- A third (33%) of Gen Z Brits now text or call when they arrive at someone's door rather than ringing the doorbell – and nearly one in four (23%) millennials do the same[1]
- Two in five (40%) Gen Z describe ringing the doorbell as ‘formal’, and find texting the friendlier option[3]
- Almost a quarter (23%) of Brits would feel doorbell dread if a visitor rang without texting first[4]
- Ringing the doorbell joins a list of habits Brits have quietly abandoned – alongside writing cheques (47%), answering unknown calls (41%), and using a landline (38%)[5]
- Uswitch technology expert Simrat Sharma comments on how smartphones are quietly reshaping the way we socialise
The humble doorbell is falling out of fashion. New research from Uswitch.com finds a third (33%) of Gen Z Brits now text or call rather than ring or knock when they arrive at someone's door – with nearly one in four millennials doing the same.[1]
For younger Brits, it's about not wanting to intrude. Among Gen Z who text or call rather than ring, over a third (39%) say it feels less intrusive, nearly one in five (19%) say ringing the doorbell simply feels too formal, and almost a quarter (23%) think their friend is more likely to hear their phone than a knock at the door.[2]
Texting is simply the friendlier option – nearly half of 18- 29-year-olds (49%) describe it as ‘friendly’ compared to just over a third (37%) who say the same about knocking, and two in five (40%) go further, describing the doorbell as outright ‘formal’.[3]
Those on the receiving end have shifted too. Almost a quarter (23%) of Brits say they'd feel negatively if someone rang their doorbell without texting first - one in eight (12%) would feel caught off guard, 7% anxious or stressed, and 5% outright annoyed.[4]
Across all ages, one in seven Brits (14%) have now ditched the bell altogether, with a further one in five (18%) saying it depends on who they're visiting.[1] Among Gen Z, close friends (27%) are now less likely to ring the bell than parents and older relatives (31%), a sign of just how the etiquette has flipped.[6]
The doorbell isn't alone. When asked which habits they no longer do or actively avoid, nearly half (47%) of Brits say they never write a cheque, four in ten (41%) dodge calls from unknown numbers, and more than a third (38%) no longer use a landline. One in ten (11%) now actively avoids ringing a doorbell at all.[5]
Simrat Sharma, Uswitch technology expert, says: "We spent years making doorbells smarter - fitting cameras, Wi-Fi, two-way speakers - only to stop pressing them altogether. For younger people, especially, ringing the doorbell has gone from the default to an unusual choice.
"It's a sign of how central our phones have become, not just for calls and messages, but for managing the small social rituals that used to happen at the front door. The smartphone has quietly rewritten the etiquette of showing up.
"As our phones take on more of that social load, the connection itself matters more. A dropped call or patchy signal isn't just an inconvenience, it could be a friend left waiting on the doorstep.”
Visit Uswitch.com to compare the latest SIM-only deals.
-ENDS-
For more information
Harriet Atkinson | Telecoms PR Manager
harriet.atkinson@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Research conducted online by Opinium between 5th–9th June 2026 among 2,000 nationally representative UK adults.
- Q1: When you arrive at someone's home, what do you typically do? Net call or text: Total 14% (n=289); Gen Z 33% (n=115); Millennials 23% (n=135). It depends on the person: Total 18% (n=368).
- Q4 (base: Gen Z who text or call, n=188): feels less intrusive 39% (n=73); ringing the doorbell feels too formal 19% (n=36); more likely to hear their phone 23% (n=44).
- Q7: How would you describe ringing the doorbell rather than texting? Formal: Gen Z 40%. Q8: How would you describe texting instead of ringing the doorbell? Friendly: Gen Z 49%. Q7: Friendly: Gen Z 37%.
- Q3: How do you feel when someone rings your doorbell or knocks rather than texting to say they've arrived? Slightly caught off guard: 12% (n=241); anxious or stressed: 7% (n=136); annoyed: 5% (n=93). Net negative: 23%.
- Q11: Which of the following "old-school" habits would you say you never do, or actively avoid? Write cheques/use a chequebook: 47% (n=948); answer calls from unknown numbers: 41% (n=823); use or answer a landline: 38% (n=765); ring a doorbell/knock when arriving at someone's home: 11% (n=211).
- Q9: Who is most likely to ring your doorbell rather than text when they arrive at your house? A close friend: Total 43% (n=857); Gen Z 27%. My parents or older relatives: Gen Z 31%.