The Be smart about smartphones study looked at reading patterns among news brand readers, both via apps and websites. It found that the key times of day for reach and engagement on newspaper websites are 9am, 11am, 7pm and then from 10pm until midnight.

Newspaper app sessions are longer, with reach peaking between 8 and 9am, and again at 6pm. The longest time spent is at 10am. The vast majority of mobile reading is in a fixed location using Wi-Fi, although a third of readers are roaming at lunchtime.

Blogging research conducted by Lieberman Research Worldwide, which was commissioned by Newsworks in parallel to the YouGov study, found that readers notice and enjoy seeing tailored ads on their smartphones and click on them regularly. They are more receptive when ads are streamlined and non-invasive to news content.

Ads that are interactive, personalised and seamlessly integrated into the conversations which mobile readers are already having are particularly effective. In comparison, users reject and filter out ads which disrupt their experience.

Denise Turner, insight director at Newsworks, said: “Ad-blocking has made many headlines since Apple updated its iOS operating system, allowing users to download apps that block ads on web pages on their iPhones and iPads. However, our research shows that ads aren’t uniformly rejected by mobile users and those which are relevant and tailored can actually enhance the smartphone experience for news brand readers.”

YouGov tracked mobile data of 1,242 readers of news brand apps or websites between April and July 2015. Lieberman Research Worldwide conducted blogging research among 13 millennial smartphone readers.