How each generation prefers to communicate, ranked by UK data

Alastair Greener FPSA Generational communication expert, author and President of the PSA UK and Ireland 2026 Published 5 September 2026 · 6 min read

WhatsApp is the most common way to contact friends and family for every generation in our 2024 UK survey of 4,067 people except the Silent Generation, who phone first (47%). This article ranks six generations on five measures, from attitude to phone calls to what they do when a call goes unanswered, and picks out one surprising fact about each.

Ask 4,067 people how they would most often get in touch with a friend or relative and one answer dominates. WhatsApp is the most common way to reach friends and family for every generation in our Communication Habits and Preferences 2024 survey except one. The Silent Generation, aged over 78, still pick up the phone first (47%).

That headline hides a great deal. Attitudes to phone calls, what people do when a call rings out and which apps they use all shift from one generation to the next. This article ranks the six generations in the survey, youngest first, so the differences and the overlaps sit side by side.

The survey ran from July to September 2024 with quotas by age band, which line up with the Pew Research Center definitions used across this site: Generation Alpha aged up to 12, Generation Z 13 to 27, Millennials (Gen Y in the survey) 28 to 43, Generation X 44 to 59, Baby Boomers 60 to 78 and the Silent Generation over 78. Our generations table explains the cut-offs.

How does each generation prefer to communicate? The comparison table

Generation (respondents)	First choice for contacting friends and family	Like phone calls and do it a lot	If a call goes unanswered	App of choice
Generation Alpha (201)	WhatsApp 41%	38%	46% message, 14% voicemail	WhatsApp 60%
Generation Z (982)	WhatsApp 35%	32%	53% message, 12% voicemail	WhatsApp 87%, Instagram 74%
Millennials (858)	WhatsApp 49%	35%	46% message, 16% voicemail	WhatsApp 91%, Messenger 70%
Generation X (880)	WhatsApp 42%	35%	34% message, 28% voicemail	WhatsApp 80%, Messenger 62%
Baby Boomers (911)	WhatsApp 34%	49%	15% message, 46% voicemail	WhatsApp 72%
Silent Generation (235)	Phone 47%	62%	11% message, 49% voicemail	WhatsApp 61%

Source: Communication Habits and Preferences 2024. Base: all respondents.

47%of the Silent Generation phone first, the only generation where the phone beats WhatsAppCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024

53%of Gen Z send a message rather than leave a voicemail when a call goes unansweredCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024

91%of Millennials use WhatsApp to communicate, the highest of any generationCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024

85%of Gen Z leave voice notes, against 40% of the Silent GenerationCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024

Generation Alpha (aged up to 12): tablets, games and WhatsApp

41% of Generation Alpha would reach friends or family on WhatsApp, 19% would phone and 9% would visit in person, the highest in-person figure of any generation. 38% like phone calls and do it a lot, and only 1% hate them. If a call goes unanswered, 46% send a message and 14% leave a voicemail.

The surprising fact is the device: 50% of Generation Alpha use a tablet to communicate, more than any other generation, and 72% talk to friends through online games. For this group a game is a communication channel.

Generation Z (13 to 27): messaging first, but not phone-phobic

35% of Gen Z would contact friends and family by WhatsApp, 23% by text and 19% by phone. 32% like phone calls and do it a lot, 26% only phone if they have to and 5% hate it. If a call rings out, 53% send a message and only 12% leave a voicemail.

Gen Z use more apps than anyone: WhatsApp 87%, Instagram 74%, Snapchat 66% and TikTok 61%. 85% leave voice notes. The surprising fact is that 36% would accept a call from a number they do not recognise, the highest of any generation. Our Generation Z guide goes deeper.

Millennials (28 to 43): the WhatsApp generation

49% of Millennials would reach friends and family on WhatsApp, the highest share of any generation, with 22% phoning and 13% texting. 35% like phone calls and do it a lot, but 6% hate them, the highest "hate it" score in the survey. When a call is unanswered, 46% send a message and 16% leave a voicemail.

91% use WhatsApp, 70% use Messenger and 75% leave voice notes. The surprising fact: 33% of Millennials say they pick up on non-verbal communication very well, almost twice the 17% of Baby Boomers who say the same.

Generation X (44 to 59): the reluctant callers

42% of Gen X would contact friends and family on WhatsApp, 22% by text and 21% by phone. 35% like phone calls and do it a lot, but 32% only phone if they have to, the highest of any generation. This is the tipping point for voicemail: 34% would send a message and 28% would leave one.

80% use WhatsApp and 44% never leave a voice note. The surprising fact is how wary they are: only 24% would accept a call from an unknown number, the lowest of any generation. They are also the heaviest emailers: 37% send email more than once a day.

Baby Boomers (60 to 78): voicemail's last stronghold

Among Baby Boomers, WhatsApp (34%) only narrowly beats the phone (33%) as the first way to reach friends and family. 49% like phone calls and do it a lot. When a call goes unanswered, 46% leave a voicemail and only 15% send a message, a near mirror image of Gen Z.

72% use WhatsApp and 55% never leave a voice note. The surprising fact is how digital they are: 98% send email, exactly the same as Gen X, and 89% use a smartphone. The out-of-touch Boomer is a stereotype the data does not support. See the Baby Boomers guide.

Silent Generation (over 78): the phone comes first

47% of the Silent Generation would phone friends and family first, with 21% choosing WhatsApp. 62% like phone calls and do it a lot, and only 14% phone only if they have to. If a call is unanswered, 49% leave a voicemail and 11% send a message. 73% still use a landline.

The surprising fact is that this is not a generation living offline. 61% use WhatsApp, 79% use a smartphone and 36% send birthday greetings by email. Our Silent Generation guide has more.

What the ranking means for anyone communicating across generations

WhatsApp is the safe default for reaching almost anyone in the UK, but the safest approach is to ask. The generations differ most on phone calls and voicemail, and least on texting (99% of Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X). For help matching channel to person, read our generational communication styles guide or the full 2024 survey findings.

We are framed by our generation, not defined by it. The table tells you where to start. Only the individual can tell you where to finish.

Frequently asked questions

Which generation uses WhatsApp the most?

Millennials. 91% of Millennials (aged 28 to 43) use WhatsApp to communicate and 49% say it is the way they would most often contact friends and family. Gen Z are close behind at 87%. Even 61% of the Silent Generation, aged over 78, use WhatsApp.

Do Gen Z hate phone calls?

Mostly not. 32% of Gen Z like phone calls and do it a lot, 37% will take a call although it is not their preference, 26% only phone if they have to and 5% hate it. Gen Z are the generation most likely to answer an unknown number (36%). What they avoid is voicemail: 12% would leave one.

Which generation still leaves voicemails?

The Silent Generation and Baby Boomers. 49% of over 78s and 46% of 60 to 78 year olds would leave a voicemail if a call went unanswered. That falls to 28% of Gen X, 16% of Millennials and 12% of Gen Z. Across the whole sample, 26% would.

What is the best way to contact someone from a different generation?

Start with the data, then ask the person. WhatsApp is the most common first choice for every generation except the Silent Generation, who prefer a phone call. For someone under 45, a message beats a voicemail. For someone over 78, a phone call is more likely to land well.

Book Alastair to show your team how each generation prefers to communicate, with the data to back it up.

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