Smartphone Experiment
Coordinated by Fabian Scheck and Smarter Start.
21 days.
No smartphone.
How crazy is that!
Over 70,000 students took part in 2026. In 2027, you can be part of it too. Pre-register to always stay up to date.
Be Smart Yourself.
Covered internationally, from the New York Times to Bild.
How do I join?
Sign up
Register for free using our sign-up form.
Start the experiment
On April 6, you put your smartphone away — here we go.
Stick it out for 21 days
Full challenge or light mode — you decide how strict.
Fill out the questionnaire
Help the scientific evaluation with your feedback.
How the 2027 Experiment Works
Feb 7 – Mar 19
Preparation
Anyone who wants to take part signs up voluntarily with their teacher and receives all the info and a personal participation code.
Mar 30 – Apr 5
First survey
The first questionnaire (T1) records mood, sleep, and phone use before the experiment starts.
Apr 6
Start
Smartphones get put away — the experiment begins.
Apr 27
End
After three weeks the challenge is over, and the second questionnaire (T2) is filled out.
Jun 1–3
Long-term effect
Six weeks later, the third questionnaire (T3) shows what has stuck from the experience.
Full challenge
The smartphone stays switched off and put away completely for three weeks.
Light mode
Anyone who doesn't want to go fully offline reduces screen time to a maximum of one hour a day and deactivates the apps that eat up the most time.
Voices on the Experiment
Fabian Scheck
Project Lead, Konrad Lorenz Gymnasium
“I never expected a self-experiment with one class to grow into something reaching whole schools. What surprises me every time is how much calm comes back once the phone is gone for three weeks.”
Verena Holler
Smarter Start
“At Smarter Start, we hear the same concerns about phone use from many schools. Things move the most once a school just tries it, instead of only talking about it.”
How It All Started
In 2025, 69 students across three classes at Konrad Lorenz Gymnasium in Gänserndorf took the first leap: 21 days without a smartphone. ORF documented the experiment with a “Dok1” episode.
When the episode aired in September 2025, it reached hundreds of thousands of people on ORF 1 and ORF ON — the New York Times and Bild also covered it.
The response was so big that teachers and students from all over Austria got in touch afterward, wanting to try the experiment themselves. That led to the nationwide relaunch in March 2026, in which more than 72,000 children and teens from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, South Tyrol, and Liechtenstein took part.
The First Round
Over 72,000 children and teens took part in the Handyexperiment 2026.
What the Science Shows
Monitored by the Anton Proksch Institute, Sigmund Freud University and IR&C. About 46,000 questionnaires evaluated from the 2026 Handyexperiment.
students
schools
questionnaires
countries
in favor of restrictions
Completion rate
2 out of 3 students made it all the way.
“Today I had the most important realization of the whole experiment: I'm happier without my phone.”
Marie, 16, participant
Problematic internet use
Problematic internet use dropped by 13 percentage points.
0%
Before
0%
After
“I'm outside so much more now. Before, I was mostly inside.”
Lisa, 15, student
Screen time saved
0
hours of screen time saved, in the full-abstinence group alone
= 841 years of screen time
That's more hours than a single person could spend in 100 lifetimes.
“Snapchat streaks don't matter to me anymore. You really notice how pointless it is.”
Felix, 16
Partners
Voices from the Experiment
What participants say after the 21 days.
“I rediscovered my love of handicrafts. It's a lot more freeing not to be on your phone, but knitting instead, for example.”
Sophia, 11
“I've become a lot calmer and didn't get angry as quickly anymore. When my brother annoys me, I don't snap as fast as I used to.”
Timo, 12
“I was able to spend a lot more time on my hobby. I play volleyball, and I also met up with my best friend a lot more often.”
Sara, 12
“I used to be in a tennis club with my parents. Since I got a phone, I didn't feel like playing tennis anymore. Now I've started again, and I enjoy it a lot.”
Andrea, 13
“They listened to us better, participated in class for longer, were a lot more focused. I saw happy, well-rested faces.”
Ingrid, 45
What the Media Says
Real coverage of the 2026 Handyexperiment.
Covered internationally too, from the New York Times to Bild.
Frequently Asked Questions
For Students
For Teachers
For Parents
Become part of the movement.
Free of charge. Scientifically monitored. How crazy is that!!
Over 600 schools took part in 2026. Be part of it in 2027.