"Dumbphone"/flip phone users? (+EDC)

[Mezzaluna]

I've thought of investing in a dumbphone, but because of work/commute reasons I need a smartphone to be able to access certain apps. As a compromise I've deleted all my social media apps and make sure to declutter my phone every so often.

I bought an ipod a while ago for music stuff, mostly because I'm tired of songs disappearing off streaming services (or not being there at all  ) The final straw for me was seeing Spotify become a dumping ground for YouTube videos as podcasts and just promoting more video on the site in general. I don't want the first thing I see when I want to play music is recommendations for a random video lol. Yeah it might take a while to build my music library back up again, but at least it's mine forever and no ads. 

[FinleyIsHere]

i really, really wanna get a dumbphone for myself but its hard finding one here in australia and finding one with a headphone jack that could play mp3s is a struggle 

but i'll be honest, im still on the fence about getting one for sure, since i worry that it'll be on my drawer collecting dust while i still use my smartphone for most things which would well, obviously suck ass,

and i cant really let go of my smartphone tbh, it has my banking app and social media that i use [...twitter, IM GUILTY OK I KNOW THAT ] its a toxic relationship, i cant let it go cause its so fucking funny but i wanna let go so bad since its so goddamn toxic its harms both my mental and physical health, literally

so that's why im looking to get a feature phone at least, all i want it to have is hotspot and ability to play music with my wired earphones thats it

if anyone got any suggestions please help me out man!!!

[TheFrugalGamer]

@FinleyIsHere One thing you might try to do is have a "trial run" with your existing phone. Simply treat it like a dumbphone, without having to shell out the money for one.

That would mean, firstly, that you can keep your music on it. In fact, I think that's one of the best things about smartphones! I LOVE having my music on hand, whether it's stored locally or I'm using a streaming service, whatever. We can talk about toxic phone use all day, but it really comes down to how you use it, not the capabilities of the thing itself.

Next you'd uninstall all the apps that enable the doom scrolling behavior. There are also apps that put limits on your screen usage and force you off after a certain amount of time has passed--definitely look into those. Sometimes just putting a few screens in between yourself and the bad behavior can push you away from it.

Thirdly, turn off all the notifications you can. Obviously you'll want the important ones, especially if you're caring for family or friends who need to reach out to you. But social media apps that are throwing up notifications about who posted what just now? Ugh, NO THANK YOU. Turn that stuff OFF.

And lastly, I like having something on hand to turn to when I'm bored or need to fidget. Usually that's my e-reader, but a paperback book also works. A notebook that I can journal in, a small fidget toy, a gameboy, you don't have to buy anything new, just something you have on hand that you can turn to during those few moments you'd spend on your phone. It does take a conscious effort to not pick up the phone, but it'll get to be second nature after a while. It's just re-training yourself.

You might also consider turning off wi-fi/turning on airplane mode for a bit. You'll still be able to get calls, but your social media apps will have a harder time phoning home (depending on your service plan and the like).

[rnottelovesowls]

and i cant really let go of my smartphone tbh, it has my banking app and social media that i use [...twitter, IM GUILTY OK I KNOW THAT ] its a toxic relationship, i cant let it go cause its so fucking funny but i wanna let go so bad since its so goddamn toxic its harms both my mental and physical health, literally

i'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but... that's always the excuse. remember, it's not OUR fault that everything in our lives requires a smartphone app to function. if you go dumbphone, you have to boycott things that require apps or QR code scanners. that's what i do in protest of the "smartphone economy". might mean you'll miss out on certain things, but you'll be better for it. we didn't need twitter then, and we certainly don't need it now

i don't have a dumbphone, but just a years-old iPhone SE whose app library i've restricted heavily; all social media, internet browsing, and even downloading new apps, is blocked. but as far as feature phones go, the one i've always had my eyes on is the light phone. it's definitely not cheap, but it has pretty much everything you could want a phone for, plus it's built to last' no modern iPhone can claim that. the difference between the light phone 2 and light phone 3 is that the former has an e-ink screen, is smaller, and connects with micro-USB and AUX; and the latter has a camera, is bigger (and more comfortable, i've heard), and connects with USB-C. take your pick

[solsgarage]

I use a Kyocera 902KC!! I'd only recommend it if you're willing to do a bit of work to sideload stuff (and if you're in the USA like me you're limited to a few providers), but I love it. It has expandable storage so I have a bunch of music on it. I can scan qr codes, use a web browser, etc. I think OrganicMaps works on it, but I prefer using an sms-based service for navigation/weather/location info! more info on that here

I do also have a need for my bank apps, but you can usually call your bank for balances/transfers or use an atm! also re: social media, I've found that not having a convenient way to access it has made it WAY easier for me to disconnect. I haven't used any of them for years, but just deleting the apps/blocking access was a great starting point. I do still have my smartphone, but I mostly use it for navigation (when it's a long trip) and mobile games.

if anyone wants better specific recommendations, definitely check out /r/dumbphones! there's a ton of resources and people are generally happy to help you find a device that works for you.

[Horsey Chobunso]

I've looked into feature phones many times, and eventually I will make that shift, but I have too many things in my life right now that require my phone, or at the very least, the ability to scan a QR code and open a web page. I understand the sentiment stated earlier that avoiding all of those things is a way to protest them, but the reality for me is that it would mean just functioning in my current world and not being able to do things with my friends. The Light Phone in particular is a project I'm very interested in, but I have a bunch of groundwork I need to do before I can really commit.

I've since settled on a middle ground by greatly reducing my smartphone usage. Everything on my phone that functioned around content algorithms has been deleted (or hidden in the case of YouTube) and I switched to Olauncher as my homescreen, which allows me to hide all icons and only keep a short list of essentials on my home page. I was doing really well and keeping my phone screen time around 60mins a day, but I've gotten worse at it lately.

[FinleyIsHere]

@FinleyIsHere One thing you might try to do is have a "trial run" with your existing phone. Simply treat it like a dumbphone, without having to shell out the money for one.

mmm alrighty, i'll treat it like that for as long as i can and for the music ive been thinking about investing in an mp3 player, so that i can
1) not rely on my phone so much and
2) so i can save up on storage :D
but if i were to get a feature phone, its more of a smart phone but i found one that piqued my interest, the unihertz jelly star its small, compact, and has nfc
but right now im looking to save my money so i'll use my smartphone like that, again tysm!