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Getting rid of my smartphone was without a doubt the most positive thing I ever did for myself. I'm sure some people have the self-control to use it sparingly.

Getting rid of my smartphone was without a doubt the most positive thing I ever did for myself. I'm sure some people have the self-control to use it sparingly. But for me, not having to constantly fight the urge to check my always-connected magic pocket internet portal has freed up a huge amount of my mental willpower, which I can now redirect to other more important things. Now that everything is closed, I don't even miss having the convenience of Uber/Google Maps. Additionally, without social media, I remain blissfully unaware of whatever corona hysteria or political drama is consuming the minds of my peers. These devices have a veritable legion of engineers working to make the smartphone experience as addictive as possible. For some people, the only winning move it not to play.

stevensawtelle 6y ago
Can you talk more to the practicalities of getting rid of a smartphone? Have you seriously found that the loss of the conveniences they bring haven't been that burdensome? I am really intrigued by the idea but find it almost inconceivable to work for me (which might speak to an addiction, so I feel compelled to understand this further)
- ocdtrekkie 6y ago
  I have my smartphone and am not the OP, but I spent several years on Windows Mobile which supported almost no apps, so it was kinda like a dumbphone. I think people often overestimate their need. People act like they can't live without Google Maps, but 90% of them take the same route to work every day. I would argue if you aren't traveling outside your local area, you have zero need for a mapping app. It's true you may not be notified of a slightly faster route because of some unforeseen event, but the difference is probably a couple minutes at most, and you should know your local streets well enough to get along anyways. There was the rare event where I couldn't participate in some restaurant's rewards program because they only did it via iOS/Android app, and that was annoying, but it also led me to just use that business less.
  - manaskarekar 6y ago
    This was also my experience with the Lumia 920 (greatest phone + OS combo ever IMHO). The maps ("Here") on Windows Mobile were actually not bad at all. Using this phone taught me not to be obsessed with instant mail notifications among other things.
    - Spearchucker 6y ago
      I still use my 950. People get annoyed with me because I don't use messenger or WhatsApp. It does email and phone calls just fine. Anything other than that or surfing the intertoobs can wait until I get to a PC.
      - jkepler 6y ago
        When I was in Europe in 2018/2019 (where they still had decent 3G network coverage unlike my provider here in the USA) I used my Nokia N900 as my daily driver, not as a smartphone but primarily a feature phone with a full keyboard and a Linux terminal for bash scripting on the go. In fact, I used a bash script to track my cash expenses rather than a dedicated app.
      - ocdtrekkie 6y ago
        I just left my Elite x3 behind this year. Best phone I've ever owned. But I consider security updates a must-have, so I dropped it when Microsoft finally stopped pushing updates.
  - alanbernstein 6y ago
    You're right, I don't often need mobile maps. It's just that when I do, it's unexpected.
- apetresc 6y ago
  Specifically what functionality do you feel is so critical? The only thing I really struggled with at first was: - 2FA codes, but a self-hosted Bitwarden and a Yubikey solved that well enough - Maps. This is a legitimate sacrifice, especially for someone with as poor a sense of direction as I have. But between the mapping application in my car and looking things up before I leave somewhere on my laptop, it's not been a huge problem.
  - codr7 6y ago
    I got a simple CAT-model that runs KaiOS. It sort of supports Maps, but is inconvenient enough to kill the temptation to use it for everything. As an added bonus, it's water proof, doesn't crack when dropped and the battery lasts a week.
  - SamBam 6y ago
    For me: Maps and WhatsApp. I could probably ditch Maps (by using my spouse's when needed, not sure if that counts...), but I have family abroad and other family here), and kid photos to send etc etc. It's true I could do most of that via email, but the rest of the family is on WhatsApp and I would genuinely feel more disconnected from them then I already do.
