This awareness gap is giving rise to a new reality: the “accidental audience”.

Who are the “accidental audience”?

The “accidental audience” is made up of people who look at someone else’s phone screen when out in public. It is not planned, and sometimes not even intentional. Just something that happens when out and about.

The research shows:

• 56% of Europeans have accidentally looked at a stranger’s phone
• 24% admit curiosity has occasionally led them to look
• 49% say they have felt someone else glance at their own screen

How is the accidental audience viewing your phone screen?

These moments are most likely to happen in shared, close-contact environments. Public transport is the most common setting, according to 57% of respondents.

Other everyday scenarios include:

• Waiting in queues (35%)
• Sitting in cafés, bars or restaurants (13%)

In these settings, glances are part of everyday life, and nearby phone screens often fall into view.

What are people actually seeing?

Often, it is more personal than expected. One in three Europeans (33%) says they have seen private content on a stranger’s phone screen.

The most commonly spotted content includes:

• Personal photos or camera roll (38%)
• Video calls showing people’s faces or voices (33%)
• Private messages (29%)
• Social media notifications (27%)
• Online shopping (17%)
• Dating app content (12%)
• Banking or financial details (11%)

For many, these are brief, passing moments – but 27% say they have seen something they felt they were not meant to see, highlighting how easily private content can become public.

How are people protecting their phone screens in public?

As awareness of the “accidental audience” grows, many people are making small changes to how they use their phones in public. The Samsung Electronics research shows that 38% of Europeans have delayed or avoided certain actions on their device when in shared spaces.

Common adjustments include:

• Doing online banking at a different time (62%)
• Holding off entering passcodes (49%)
• Saving personal messages for later (43%)

In the moment:

• 42% stop using their phone
• 28% continue as normal
• 27% of the “accidental audience” look away
• 7% of the “accidental audience” keep looking discreetly

Only 10% would address it directly, suggesting most people accept the people seeing their screen as part of modern life and quietly adapt.

Can smartphones have a built-in privacy display?

As this behaviour becomes more common, smartphone design is evolving to match real-world use. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces a Privacy Display^[2] that reduces visibility from side angles and limits what others can see^[3].

Helping to shift power back towards the user, giving people the opportunity to exercise more control over what is visible and when.

A new normal for smartphone use

In a world where smartphones are used everywhere, small moments of visibility are inevitable.

What is changing is awareness. Europeans are becoming more conscious of who might be watching and adjusting how they use their devices accordingly.

Because these days, when you use your phone in public, you might not be the only one seeing it.

[1] Survey of 11,000 smartphone users (1,000 in each market) across UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium conducted by Censuswide.

[2] Requires manual activation in settings to function. Privacy Display feature is not AI-powered.

[3] When activated, some information may still be visible to others depending on the viewing environment, such as the angle or brightness. Caution is advised when exposing sensitive information.

As millions of Brits get ready to enjoy the Easter weekend, new research from Samsung finds the UK’s public spaces have become shared screens, exposing a stream of private content from personal photos to bank details.

Over half (57%) of Brits have admitted they have unintentionally looked at a stranger’s phone in public, while a further 26% admit curiosity has got the better of them, citing public transport as the most likely place to notice someone else’s screen (61%).

Samsung Electronics surveyed 1,000 Brits^[2] to support the launch of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which introduces a world-first built-in Privacy Display on mobile. This new hardware-based technology keeps screen content visible only from the front to protect privacy from side angles, without compromising the viewing experience^[3].

With nearly half (61%) confident they can keep their phone use private in crowded places, the majority (59%) say it’s easy to view someone else’s screen in public, revealing a growing privacy perception gap. Despite more than a quarter (28%) ignoring or looking away immediately (27%), 7% admit to continuing to look discreetly.

From messages to money: what is at stake

Nearly half (49%) have felt someone was looking at their phone screen in public, but only 12% agree using a smartphone in public is a private activity. Consumers may know this risk already, but these new findings indicate that visible information is often unexpectedly personal.

