---
title: "Mobile Devices Have Officially Surpassed Computers for Internet Usage"
description: "The combined traffic from mobile devices hit 51.2 percent, vs. 48.7 percent for desktop access, for the first time ever. This statistic could encourage businesses to prioritize their mobile websites and revolutionize how we use computers."
date: "2016-11-03"
modified: "2016-11-29"
authors:
  - name: "Jess Vilvestre"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jessvilvestre"
url: "https://futurism.com/mobile-devices-have-officially-surpassed-computers-for-internet-usage"
categories:
  - "Computers"
  - "Computing"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "internet traffic"
  - "internet usage"
  - "mobile devices"
---

# Mobile Devices Have Officially Surpassed Computers for Internet Usage

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Mobile-internet-use-passes-desktop-for-the-first-time-study-finds.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Shutterstock\</em\>*

More people are officially using their smartphones and tablets to access the internet rather than their computers.

This probably doesn't come as a *huge* shock, but the [internet analytics firm, StatCounter](<http://gs.statcounter.com/press>), has proved it with a recent study. As of this month, 51.2 percent of internet usage comes from these mobile devices, marking the first time they have had the majority over desktop computers since 2009 (when StatCounter began recording data).

As mobile technology becomes more affordable, and more customers purchase these devices, trends can only increase.

![StatCounter Global Stats](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/internet_usage_2009_2016_ww.png>)
*StatCounter Global Stats*

“This should be a wake up call especially for small businesses, sole traders and professionals to make sure that their websites are mobile friendly. Many older websites are not,” [said Aodhan Cullen](<http://gs.statcounter.com/press/mobile-and-tablet-internet-usage-exceeds-desktop-for-first-time-worldwide>), CEO of StatCounter.

Google search results on smartphones favor mobile-friendly websites. Google even launched a [tool for small businesses](<https://testmysite.thinkwithgoogle.com/?utm_source=SMBblog&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=June2tms&utm_campaign=TestYourSite>) to check how their site works across different devices—they claim that nine out of ten people will leave a mobile website if the site performs poorly on their device.

These stats indicate a turning point in business models and innovations in entrepreneurship—a stepping stone to how future technology will shape devices that are in demand by both customers and industry leaders. The possibilities are endless.

## Author
Chemical Engineering student from Manila and food enthusiast

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/jessvilvestre>)