Can I take my phone into the bathroom if it has a Quran app?

Why a phone isn't a mushaf

Muslims don't take a printed Quran into the toilet out of respect for Allah's words. But most contemporary scholars say a phone is different. When the app is closed, there's no Quran text visible anywhere on the device, just stored files, like the Quran memorized in a person's heart. A Muslim who has memorized the Quran still goes to the bathroom, and nobody considers that disrespectful.

Because of this, most scholars also say you don't need wudu (washing before prayer) to touch a phone with a Quran app, though opinions differ more about touching the screen while verses are displayed. For the related question about a printed copy, see Can I touch the Quran if I'm not Muslim?

Showing respect anyway

Even if it's allowed, small habits of respect are a good sign of faith:

• Keep it in your pocket: or leave it outside if you don't need it.
• Close the Quran app first: don't leave a page of the Quran open on screen as you walk in.
• No recitation inside: pause any Quran audio before entering, and don't recite or read the Quran in the bathroom.
• Watch your lock screen: if your wallpaper shows a verse or the name of Allah, consider changing it, or keep the screen off inside.

What if I forget?

If you walk in with Quran audio playing or a verse on screen by mistake, simply turn it off or put the phone away. There's no sin in an honest mistake, and you don't need to do anything else. For more bathroom etiquette, see Do Muslims have to use water instead of toilet paper?