    - beefield 6y ago
      You can install whatsapp on a virtual android machine on your desktop/laptop. I did that for a while and used a dumb phone (new nokia 8110) as my main phone and hotspot for a while. I kind of enjoyed it, but a couple of things made me give up for now.: First, abysmally bad battery life when using it as a hotspot (and no auto wifi disable when no devices connected). Second, laughably slow charging. Like, not even net charging when using lots of data via wifi hotspot and even in best case something like 4 hours to charge from empty to full. I am still keen to buy a dumb phone that fixes these.
      - SamBam 6y ago
        I thought WhatsApp needed to verify the device using a phone number? Does that work with the virtual Android?
- blackearl 6y ago
  I would think it's better to develop the will power to not hop on your phone whenever available, take a breath, smell the flowers, but also still have the option of something as amazing as GPS. Not really interested in going back to pulling over and looking at a map these days.
  - perlgod 6y ago
    "muh GPS" is definitely the most common argument people give me. Garmin still makes car GPS units. I have one and it works well. To be fair, I was able to refrain from mindless scrolling all the time. But with the phone nearby, I always wanted to mindlessly scroll during every random quiet moment. I liken it to an alcoholic keeping an ice cold beer on his desk all day, but doing his best not to take a sip. Why subject yourself? I experimented without a smartphone and I am happier as a result. This will probably not be the case for everyone. But, if you ever feel like a slave to your own technology, I highly recommend trying it out.
  - Jtsummers 6y ago
    Developing will power is one of those "easier said than done" things. At the end of a long day of work, without my phone, I find my ability to focus is shot. Especially since I can't work out like I used to, a few more weeks and I should be able to again. Workouts physically exhaust me but restore my mental focus. There are lots of things that drain people (emotionally, mentally) that leaves them in a similar state, where having the device present is just too strong a temptation and then an hour or more is gone.
  - wussboy 6y ago
    Will power don’t really work that way. Studies show it is an exhaustible resource and if you’re using it all day to fight of pulling your phone out of your pocket, you won’t have it for anything else you do in your day (and you’ll STILL probably pull your phone out!) The people with the best will power have organized their lives so that they don’t need will power.
    - reificator 6y ago
      I was under the impression that those studies not only failed to replicate but in fact more recent studies found the opposite...
- perlgod 6y ago
  I have not found it to be overly burdensome. I have an indestructible kyocera flip phone, so I'm able to call people (and SMS in a pinch). I have an LTE-enabled tablet, so if I'm going somewhere totally unfamiliar, I'll throw it in my bag just in case I need to look up some information. Otherwise you just have to plan your outings in advance - like we always did prior to 2008 or so. I have a Garmin GPS mounted in car for road trips, which I honestly prefer since it doesn't tempt me to fiddle with it while driving like a smartphone does. I also carry a semi-nice digital camera sometimes. It's obviously not as convenient as a smartphone camera, but I find I am more thoughtful and appreciative of the photos I take as a result. I use more paper items (small paper notebook for grocery lists, transit tickets instead of using the app, etc). This can be somewhat freeing, as I've missed my ferry a handful of times because their app glitched out. My personality tends towards obsession and analysis paralysis, which can be good for programming but sometimes bad for real life. I no longer obsess over which restaurant has the best looking pictures or online reviews, I just walk inside and try it out. Sometimes this is for the better, sometimes for the worse, but it's definitely a more human experience. Without the smartphone, I also find I am much more inclined to talk to random strangers, since I can't just whip out the phone during awkward silent moments. With lack of FOMO, I am also much more present with family and friends, which is probably the biggest benefit.
  - stagehn 6y ago
    Thank you for sharing these experiences
  - wussboy 6y ago
    Thanks for your great response. I’ve often considered doing something like this. I wonder if there is a way to accomplish many of these things while still carrying your phone? For example, what if your phone took 5 minutes to unlock? And didn’t give notifications until you unlocked it? Just a thought.
    - mdiesel 6y ago
      My OnePlus (not sure how widespread the feature is on android) has a Zen Mode, once started you can't use the phone for most things until the timer elapses. A bit different, but good if you want a break.