And it’s not just harmless scrolling that’s on display – over one-third (40%) of Brits say they have seen personal content on a stranger’s phone in public – with 34% agreeing they have seen something they felt they should not have seen.

The most commonly spotted content includes:

• Personal Photos / camera roll – 37%
• Face or voice of someone on a video call – 33%
• Personal messages (e.g., from a partner/spouse) – 32%
• Social media notifications/profiles – 41%
• Online shopping – 20%
• Dating app notifications/profiles – 17%
• Banking balance or account details – 16%

These instances are rarely intentional, but they highlight just how easily sensitive information can be exposed everyday situations. Public transport remains the most common setting for these encounters (61%), followed by queues in shops and supermarkets (36%), and social spaces such as bars, restaurants and cafés (14%).

A growing shift towards protecting personal information

As awareness of screen visibility grows, Brits are beginning to change how, and when, they use their phones in public.

Over a third (38%) say they have avoided or delayed doing something on their phone in public because someone might see their screen. This rises significantly for more sensitive actions, with 65% avoiding banking, and over half delaying entering passcodes (52%) or reading private messages (52%).

When it comes to reacting in the moment,  nearly half (47%) of people report stopping using their phone altogether, while only 10% would take action and confront the person.

These changes reflect a wider shift in how people think about privacy, not just as something managed through device settings, but as something influenced by their surroundings.

Designing for privacy in public

With Privacy Display on Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, people have a new tool to protect their information alongside these sensible habits to keep their information private. Privacy has long been a focus for Samsung, and Privacy Display represents the latest step in helping people keep their personal information private in the moments that matter – backed up with seven years of security updates to keep that protection in place over time.

Benjamin Braun, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung Europe, stated: “Your phone is one of the most personal things you own, housing your photos, your bank details, your messages and more. I use public transport almost every day, and the last thing I want is the person next to me seeing what’s on my screen. That’s why we built the Privacy Display into the Galaxy S26 Ultra, so what’s on your screen stays yours.”

[1] Requires manual activation in settings to function. Privacy Display feature is not AI-powered.

[2] Survey of 1,000 smartphone users in the UK, conducted by Censuswide.

[3] When activated, some information may still be visible to others depending on the viewing environment, such as the angle or brightness. Caution is advised when exposing sensitive information.

A poll of 1,000 SME business owners has highlighted issues around data security in the UK workplace, with 21% of businesses describing their current approach to security as reactive rather than proactive.

The research also reveals how modern working habits may increase exposure to sensitive data, with nearly a third (32%) of SME employees working from coffee shops and almost a quarter (24%) working from public transport at least once a week.

In these environments, 36% say they’ve been able to clearly read sensitive emails or messages on someone else’s screen, while a quarter admit they have peeked at a stranger’s device.

The research comes as Samsung launches the Galaxy S26 Ultra Enterprise Edition, engineered with security and privacy at its core. The device features the world’s first built-in Privacy Display^[1] on mobile to narrow the viewing angle and shield your data from prying eyes, alongside government-grade Samsung Knox security to safeguard businesses against threats.

To help businesses turn the tide, former cyber security expert and 2026 Traitors winner, Stephen Libby, has appeared in a new video that brings to life the invisible threats lurking in and outside of the office.

Stephen comments: “Cyber security breaches are a massive issue for any business, and this traitorous behaviour can especially effect SMEs. A single incident can disrupt operations or even force business to close. With so much work now happening on phones, it’s crucial that businesses make sure they’re using devices with strong built-in security and privacy protections to keep sensitive information safe.”

Business owners say they’re aware of threats like phishing and scam messages (88%), malware (84%), unauthorised apps (53%), rooting/firmware tampering (32%) and snooping (29%). Yet one in five admit they wouldn’t know if their device had been compromised, and 58% say they download apps or software to work devices without checking security permissions first.

