Wetherspoons BANS customers playing music or taking phone calls on loudspeaker

Wetherspoons has banned customers playing music or taking phone calls on the loudspeaker.

The pub chain has become the first to ban the antisocial behaviour.

Loudspeaker mode has been banned in all 792 of its pubs and signs telling customers to switch their phones to silent or to use earphones have been installed.

In a statement, the company said: "Following complaints from customers, who are being driven nuts by other people’s videos and amplified phone conversations, Wetherspoon has asked customers to switch their phones to silent or to use earphones."

And Sir Tim Martin, the founder and chairman of the iconic pub, said: "In a world dominated by other people's music and amplified sound, Wetherspoon pubs are an oasis of tranquillity and contemplation.

"In order to avoid customers being driven chicken jalfrezi by a cacophony of sound, we are kindly asking phone users to pipe down."

Sir Tim has previously slammed QR code ordering, saying it has taken away "atmosphere of chatting with the bar staff, or people in the queue".

Blasting music and using headphone-less calling in public has been considered one of Britain's major nuisances.

The Liberal Democrats previously campaigned for fines of up to £1,000 for "headphone dodgers" who play music out loud on buses and trains.

A YouGov poll last year found that 62 per cent of people would support the party's proposal.

The poll, which surveyed 6,815 Britons, split generations - almost three-quarters of pensioners were in favour, while those between 18 and 24 were split 47-43 in favour.

Olly Glover, transport spokesman for the party, previously told the BBC people had become more insular since the pandemic, failing to "think about their impact on other people".

Phone usage has also plagued London's transport systems.

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Last year, Sir Sadiq Khan rolled out a campaign urging passengers to be more considerate on Transport for London (TfL).

The Mayor of London's push for quiet on the tube followed a survey of 1,000 Londoners - 70 per cent said loud music and speaker phone use was a nuisance.

TfL said officers would approach loud individuals on the tube and ask them to stop - if they refuse, further enforcement action can be taken.

Despite the consensus the behaviour is unappreciated, TfL said it only received a "small number" of complaints.

And Great Western Railways said it only received 10 complaints of the nature from January 2025 to August 2026.

In 2019, pub chain Samuel Smith's banned all electronic devices to encourage social interaction

Wetherspoon opened its first pub in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1979.

First called Martin's Free House, the pub was renamed to Wetherspoons early the following year.