- sumtechguy 6y ago
  I have found many smart phones have a low power mode. This basically makes the phone into a phone that can run voice, text, and maybe one other application. The upside is the battery lasts like a week. If it was not for hangouts I probably would put my phone in that mode for that reason alone.
- bentcorner 6y ago
  If you have a Samsung phone a more gradual step in this direction is their maximum battery saver mode (my S7 had it, at least, not sure about more recent models). It turns the phone into close to a dumb phone (iirc no social media apps, maybe a web browser). Only a subset of preapproved apps are available in this mode.
  - frosted-flakes 6y ago
    > not sure about more recent models My Galaxy S10e has it.
- apricot 6y ago
  Not OP, but I also made the choice not to carry a phone (not even a dumb phone) because I don't want the inconvenience of carrying an interrupting device everywhere I go. There's a phone at home and one in my office for emergencies, but other business gets done by email, on my terms. I live in a (non-US) large city, walk or bike to work every day and don't own a car. We have a pretty good public transit system which I used to use a lot, pre-covid. The biggest inconvenience of not carrying a cell phone was that I didn't have access to live bus and subway schedules, so I would sometimes take a suboptimal route to my destination. My schedule is done on paper in a pocket schedule book that I always carry. I also carry a pen, a simple watch, a Swiss army knife, and a small flashlight, all of which I use at least once every day. I also always have a book in my bag, for reading while waiting for the bus, the doctor, or other things and people. I look things up on the Internet at home. I'm not saying I will never carry a phone, but it seems that not having a phone is the right choice for me at the moment.
- searchableguy 6y ago
  It's not practical. Many malls and chains have moved to digital order/payment systems. What I recommend is installing a very learn custom ROM and use vpn + pihole. You can find and install one of those social media blocklist.
- frodetb 6y ago
  I've done the same thing, and started out with an extremely dumb feature phone. Maps and IM were the biggest losses, and meant I needed to plan activities to a much larger degree before going out. I'd have details settled with friends before leaving my connection to the group chat. I'd plan out my route in google maps and try to memorize where destinations were and how to get to them. Of these two, only the lack of maps is a real step back. I've come to appreciate the need for clear planning that comes out of not having my group chats with me constantly. The feature phone was doomed from the start, since it only had a 2G connection which is going away. But then that phone broke after a rainstorm, and I got a Nokia 2720 Flip running KaiOS. It has 4G, can work as a wifi hotspot, and has a version of Google Maps that is surprisingly not-terrible. With that, I lost my only real pain points. AND I have a cool retro looking satisfyingly flippy flip-phone. I highly reccommend it to anyone who wants to listen.
- bcoughlan 6y ago
  I moved back to a Nokia feature-phone for a few years. I missed out on social events by not having WhatsApp. The real problem app for me was the browser. Now I have a smartphone now with some modifications: rooted, removed Play Store and Chrome. If I want to have a browser for a few days I download and sideload the Firefox APK. If I get into bad habits I just remove it again. I also have a Kindle, and instead of reading on the computer I use the "Send to Kindle" extension so I can read them in depth later. It's just too hard to focus on the screen, especially because I'm usually browsing articles as a means of procrastination anyways. People find it bizarre and hilarious when I explain my smartphone setup, but compared to a few years ago the reactions are much more understanding, because even non-tech people these days recognize that they have a problem. It has also done wonders for my attention span. I wonder if the reason public discourse has gone to shit is because people struggle to consume info longer than a tweet.
