Into which pocket do you place your phone?

omwah@lemmy.sdf.org to No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world – 173 points –

Despite being right handed, it feels more comfortable to place my phone in my left front pocket. Maybe because having a wallet in my right pocket predates using mobile phones. What feels most natural for you?

177

Left front pocket for phone only as well, right front pocket for wallet and keys.

I do the same, but years ago I used to do phone in right and keys in left. Then I realized I always needed my keys in my right hand to start my car, so I switched to phone in left and keys in right.

But now I just realized that I've had a keyless ignition for several years now and don't have any reason to keep it this way. I feel like I'm living a lie. Oh God, what am I doing with my life??

Same, except I’ll clip my keys onto my belt loop like a janitor lol. Keeping them in my pocket with my wallet gets too bulky and they feel safer clipped in.

cries in women's pants

We don't even have front pockets, just seams to give the illusion of a pocket!

I used to put mine in my butt pocket (the only semi-useful pocket we usually have), but then I dropped a phone into the toilet once.

This is why I always tuck my phone under my left bra strap when I use the bathroom.

Ha! No way I'm falling for this pick pocket scam.

I specifically moved to using my front pockets for everything because of being worried about pick pockets. I find myself guarding my front pockets with my hands in public. It is also a good way to make sure I have everything I need before leaving the house. If there isn't something there pressing on my legs, something feels off.

Right front is ONLY for my phone. Nothing else. Trash goes to my right back pocket when there is no bin around and everything else is in my backpack since I do not own (and actually not even want) a car.

Agreed on front right solely for phone. Front left is wallet and keys. Back left is the trash pocket. Back right is the utility pocket. Water bottle at a concert, garden gloves if I need to take them off for a bit, various hardware bits and bobs during house repair.

Phone in right front pocket, screen facing my thigh, camera side down. When I pull it out, the phone wakes and I put my fingerprint in.

1 more...

I have lady pockets in the front which do not fit a cellphone, so typically back right pocket.

I use my back pocket as a dude, but it's getting annoying how small those back pockets are compared to the big phones being sold.

I think we should all band together and demand bigger pockets. Come on, Lemmy, I believe in us!

Your front pockets are actually pockets?! On most of my jeans/pants they're just illusionary!

Kind of! They fit peppermint wrappers or a (small - nothing CVS-sized) balled up receipt, but that's it.

If you're really lucky, you can fit a chapstick!

Right-handed, right pocket. I'm surprised to see so many people saying they use their off hand to hold their phone.

Always left front pocket; front right is for keys and such. I am also right-handed, but hold my phone and scroll with my left thumb, while I use my right hand for other touch-tasks on the screen. Always wondered if I was an outlier, too. (^_^)

Front right for my phone, just makes sense when I'm right handed. Front left pocket is my wallet, keys and microfiber cloth. The microfiber cloth is a necessity for glasses!

Gen Z here, I've basically had a phone most of my life besides when I was young, but I didn't have a wallet then either.

Left pocket. I use my right hand for most things but.. answering the phone or checking a message i can do with the left.

This leaves my right hand open to do whatevet. Like pointing, at ugly people.

My bra pockets. I shouldn't need a purse for 3 items just because fashion designers failed basic math.

Nice job OP! Not only is this not a stupid question, this is in fact a fantastic question! Kudos to you!

My phone goes in my left pocket, and I usually hold it with my left hand since I use a swipe keyboard to type, and I'm right handed. My front right is for my money clip, which also contains a few important plastic cards. This was a huge change for me. Keeping cash and cards and nothing else. Absolutely liberating to not have a wallet taking up pocket space.

My keys dangle at my right hip.

Context: I'm a man, and only wear shorts or pants with pockets. I also only buy phones that fit easily into my pockets, so never the extra mega ones.

I'm glad to see how many of us there are that have a system!

Lol this is wild. I am right handed, hold with right hand, use right front pocket, and use right thumb to Swype text. This is like a way more interesting "do you sit to wipe or stand" question.

We're all different! Which is awesome. My giant thumbs just aren't as precise. I can do it, but it's so much easier with the tip of my index.

I'm glad to meet a fellow swiper though! Nice to meet you 956¡ In the wild I only ever meet people who double thumb it like animals, or people who recognize that double thumbing is ridiculous and either voice type or slow type a short message. I don't think I've ever met anyone who swipes every time. I've met a few people who tried it and thought it was too hard, and I get that. But holding my phone in front of me with both hands to type with my two thumbs just makes no sense to me.

If dedicated thumb types out there feel called out, that is my intent! Our thumbs are awesome, but they are not ideal for tapping tiny things precisely. That's just not what they evolved to do!! There's even a saying about being "all thumbs," which refers to being clumsy. Don't be all thumbs! Swipe!

My bag, because I‘m a woman and all my pockets are tiny.

