Can I read Quran on my phone without wudu?

Classical scholars derived the rule that one must have wudu to touch the mushaf primarily from the verse: "None touch it except the purified" (Quran 56:79) and a hadith of Amr ibn Hazm. This ruling applies to the physical, printed Quran — the book itself that is a dedicated mushaf.

A phone or tablet is fundamentally different. It is a multipurpose device that displays text, images, video, and apps. The Quran is one of many things shown on its screen. Major contemporary scholars and institutions — including the Permanent Committee in Saudi Arabia, Dar al-Ifta in Egypt, and IslamQA — have ruled that touching a phone displaying the Quran does not require wudu. You may scroll, swipe, and read freely.

Best practice and respect: Even though wudu is not required, you should treat the Quran on your screen with respect. Do not take the phone into the bathroom while Quran is open on the screen. Close the Quran app before placing the phone on the floor or in a disrespectful location. Try to face the qibla if you are reciting deliberately.

For major ritual impurity (janabah, menstruation, post-childbirth): the majority of scholars still advise refraining from actively reciting the Quran from any source, including a phone — though listening, scrolling past, or reading silently for reference (e.g. checking a verse for a paper) is permitted by most scholars. The Hanafi position is the strictest here.