Nearly a third of Americans (27 per cent) now get news from their smartphone or tablet mobile application.

Research by Pew Research Centre, found that although this figure is relatively high, people don’t rely solely on apps – 80 per cent of web users also visit news sites via a computer.

The study of 3,000 web users, also reported that search engines are no longer a top source for people to find the latest news, and took second place to apps.

‘Eight in ten who get news on smartphones or tablets, for instance, get news on conventional computers as well,’ Pew said in its report.

‘People are taking advantage, in other words, of having easier access to news throughout the day – in their pocket, on their desks and in their laps.’

Social media sites were found to be less important than apps when driving traffic to websites, even though 54 per cent of the US, around 133m, uses Facebook and Twitter regularly.

Only 9 per cent of American adults said they would follow news that pops up on Facebook or Twitter ‘very often’. Compared with 36 per cent stating they would go directly to a news company’s site or app.

The report also found that people are thought to be consuming more news than ever before.

‘A mounting body of evidence finds that the spread of mobile technology is adding to news consumption, strengthening the appeal of traditional news brands and even boosting reading of long-form journalism,’ said Pew in its report.

‘Our analysis suggests that news is becoming a more important and pervasive part of people’s lives,’ Pew Director Tom Rosenstiel said. ‘But it remains unclear who will benefit economically from this growing appetite for news.’