This is truly one of the most glaring examples of women being unequal to men.

Everyone should have useable pockets.

Left, despite being right handed. I'm deaf in my right ear, and while I don't make many phone calls these days, but it's a habit that formed in my flip phone days.

Either one really. I've never had a specific pocket for anything. Are people really this organized? Am I the heathen?

Nah, you aren't alone at least. I shuffle which pocket I put my phone in almost every time I take it out.

I used to use front right pocket, but then I transitioned, and girl jeans don't really have pockets that can hold a phone T~T

I like your question op causes it’s simple but one that will make you think.

For me, I always put my phone on my left front pocket and my keys to my right pocket. I started to do this because when I was young, I played air hockey at the arcades and the puck smashed my right pants pocket which has my phone then. It broke my screen

Right front pocket, upside down, screen facing meat. No exceptions. I don't even stick other things in there unless I am out of space. I can't afford to break my phone.

Exactly the same as me. Right handed so right pocket, lowest risk of dropping it if I'm using my dominant hand to put it away and pull it out. I wouldn't put anything in that pocket or risk bumping the screen into anything so it faces in. It goes in upside down too because I hold it from the bottom.

Right handed, left pocket. But I also hold it in my left hand and when these damn things were small enough to be one handed, I used my left

Left front pocket. I’ve kept my keys in front right for most of my life and don’t want to scratch my phone. Actually, left cargo pocket when I can. Roomy, usually buttons or velcro so less risk of losing, less likely to be affected by sitting

Also, I don’t understand people who use their back pocket: aren’t you afraid of breaking your phone by sitting on it? Aren’t you afraid of it falling out of the smaller pocket? Aren’t you afraid of more easily getting robbed?

Left for my wallet (which is chained to me) and right for my phone (which is clipped to me)

Though I will occasionally put my phone into my fanny pack. I have to carry one around that to severe diabetes, so I may as well make usage of it if I have a lot to carry.

Right front. I only carry a small card wallet so both go in together fine. Keys and other scratchy stuff in the left.

Shirt pocket. I feel weird with it in my pants pocket. Its too big. I wish I could, I miss tshirts.

Left (non-dominant), though I've really started to resent having to carry one everywhere. Contemplating ways to replace it with a smartwatch for most situations, if that's even doable

Yes, it may be doable, depending on your use case. Aside from reading/browsing, most of my “phone” activity is through my watch. (I don’t have a cellular connection so my phone has to be nearby but I assume watches that do are functionally equivalent)

However actually talking is a weak spot. I can make and receive calls through my watch but sound is horrible

Wallet right cargo, phone left front, keys/knife right front, ID left rear. Used to be on my belt to the right at 3 o’clock but that’s where my magazines go now.

Before smart phones it was keys and phone in right front, wallet in left front. But now it's wallet and keys in right front, phone in left front.

Anyone else wonder if OP is doing research on where to best pickpocket people? lol

Left pocket. Right pocket has my wallet since before I had a phone. I’m right handed but if using phone one handed, will use my left.

Very interesting reading all the responses, as I am a rear pocket person. Hate the feeling of having things against my thighs when I move.

Though having it in my back pockets does mean I take them out everytime I sit down.

Left from pocket. Wallet goes in right pocket with keys.

Back left pocket. Front pockets feel more linty and my phone is tall so sometimes when I'm walking the phone gets in the way of my leg bending forward.

Front left, because I'm left handed. My wallet and keys go in the front right pocket - I almost never use the back pockets unless I'm wearing cargo shorts and carrying a ton of stuff for some reason.

Front left for phone and change, front right for keys, pocket knife, and lighter. Wallet in right hip pocket unless I’m in a crowd or unfamiliar city. Then it also goes in the front right.

During jacket season, right jacket pocket or left inside pocket if there is one. Outside of jacket season, back right because from pockets in women's jeans are tiny. Purse if I don't have pockets.

Front right pocket for phone, front left pocket for keys, back right pocket for wallet if in uncrowded area, front left.

If it's crowded in winter, it all changes. I have a Columbia jacket with zipper pockets on the side and one chest pocket. Phone and keys stay on their corresponding sides (or even still in the pants because the jacket covers my pockets and who wants to steal a six year old cracked LG?), while wallet goes into the chest pocket.

Phone in front-left, wallet and a hand towel (Tokyo summers are a sweaty, brutal mess) in right-front. Keys clipped somewhere to my belt loop. back pockets usually empty.

I put my phone in either of my back packets when wearing pants with for pockets. Never front pockets.

I hope to see someone take all of these answers and create sweet graphs with it.

Also front left for phone and front right for wallet and keys.

For the phone in left pocket though, only the phone is placed in it to prevent it from getting scratched (even with a screen protector it's annoying), so nothing else goes in there.

Learned that the hard way.