Annika Bizon, Mobile Experience VP of Product and Marketing, Samsung UK & Ireland comments: “Small and medium businesses are the backbone of our economy, yet they are increasingly targeted by cyber criminals because they often lack enterprise-grade protection.

“Technology should help level the playing field. By building advanced security directly into the Galaxy S26 Ultra Enterprise Edition, from Samsung Knox security and our Privacy Display technology, we’re helping businesses with the tools to stay proactive and protect sensitive data wherever work happens.”

Despite over half (55%) of SMEs being more aware of cyber security following recent high-profile breaches, a staggering 69% revealed that they have no allocated funds or insurance to cover an incident, further emphasising the need for tighter security practices in the workplace.

Top reasons for cyber security breaches affecting SMEs in the last 12 months:

1. Phishing scams
2. Not having enough protection in place
3. Lack of staff training
4. Third party or supplier issues
5. Remote or home working vulnerabilities

Although many blame breaches on phishing and staff awareness, 67% of SMEs haven’t introduced new cyber security measures in the past year. Worse still, 45% provide no training at all, so employees miss the warning signs of phishing and early malware, leaving businesses exposed.

While 43% say they feel watched or uncomfortable handling sensitive documents in public, a third (31%) still never use a physical privacy screen to protect their data. Mobile devices are also central to modern working habits, with three quarters (74%) using their mobile for work, yet almost half (49%) say cyber security isn’t a top priority when choosing a device.

Meanwhile, 58% connect to free public Wi‑Fi, with 15% admitting they access sensitive work documents while connected.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra Enterprise Edition comes as the answer to shaky cyber security in the workplace. The AI-powered phone with Personal Data Engine^[2] is designed to serve as a fortress, encrypting data and saving it onto your device with KEEP and Knox Vault, making it harder for anyone else to gain access to your personal data.

[1] Requires manual activation in settings to function. Privacy Display feature is not AI-powered.

[2] Personal Data Engine is exclusive to Samsung native apps and is not applicable to third-party applications. Personal Data Engine recognises 20 languages and certain accents/dialects. The Personal Data Intelligence menu must be switched on. Analysed data will be deleted once the Intelligence menu is turned off.

What is Privacy Display?

Privacy Display on Galaxy S26 Ultra is a new kind of personal protection built-into the device that allows you to adjust the visibility of content on your screen. When enabled, visuals are clear for the user while limiting what others can see when looking at the screen from the side — perfect when you’re traveling or in other public places.

Unlike aftermarket stick-on privacy screen covers, the Privacy Display on Galaxy S26 Ultra offers protection without compromising the viewing experience during everyday use.

How does Privacy Display work?

Integrated directly into the display hardware, Privacy Display on Galaxy S26 Ultra controls how the screen’s pixels disperse light, limiting the visibility from side angles when turned on, while preserving the full display experience from any direction when it’s off. This hardware-first approach delivers a clearer and more consistent experience than a traditional privacy screen protector which permanently reduces brightness and clarity and can degrade touch responsiveness.

It’s also customisable. You can decide when it turns on, like when entering sensitive password information, or even limit visibility for specific types of content like popup notifications — it all comes down to user choice.

How to Use Privacy Display on Galaxy S26 Ultra

For step-by-step instructions to turn on Privacy Display, watch here:

Check out Try Galaxy to test out some of the latest Galaxy features, including Privacy Display, on the device you’re holding right now.

Learn more about Galaxy S26 Ultra and all the latest Galaxy devices on: https://www.samsung.com/uk/

[1] World’s first privacy display on a mobile phone. Must be enabled in settings. Privacy Display feature controls the screen’s viewing range to limit peripheral vision. Some changes in image quality may occur outside the viewing range. When activated, some information may still be visible to others depending on the viewing environment, such as angle or brightness. Caution is advised when exposing sensitive information.