Over half of all UK homes now own a tablet computer, according to new research from Ofcom.
In just five years, the device has become a permanent feature in UK homes.
The Apple iPad popularised the tablet when it launched back in 2010, and has been followed by many other models like the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Google Android Nexus.
And 54% of households in the UK now own a tablet, up from just 2% in 2011.
Of those who didn’t have a tablet, 21% told Ofcom they were likely to get one in the next 12 months.
Tablets have proved most popular with people aged between 35-54, with 64% in that group owning a tablet.
However despite this, 71% of children aged 5-15 had access to a tablet by the end of 2014, up from 51% in 2013.
And many children now have their own tablet – 34% have their own device, compared to 19% in 2013.
Kate Reeve, Director of Consumer Research at Ofcom, said: “In just five years, tablets have become a must-have device for millions of UK households.
“We’re using them to catch up with the news, watch our favourite soaps and keep the kids entertained, with around one in three 5-15 year olds having their own tablet.”
Regarding what content tablets are used for, Ofcom found they are driving the use of apps – in 2014, 86% of adults who went online also used apps on their device.
Of these tablet users, 48% of app users get their news headlines on an app, compared to 37% who use a web browser.
Despite this, consumers are still searching via a browser – 61% favour a browser when searching for information.
People are also watching a lot of videos on tablets, with 58% watching video clips at home, and 36% watching catch-up tv services like BBC iPlayer or ITV Player.
Gaming on tablets is also increasing in popularity, with 15% of adults playing games on tablets, and 24% of 16-24 year olds regularly gaming on their tablet.
Check out the data here, and the Ofcom infographic below:
