Whether you are texting, scrolling TikTok, or chatting with long-distance friends, the way you hold your phone could be affecting your hand and wrist. The constant use of your smartphone, combined with your hand positions, could be changing the appearance of your hand and fingers. Some people have reported a phenomenon called smartphone pinky—or a peculiar indentation or bend that may be caused by the weight of your smartphone.
If you have a slight indentation or curve in your pinky finger from supporting your phone, you may have what people sometimes refer to as “smartphone pinky.” While it is not an actual medical diagnosis, experts say they are seeing the phenomenon more frequently.
“Smartphone pinky is an informal term people are using to describe a dent or groove that sometimes forms on the pinky finger, usually where the bottom edge of a phone rests during prolonged use,” explains Samuel T. Dona, Jr., MD, a sports medicine physiatrist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and assistant professor in the departments of orthopaedics and neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
“It’s most noticeable when people hold larger phones one-handed, using the pinky as a sort of support shelf,” says Dr. Dona. “We are seeing changes in hand posture and stress that could eventually contribute to discomfort or more significant issues if left unchecked.”
Symptoms
Your pinky finger is an important part of your hand and represents about a third of your grip strength. When you lose some functionality or overuse your pinky, you may experience a range of symptoms, especially if smartphone pinky is the cause.
In addition to the temporary dent on the side of the pinky finger, you may have pain, numbness, and stiffness in your finger and hand, says Daniel J. Gittings, MD, an orthopedic hand surgeon at Hoag Orthopedic Institute. “These symptoms result from overuse, using the pinky to support a smartphone’s weight for extended periods, and poor ergonomics of the hand, wrist, and elbow.”
Other potential symptoms, according to hand and wrist specialists, include:
- Stiffness at the base of the pinky joint
- Clicking sound
- Calluses and other benign lumps
- Loss of strength
- Inability to straighten the pinky
- Claw-like appearance
- Numbness and tingling
- Swelling and warmth
Researchers have found that developing weakness in your hand and wrist is a common complaint often associated with the increased use of smartphones. They suggest the weakness occurs because users repeatedly flex and extend their wrist, thumb, and fingers, which causes musculoskeletal pain and injuries.
Additionally, when using your smartphone for long periods of time, you may position your hand in unnatural ways—like using your pinky to stabilize or prop up the phone. This puts repetitive strain and pressure on the small joints and soft tissues in your pinky, says David Shokrian, MD, a plastic surgeon with Millennial Plastic Surgery.
“Our hands weren’t designed to hold thin, heavy glass rectangles for hours at a time,” says Dr. Shokrian. “Supporting a phone with the pinky finger puts a consistent load on that digit, which can lead to mild deformities or discomfort over time.”
Smartphone pinky, and its accompanying dent, is usually not a dangerous condition, says Bishoy Saad, DO, an orthopedic surgeon and hand specialist with RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. But it can lead to discomfort or contribute to longer-term hand strain if ignored, he says.
“Over time, repetitive pressure can irritate nerves or tendons, leading to more serious issues like numbness or grip weakness,” says Dr. Saad. “If your phone habits don’t change, it might increase your risk for developing other overuse injuries in the hand and wrist.”
Repetitive stress can also lead to tendon inflammation, joint misalignment, or nerve compression over time, adds Dr. Shokrian. “That pinky dent might not seem serious, but it can be a warning sign that you’re putting unnecessary strain on your hands.”
A 2024 study found that 60% of frequent smartphone users have hand and pinky pain. If this describes your situation, or if you are concerned you are developing smartphone pinky, there are several things you can do to relieve the pressure on your hand and fingers. Here are some other things you can do:
- Use both hands: Try not to rely on one hand or finger to hold your phone. Instead, distribute the load in different ways so one finger or hand does not get fatigued or overused.
- Limit how long you hold your phone: Take breaks from using your phone. Put it down and stretch your fingers or give them a rest.
- Use a phone stand or holder: Using a device to hold your phone, such as a stand or popsocket, allows you to keep your wrist and fingers in a neutral position. It also keeps you from gripping your phone too tightly or in an awkward position.
- Avoid using your neck to cradle your phone: Try not to develop another bad habit in an effort to prevent smartphone pinky. Cradling your phone between your neck and shoulder can cause strain in other areas.
- Use voice commands and other shortcuts: When you fully utilize your phone’s features and capabilities, you can limit the need to use your fingers, such as when typing, or do other repetitive movements.
If you do not adjust how you use and hold your phone, you run the risk of persistent issues like decreased hand function, reduced fine motor strength, and sensory changes, says Dr. Dona. You also put yourself at risk for more serious hand and wrist issues.
Here are some other potential issues linked to smartphone use, according to our experts:
- Trigger finger: You can develop a condition called trigger finger, which causes your finger to catch or lock when bent.
- Cubital tunnel syndrome: This condition occurs when the ulnar nerve (one of three major nerves in the arm) gets compressed near the elbow, often from prolonged bent-arm use while holding a phone. This can cause pain, weakness, numbness, tingling, and difficulty with fine motor tasks.
- Dupuytren’s contracture: With this condition, tissue in the palm thickens and shortens, causing one or more fingers to curl or contract toward the palm. While this condition is less directly linked to smartphone use, it can become more noticeable with prolonged hand strain, says Dr. Saad.
“These concerns highlight how important it is to take care of our bodies while using something as frequently as we do our phones,” says Dr. Saad.
While not an official medical diagnosis, smartphone pinky is a common occurrence in people who use their pinky to hold or support their smartphone. When you do this motion repetitively and frequently, you may develop an indentation or curve in your pinky.
Over time, if you do not change the way you hold your phone, you may develop other issues like trigger finger, cubital tunnel syndrome, and Dupuytren’s contracture. To prevent smartphone pinky, try switching between both hands, using voice commands, and limiting how long you hold your phone.