- tboyd47 6y ago
  There are different levels of “getting rid of.” I have several smartphones but don’t use them as phones, and don’t carry them on my person. For cell service I have a dumb phone (Alcatel MyFlip) I keep on me. I’ve operated like this for years and find no loss of convenience at all. Whatever I need a smartphone for (2FA codes, podcasts, Discord, etc.) I can do at home with Wi-Fi. Everything else I can do on a computer. The only thing mildly inconvenient is having to ask people for directions sometimes (which is really only inconvenient for them, because of their embarrassment at not being able to explain how to get to their own house). Overall, it definitely helps with social etiquette and living in the moment. It makes you more in tune with other people. Having to keep a smartphone on you at all times to function is a burden, instead of the other way around. It’s a burden placed on you by corporations and governments.
geocrasher 6y ago
I get the same thing by A) not watching the news B) turning off notifications for almost all apps C) the real magic key to keeping control of your smart phone, instead of letting it control you is <buzz> <buzz> hang on Hello? Look I'm right in the middle of something I'll... yeah. I know I ... I KNOW. Look, I gotta go. Anyway, as I was saying... uh... well anyway. Phones suck.
- r00fus 6y ago
  I am very brutal in ignoring calls and sending SMS text replies to known IDs that might have something urgent. I know the prefix is for all of my key numbers like kids schools, hospitals and simply don’t pick up if the prefix is not right.
- DiffEq 6y ago
  I have had my office phone on Do Not Disturb for 5 years and my cell phone has all notifications turned off and the ringer is set to off. The only time i turn it on is if I am expecting a call - which is hardly ever. Same with my PC - no notifications...it helps a great deal to keep the tool a tool instead of letting it become your master.
  - gadabout 6y ago
    Culling down notifications was a life-changing action for me. Like you, I turned off almost all notifications. My only notifications were texts/calls from people that depended upon me (my wife, my parents, my best friends). Interacting with apps and my phone in general after that became something either I chose or chose not to do. My phone was no longer an algorithm or other person controlling me, but instead a useful tool. This is obviously a luxury that I am able to work and live like this, but I would encourage everyone to turn off any notifications they can and see how they feel after a week or month like that, then revisit and turn off more if possible. I would also say that some form of control is still required. Whether that is self-control, technological control, or control via absence. I struggled a lot with whether I should delete Reddit from my phone to make sure I don't end up in an abyss of lost time. Eventually I settled on moving it a ridiculous number of empty screens over by itself in an unusual spot. If I want to open Reddit now, it is a very deliberate action that gives me time to ask myself "you sure?" but also doesn't take away that option of my life.
kemonocode 6y ago
Best thing I've done this year is to simply get a feature phone. They're cheap, they're hardy, and they're mostly free from distractions to give you. This one I have does have an Internet browser and some kind of Facebook functionality but the experience is so incredibly miserable, it acts as a very effective deterrent.
wtetzner 6y ago
I wonder how much benefit people would get by just putting their phone in airplane mode for long chunks of time.
- geocrasher 6y ago
  My favorite part of going camping is unplugging for a couple of days at a time.
  - Jtsummers 6y ago
    I used to take week long trips to Maine with my dad to learn to make furniture. Those were some of the most relaxing and restorative weeks I've ever experienced. 8+ hours of physical work, go home and shower. Then walk around the downtown or go hiking (skip the shower in that case). Eat out or cook dinner, read a book. Never touched a computer, and minimally used my phone (more on the last trip because I'd just started the relationship which is now a marriage). And I only used the phone for communicating with specific individuals (close friends, family) not mindless web browsing and games.
  - nicbou 6y ago
    Then you return and there's an underwhelming number of notifications. You're caught up in about the same amount of time as if you left for an hour.
- ChrisCinelli 6y ago
  I started doing it. Or at least turning off data so I am still reachable.
umvi 6y ago
I recently bought a Jelly 2 on kickstarter, here's to hoping it will have the same effect as what you describe.
richajak 6y ago
I recently realized that I slowly lost my ability to do simple calculations that was used to be easy, eg total bill of grocery shopping before going to the cashier. I put the blame to the calculator app on my phone
- foxdev 6y ago
  I could never do math in my head like this (with reasonable speed and accuracy), so I didn't lose anything. I put an estimated cost by each item on the grocery list, total it at the bottom, and note whether the real prices are higher or lower than the estimate as I get things. It's never happened, but I can at least know if the register total is at odds with expectations.
shados 6y ago
The urge to use it right before bed (and at the same time wrecking your sleep quality, and then messing with your next day) is huge too.
