In many German companies a company phone is becoming the norm.
According to a survey published on Monday by the IT‑industry association Bitkom, 56 % of employees who need to communicate on the move receive a company phone from their employer. A further 3 % share a device with colleagues. Three years ago only 46 % of workers had access to a company phone – of those, 44 % were given a personal device and 2 % had to share one.
At the same time, the use of private smartphones or mobile phones for work purposes has dropped sharply. In 2023 36 % of respondents still used their personal device at work; this share has fallen to 26 % now. The private use of a company phone is permitted in 93 % of cases (up from 88 % in 2023). Only 3 % of employees are not allowed to use their company phone privately. When permission is granted, 88 % actually use the device for private matters – a jump from 78 % three years earlier. Nine percent of employees forgo private use even though they have permission.
Bitkom Research conducted the telephone survey with 1,006 residents of Germany aged 16 and over, of whom 495 were mobile users in a professional context. The interview period ran from calendar week 1 to week 5 of 2026.