Right or left front pocket, I switch every 3 years or so to keep things spicy

Left breast pocket.

If for whatever reason I am wearing a shirt without pockets, left front pocket of pants.

Right front pocket, upside down, screen facing inward. My vape goes in back right pocket. All my other pockets are empty.

This is the only correct answer if you are right handed, as it is the most efficient to easily look at your phone screen.

Exactly! One swift motion and my fingerprint reader is on the side for my thumb so it's already unlocked before it's completely out of my pocket. Plus with it being upside down I've charged it before and ran a charging cable to another pocket under my belt.

Lefty here, I usually stick it in my right front pocket

Usually left from pocket. Or back left pocket. I like left. It's opposite from my "main" hand.

Bra strap. Most of my clothes dont have pockets that hold it.

some follow up questions: if you put it in your back pocket how often do you sit on it? is your screen always cracked?

never cracked a screen but 90% of the time I take it out as I sit down

Right handed, so right pocket, spun round so the screen faces outward, wallet and keys in the left, or keys on a lanyard thing clipped to me depending on if they're my car keys or work keys that actually go into a door

Picked that habbit up during the "put the lock button on the back" craze and would have constant issues of it vibrating in my pocket from the lock screen button being tapped and my leg barely managing to tap numbers randomly through my pocket

Also with charging port facing down to prevent lint build up in there. Took awhile to get used to it, but it’s saved me a lot of hassle with bad cable connections.

If it's warm out, having my phone in my pocket facing my leg keeps calling 911 through the emergency functionality on the lock screen.

If anyone knows how to remove that altogether on an S22, that would be amazing.

Not sure about the S22, but look for a "tap to wake" or similar option and turn it off. I had the same issue with my pixel 5.

My S22U will still block touches even with the tap to wake on.

My S22U automatically blocks touches when it's in my pocket (or when I pick it up from the top and cover the sensor.)

I thought that was a standard feature for Samsungs?

My pixel 5 was supposed to do that as well, it just doesn't seem to work well anymore.

Nice try, the pickpocket that I will walk pass tomorrow.

My phone is in my front right pocket because I can take my phone out and use it with just one hand. Wallet and keys in the front left.

Back left pocket, with my wallet in my back right and its chain attached to my belt loop above my front right pocket. Front right pocket contains a chapstick. Front left is nearly always empty because lady pants front pockets are practically useless.

Front left is keys. Front right has my boxcutter. Left cargo pocket is phone. Right cargo is for glasses case for shades or umbrella. Rear left pocket, at work or when I'm doing a project has box gloves. Rear right is wallet. My jacket has one cheap leather glove in each front pocket for weather/driving in the cold.

Same here, Left front, or sometimes shirt pocket if I have one.

Left front. Top down to keep lint out of the charge port. Glass inward to (supposedly) reduce RF.

Front right pocket here. Left is reserved for my wallet and handkerchief.

Right handed.

I have my phone in the front right pocket of my jeans, with some microfibre cloth in the litle watch pouch for my glasses and screens, while my wallet, business cards, keys and mints live on the left front side.

It depends on what I'm wearing, whether it has front or back pockets, which hand was holding it last, what I am doing at the time, and whether or not I want to put it in my purse instead.

Right pocket because I use my right hand.

Right handed; slim front pocket wallet and phone in the right picket, keys in the left. I keep my phone in the opposite pocket as my keys to avoid scratches, and those were in the left so phone went right.

I've basically always used the same pocket as my keys and I've never had problems with scratches. Admittedly, I have my phone in my pocket a lot less these days than I did several years ago, but that's still almost a decade of experience...

If I'm not wearing a sportcoat it goes in my back right pocket. If I am it goes in my inside left.

I keep my phone in my front pocket, while my gun goes in my rear pocket. What do you mean by left and right pockets?

Why do you need a gun? You chicken?

Because he wants to have one?

Chill with the personal attacks.

Nah unless he's a law official or lives in a dangerous area, he's mostly likely some right wing nut who feels like he needs a gun because he's phobic of everything. He can prove me wrong but hasn't responded at all. Also he doesn't know what they mean with left and right pocket? Big sign he's some kind dumb redneck.

Due to the language you've been using against our members, you will now be banned for 5 days. Please be more careful while participating next time.

Phone by itself in left front pocket, facing leg. Keys and sundry in right front, wallet in back right, receipts in back left.

Front right pocket for phone. I am interacting with it far more often than my wallet.

it depends on the pants and how tight fitting they are. if they’re tighter i’ll usually have it in my rear left pocket. occasionally i’ll put it in my front right for easier access.

Right handed, left front pocket, this is the way.

Front left. Front right is keys, handkerchiefs and change (in the special smaller pocket-in-pocket thing).

Back right, slim leather wallet. Back left, usually nothing or "clean junk" that I want to throw out soon such as bills, tickets, etc.

