Phone Addiction Purity Test: 50 Questions to Score Yourself

7 min read · Beta Genz

The phone addiction purity test works like the rice purity test: you read 50 statements, tick every one that is true for you, and subtract your ticks from 50. A high score means your phone habits are pretty clean; a low score means your phone runs more of your day than you might want. It is a fun self-check, not a diagnosis, but the habits that cost you points are real and fixable.

If your problem is that you lose hours to your phone and your focus feels fried, Viralinc's Brainrot Test checks how cooked your attention is and gives you a 2-minute drill a day to fix it. Check my brainrot

How the phone purity test works

1. Grab a note or a pen.
2. Read each statement below.
3. Tick it if it has been true for you in the last month.
4. Count your ticks. Your score = 50 minus your ticks.

Be honest. Nobody sees this but you. Send it to your group chat after if you want to compare (most people do).

The 50 questions

Morning and night

1. I check my phone within five minutes of waking up.
2. I have used my phone in the bathroom today.
3. My phone sleeps next to my pillow.
4. I have scrolled past midnight on a school or work night.
5. I have set an alarm, then scrolled for 20 minutes before getting up.
6. I fall asleep with a video still playing.
7. I have checked my phone after waking up in the night.
8. I have been late because I was on my phone.
9. I use my phone as the last thing I do before closing my eyes.
10. I have said "five more minutes" and meant an hour.

School, uni and work

11. I have checked my phone during a lesson or lecture.
12. I keep my phone on the desk while studying.
13. I have opened an app without deciding to.
14. I have restarted a homework task because my phone distracted me.
15. I have watched a TikTok or Reel "as a break" that lasted 30+ minutes.
16. I have checked notifications during an exam break and lost focus after.
17. I have missed something a teacher or boss said because I was on my phone.
18. I check my phone while someone is explaining something to me.
19. I have used my phone in the toilet at school or work to "rest."
20. I cannot read more than a page without checking my phone.

Friends and family

21. I have been on my phone during a meal with family.
22. I have been on my phone while hanging out with friends in person.
23. A friend or family member has told me I'm on my phone too much.
24. I have taken a photo of something instead of actually enjoying it.
25. I have checked who viewed my story more than twice.
26. I have felt annoyed when someone asked me to put my phone away.
27. I have texted someone who was in the same room.
28. I have kept a Snap streak alive when I did not want to.
29. I have refreshed a chat waiting for a reply.
30. I have felt left out because of something I saw online.

Feelings and urges

31. I feel anxious if my phone is not near me.
32. I panic when my battery drops below 20%.
33. I have felt phantom vibrations.
34. I reach for my phone when I'm bored, even for 10 seconds.
35. I feel restless when I try to go an hour without it.
36. I have deleted an app, then reinstalled it within a week.
37. I have lied about my screen time.
38. I scroll even when I'm not enjoying it.
39. I check my phone when I feel sad or stressed.
40. I feel like time disappears when I'm on my phone.

Screen time and habits

41. My daily screen time is over four hours.
42. My screen time is over seven hours.
43. I have ignored a screen time limit I set.
44. I have more than 50 unread notifications right now.
45. I have watched videos at 1.5x or 2x speed because normal felt too slow.
46. I use two screens at once (phone plus TV or laptop).
47. I have walked into something while looking at my phone.
48. I checked my phone while reading this list.
49. I have opened the same app three times in a row without noticing.
50. I have searched "am I addicted to my phone" before today.

Score bands and what they mean

Remember: this is a phone purity score, not a medical test. It shows patterns, not a diagnosis.

The habits that cost the most points

Look at which section you ticked most. That tells you where to start.

• Morning and night: your sleep is paying the price. Phone out of the bedroom is the single biggest swap.
• School, uni and work: your focus is paying. See why you can't focus on studying anymore for a 7-day plan.
• Friends and family: your relationships are paying. Try phones-in-the-middle at dinner.
• Feelings and urges: your phone has become a mood tool. Replace one reach with something else.
• Screen time: you have a volume problem. Set app limits you actually follow.

Is it addiction or just a habit?

"Phone addiction" is how people talk about it, but heavy phone use is not the same as a clinical diagnosis. Most people who score low on a smartphone addiction test have strong habits, not a medical condition. That is good news, because habits can be changed.

Signs it is worth getting support:

• You feel very anxious or low when you can't use your phone.
• It is seriously affecting school, work, sleep or friendships.
• You have tried to cut back many times and cannot.
• People sometimes describe feeling irritable or restless when they cut back. If those feelings are strong or last, talk to a parent, school counselor or doctor.

Phone addiction Reddit threads are full of people trying to quit alone. Some succeed. Many go in circles, because they cannot tell if anything is improving.

That is the hard part: you can count your ticks today, but tracking whether your focus is getting better week to week is tricky to do in your head.

Brainrot Test tracks it for you. Take the check, get a score for how cooked your attention is, then do a 2-minute drill a day and watch the score change as your phone habits do. Check my brainrot

How to raise your phone purity score in a week

Pick one change per day. Each one targets a group of questions.

1. Monday: Charge your phone outside your bedroom. Use a cheap alarm clock.
2. Tuesday: Turn off all notifications except calls and messages from close people.
3. Wednesday: Phone in your bag (not your pocket) during school, uni or work.
4. Thursday: Phones face down in the middle at meals.
5. Friday: Delete the app you open most mindlessly from your home screen (keep it on the phone if you want, just make it harder to reach).
6. Saturday: Try one hour phone-free. Use our things to do instead of scrolling list.
7. Sunday: Set a screen time limit 30 minutes lower than your average.

Retake the phone addiction test in 30 days

Screenshot your score now. Come back in a month and retake the phone addiction purity test. Most people who stick to two or three of the changes above raise their score. If yours does not move, that is useful information too.

For a lighter check, try the brain rot quiz questions with your friends and see who is most cooked.

Raise your score and get your focus back

Your purity score shows your habits; your attention score shows what those habits are doing to you. Brainrot Test gives you that number in about a minute, then one 2-minute drill a day to bring it down while you cut back. The check-in is free.

Check my brainrot

FAQ

What is the phone addiction purity test?

It is a 50-question self-check in the style of the rice purity test. You tick the statements that are true for you and subtract from 50. Higher scores mean healthier phone habits.

What is a good phone purity score?

Anything above 35 means your phone use is mostly under control. Between 25 and 34 is common and worth some changes. Under 25 suggests your phone is affecting sleep, focus or relationships.

Am I addicted to my phone?

A quiz cannot diagnose that. Most heavy users have strong habits rather than a clinical addiction. If phone use seriously affects your life or you cannot cut back despite trying, talk to a counselor or doctor.

What are the symptoms of phone addiction?

Common signs include checking your phone constantly, losing sleep to scrolling, feeling anxious without it, and struggling to focus on slower tasks. If several apply, start with small changes like charging it outside your room.

How do I stop phone addiction as a teen?

Start with one change at a time: phone out of the bedroom, notifications off, phone in your bag at school. Track whether your focus improves, and ask a trusted adult for help if it feels out of control.