Phones are brilliant. They organise our lives, keep us connected, and store more memories than we could ever keep in a scrapbook. But as helpful as they are, they sometimes creep into the moments where attention and connection matter most.

Nobody gets this perfect. These are simply a few of the little courtesies we should be aiming for — but occasionally forget — when our phones take over.

When someone’s talking, ignore the screen … 

It’s easy to believe we’re listening while scrolling. We nod, we “mm-hmm,” we glance up occasionally. But the person speaking usually notices the exact moment their story loses out to a notification.

Phones are designed to interrupt us. They’re persuasive. Which is why even a small gesture — putting it face-down or sliding it aside — signals that the conversation deserves first place.

Keep sound in its rightful place!

We’ve all tapped a video that suddenly plays far louder than expected. What was meant to be a quiet scroll becomes a small broadcast to the entire room. Whether it’s a voice note echoing through a café, TikTok clips in a queue, or alerts that could pass as an emergency test — sound travels quickly, especially when others are trying to focus or relax.

If people start looking around for the source of the noise, the moment has likely become louder than intended. It happens — and it’s easily fixed. Headphones or a quick volume check are simple courtesies that help everyone share the space comfortably.



Checking the time is fine — checking everything else can wait … 

Phones are multifunctional by design. You look to see the time, and suddenly you’re answering a message or reading a notification you didn’t need to know about yet.

If the conversation pauses every time the phone lights up, the moment starts to feel interrupted. A habit as simple as waiting until there’s a natural break can keep both the time and the company in balance.

Screenshots aren’t private by default …

Saving messages, reminders or a funny moment is something we all do. The only challenge is that screenshots travel faster than we think.

It’s worth remembering that anything saved digitally can end up in places we didn’t intend — especially if a phone goes missing. A quick backup or protection plan means that the things we keep (funny or otherwise) don’t disappear with the device.

Responding later is okay — pretending you never saw it isn’t!

Most of us don’t always have the energy to respond the moment a message appears. Sometimes we genuinely miss it. Other times we see a notification, think “I’ll reply in a minute,” and then the day gets away from us. That’s normal.

It’s when the silence becomes confusing that things get tricky. Phones quietly reveal more than we realise — read receipts, double ticks, online status. They tend to expose the difference between didn’t see and didn’t want to respond yet. A quick “Got this — will reply later” removes any guesswork and keeps conversations respectful on both sides. It doesn’t need to be instant — just clear enough that the other person isn’t left wondering.

We’re all human. We just communicate better when we let each other know where we stand — even if that’s “I’ll reply tomorrow.”

Mealtimes are better for people than for phones!

Sharing food has always been one of the easiest ways to connect. Phones aren’t unwelcome — but when they dominate the table, the moment becomes more about screens than people.

Silencing notifications or placing devices out of reach helps everyone enjoy the moment. 

Photos are kinder with consent …

Modern phones make it incredibly easy to capture everything — sometimes before we think about whether someone is comfortable being photographed.



A quick, quiet ask — “Mind if I take this?” or “OK if I share this?” — gives people the choice. Most will say yes and appreciate being included rather than exposed. It keeps the moment shared, not taken.

Phones aren’t going anywhere, and nor should they. They help us stay connected, informed and entertained. But life still happens off-screen, and those are often the moments we want to remember most.