Same exact setup here lmao.

A month ago I got a murse, my phone goes on it now asking with my wallet and keys and change. I can't go back.

My phone is my wallet. It goes in my inside pocket where people aren't going to be able to pick it. I've played Skyrim. I know how pickpocketing works. /joke

Both my phones are in my right front pocket. I carry way to much crap on a daily basis..

Non-dominant hand holds your phone, so that's the pocket side where your phone should live.

EDIT:

A few people seem to be confused because apparently they use their phone one handed right from the start when it comes out of their pocket. With the size of phones these days i would guess that most people aren't using their phones one handed that way.

Personally I'll use my phone one handed if I'm stationary and after it's fully out of my pocket and securely in my hands, but if I'm moving around it would be drop-city if I just pulled it out of my pocket one handed and started tapping on it.

Who holds their phone with their non dominant hand??

People who then proceed to navigate and use it with their dominant hand, like me.

Me, just feels easier when I need to zoom in or do anything non phone related with my dominant hand.

I assume zillions of people. The holding is the dumb part that either hand can do, the interacting with the screen is the much more active and precise part that obviously is better accomplished with your dominant hand.

I hold it with my dominant hand, why would you hold it with your bad hand? That seems contra productive

I hold with non-dom hand and type with Dom finger

Do I have big hands? I hold it with my dominant hand and Swype type with my thumb

I hold and type with the same hand, why would you use another hand? I just tried typing like that and its impossible very slow and unprecise

Left pocket- I have pretty bad carpal tunnel in my right hand so putting it in my left lessens some strain.

Phone in the front right pocket, wallet in the front left pocket, keys in the back pocket, earbuds in the watch pocket

Left interior coat/jacket pocket for phone. I'm in SF, so always wear some kind of coat/jacket.

In a populated area? Front right. Wallet in front left.

Outside a densely-populated area? Likely back right, because that is where my wallet went pre-COVID. It just feels natural, and easy to grab without any squirming.

I used to be the same, but I had to switch sides when my fat body interfered with the Bluetooth connection of a pair of headphones I had. That really isn't an issue now, but I'm just used to phone on the right side now.

Right pocket phone, left pocket wallet and Miyoo Mini.

Wallet and phone in the right pocket, keys in the left for me.

Left front for years, so I could grab smaller items like keys and ID out of the right. Once I got a smart phone, I was grabbing it a lot more frequently than my keys, and I switched.

As a bisexual i mean ambidextrous person I keep it in my left front pocket or right back pocket

Ambidextrous bi with a Pearl pfp?

I feel like I know you already 😏

For me it's always the back right pocket. Front left is wallet and keys. Front right is knife, pen, lighter, and chapstick. If i'm ever sitting down I'm usually gonna take my phone out so I never sit on it either.

I’m an odd one, left back pocket with keys in back right pocket. Although in my defense part of that is because girls pants/jeans typically don’t have front pockets or are so small you can’t put anything bigger than a quarter into them.

Left front with small leather wallet (simple insert, non-fold). Dedicate that real-estate only to those two items and have no case on phone and no screen protector. Right front pocket gets all the rougher items: gum, knife, flashlight, POM, lighter, chapstick, keys when needed.

Wallet in the left, phone in the right, keys in the back right (chained to my belt).

Keys in left, phone in right, wallet in back right

My phone has a wallet case, so it's all on one thing. It all goes in my left front pocket.

Front left since I use the tiny pocket inside the right pocket for my car keyfob.
Keyring, wallet, and earbuds go in the right pocket

I put my phone in my right pocket and my wallet in my left pocket. I almost never take my wallet out of my pocket so it gets relegated to the less convenient pocket.

My headphones' bluetooth receiver is on the right. Bluetooth performs very poorly at passing through the tissue of a human body (I think it has to do with all the water in there), so when I wear my headphones (always), my phone goes in right front pocket to minimize the path of the signal through my body.

(BTW, you should actually try this if your bluetooth devices suck. Position the transmitter and receiver so they don't go through your body. I promise you it improves things a LOT.)

Right front for phone/wallet combo, left for keys and headphone case, and side leg pocket for the dreaded work phone

Right butt pocket, or in the purse if I'll be sitting down for a while.

Goes in my left pocket, cause I always hold it in my left hand. That way I can use my right hand to run my apps.

Keys are in the left pocket, phone is on the right pocket. Wallet is either in jacket's pocket or right back pocket of my trousers.

The phone pocket. IME, pant manufactures put it on the right. If I wear pants without a phone pocket, then left pocket because wallet/keys are in my right pocket. When I use to wear pants without a phone pocket, it was inconsistent what went where. Just tried to keep phone and keys in opposites.

Front right pocket for my phone, right back pocket for my wallet and left front pocket for my keys.