes a few seconds to sink back in, sometimes without knowing what you were looking for. Some people can’t stand seeing their battery die, or going a few hours without a connection.

The smartphone has become essential for working, communicating, paying bills and relaxing, and it has crept into almost every moment of the day. But after years of living with it within arm’s reach, can Cameroonians still do without it? What started as a practical tool sometimes looks like a presence that is hard to shake.

The numbers behind the habit 📊

Figures help show how much room phones now take up in everyday life in Cameroon. According to DataReportal’s Digital 2026 report, the country had roughly 29 million active mobile connections at the end of 2025, equivalent to 96.4% of the population. That figure doesn’t equal the number of people who own a phone, though, since one user can hold several SIM cards.

At the same time, Cameroon had around 12.6 million internet users, or 41.9% of the population. Active social media user identities were estimated at 5.9 million in October 2025. The numbers point to growing digital use, even though a large share of the population still has no internet access.

The 2024 annual market report from ART, Cameroon’s telecoms regulator, counted more than 31.5 million active mobile subscriptions and more than 15 million internet subscriptions. It also noted that 99% of those internet subscriptions were mobile. In other words, the phone is now one of the main ways Cameroonians get online.

These statistics can’t, on their own, measure how dependent users are. They do show how much mobile now matters for communication, transactions and daily activity. That is the environment in which the habit of checking the phone over and over has gradually taken hold.

A reflex that shapes the day 📱

Just awake, some people check their notifications before they even get out of bed. WhatsApp messages pile up overnight, friends’ statuses scroll by, and Facebook or TikTok posts quickly grab attention. What was meant to be a few minutes of checking can end up eating a good chunk of the morning.

On public transport, it’s just as visible. In Douala, one of the country’s two largest cities, passengers stuck in traffic jams and long waits pull out their phones to watch videos, chat or scroll social media. In Yaoundé, the capital, some keep the habit going in waiting rooms, restaurants and even during visits with friends.

For some users, the gesture has become automatic.

“Sometimes I pick up my phone without having received a notification. I look at WhatsApp, close it, then a few minutes later I do it again. It’s become a habit,” says Georgette Mbena, a young user.

This behavior points to a struggle to put the device aside, even when no important message is expected. Platforms keep serving up new content, which encourages users to stay online longer.

A tool that’s hard to give up 💼

Cutting back isn’t as simple as it sounds. For many Cameroonians, the phone is a real extension of their professional life. A shopkeeper can take orders from customers on WhatsApp, confirm a mobile money payment (the phone-based payment services widely used in Cameroon), send an invoice and arrange a delivery without leaving her stall.

Students use it to read documents, follow classes and swap notes with classmates. Freelancers find their clients there, and some professionals receive instructions and files directly through messaging apps.

“My phone is also my office. My clients message me on WhatsApp and I have to be able to reply. If I leave it aside for a whole day, I can miss orders,” says Nadine Mengue, an e-commerce seller.

Under those conditions, switching off for several hours can have real consequences. A seller can miss an order, a delivery driver can fail to get an address, a freelancer can lose an important contact. That blurs the line between necessary and excessive use. Someone who checks their phone often for work isn’t necessarily dependent.

When a dead battery becomes a source of anxiety 🔋

Beyond work, phone dependence also shows up when the device dies. Some users immediately hunt for a power outlet, a charger or a power bank. The goal is to regain access to their apps and contacts as fast as possible.

In practice, a dead phone can mean being unable to confirm a mobile money transfer, look up an address, answer a customer or reach a relative. For someone whose whole activity revolves around the device, a flat battery can disrupt an entire day.

“When my phone dies while I’m out, I’m really stuck. I can’t call, check my messages or do certain transactions. I’m always afraid of running out of battery when I’m far from home,” says Alexandre Mati, a young professional.

For some people, though, it goes beyond logistics: they feel genuine unease when separated from their phone. They check regularly that it’s still in their pocket or bag, even with no reason to use it.

Moments lost at home 🏠

The phone’s constant presence isn’t limited to commutes or work. At home, it can become a source of tension. At mealtimes, a parent answers work messages, a child watches videos and another family member follows a WhatsApp conversation. Everyone is in the same room, yet each seems absorbed in their own screen.

Couples don’t always fare better. Some complain that their partner spends more time on the phone than talking with the family. A notification can cut off a conversation, a video can stretch an evening, and social media can end up taking the moments once set aside for talking.

“You can be sitting together and feel like everyone is in their own world. You tell someone something, but they look at their phone every two minutes. It’s the main problem I’m trying to fix in my family. It’s really not easy, but you have to be able to set up a screen-free routine at specific times at home,” says Marie Soppo, a young woman and mother.

A day without your phone: a challenge for some 🚶🏽‍♀️

Faced with these habits, the idea of going 24 hours without a phone can sound amusing to some and very hard to others. Between work calls, family exchanges, financial transactions and news read online, the device has become hard to replace.

“I can go a few hours without my phone if I’m busy, but a whole day would be complicated. There’s always an important message or call that might come. Also, you have to be able to check on your partner during the day,” says Louis Fokou, a student.

Not everyone experiences the separation the same way, though. Others say they can do without it when they choose to. Some deliberately leave the phone in another room during meals, turn off notifications or avoid social media before bed.

“The phone is useful, but I think we can learn to step away from it. When I’m with my family, I try not to spend all my time on social media,” says Mélodie Meka, a user.

Relearning a few hours offline 🧠

Disconnecting doesn’t mean giving up the benefits of digital tools. You can keep your smartphone and still cut down on repeated checking. Turning off non-essential notifications, avoiding social media first thing in the morning, keeping the phone away at meals or setting screen-free moments can all help restore balance.

For people who struggle to control their use, especially when it disrupts sleep, work or relationships, professional support can also help.

In Cameroon, where the smartphone now carries a large share of communication and economic activity, the question isn’t simply whether users can live without a phone. It’s also whether they can still choose when to use it and when to leave it aside.

The biggest paradox may be this: we adopted the smartphone to save time, stay close to people far away and simplify daily life. Yet it sometimes pulls us away from the people sitting right next to us. In our effort not to miss anything on our screens, we risk missing what is happening in our own lives.

What about you?
Could you go 24 hours without your smartphone, with no WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok or any other app? Tell us in the comments.