- fullstop 6y ago
  I don't have a problem with this, at all. With that being said, my phone (OnePlus 7T) has a "Zen Mode" which locks you out of the phone for a set period of time. You can make and receive phone calls, and take photos, but that is it. I don't use it, as I am not a heavy phone user, but I can see where it may be helpful for some people.
Accacin 6y ago
I also did this, although only for a while. I first removed all notifications and apps from my phone (although I do not use social media anyway), and eventually went to some cheap flip phone. However, once I had to go rescue my wife when she locked her keys in the car.. And it took me 2.5 hours when it should have taken 1 hour because I got lost... I've taken to using my smart phone but leaving it at home as much as I can, I only take it out if I'm going out for a long period of time now and I'll take my dumb phone so my wife can contact me if possible.
reificator 6y ago
Looking at these comments I'm realizing I might be an outlier. If I'm traveling to an area I've never/rarely been before, I'll use turn by turn navigation the first few times. But once I'm familiar with the area I just look up the specific place for the nearest cross streets before I leave. I kind of assumed that's how everyone navigated, minus taxi/delivery/other professional drivers who probably use GPS more.
- tgb 6y ago
  This is what I do if I'm walking, but I mechanically follow the GPS if it's on and I'm driving. Means I have no clue where things are unless they're in walking distance.
- Aerroon 6y ago
  I'm the same. I look at a map beforehand and try getting there on my own. If I can't then I can always use some navigation assist later.
  - reificator 6y ago
    I'm not ashamed to say I've gotten lost doing this occasionally and either turned on directions or just double checked the GPS. But it's fairly infrequent and it doesn't happen twice in the same place.
    - wool_gather 6y ago
      Heck, sometimes it can be fun to get a little lost. "Oh, _that's_ where $FOO is!", as you accidentally go by it. Or "That looks like a cool $BAR, I'll have to come back and check it out"
      - waihtis 6y ago
        This is definitely part of the fun. I sometimes take new routes to places I’ve visited before without particularly checking beforehand if road XYZ actually connects to the intended destination (it’s enough if it leads to it’s general direction) - once in a while you end up in a cul-de-sac, but mostly you end up with your described situation
pier25 6y ago
My strategy is to have a crappy smartphone.
kilroy123 6y ago
If you're using an iOS device, and now on iOS 14. I highly recommend putting the screen time widget front and center so you can see just how much time you're spending on your phone. Terrifying to watch.
siengu 6y ago
I'm using iOS Content & Privacy Restrictions to dumb down my Iphone SE as much as possible while retaining the needed functionality (Calculator, Camera, Notes, Calendar, Clock, Phone and SMS). I uninstall other apps that can be removed. Safari can be disabled using Content restrictions. I install Here Maps, download offline maps for the nearby regions for when I need navigation. Data & WIFI are always off. The phone is not signed in the app store. Content & Privacy Restrictions are protected by a pin code that I write down and store in a relatively hard to reach place. This way I have a relatively modern phone that is not a distracting toy. I could get a dumb phone (I used one up to somewhere in 2018), but currently there is no dumb phone that would take some half decent photos and provide a possibility to navigate offline.
duggable 6y ago
Gah, I need to do this so bad. Lately I've admitted to myself that I'm truly addicted to my phone. I go through phases of blocking safari, deleting all my non-essential apps, etc, but they always find a way to slowly creep back into my life ("5 minutes of reddit won't hurt while my kids are playing on their own...."). I'm realizing that I am just one of those people who can't handle even having it as an option. Thanks for inspiring me to take the next step.
- jacobmoe 6y ago
  Something I realized recently is that I'm not addicted to social media or any apps in particular, but I am addicted to my phone. I managed to give up pretty much all social media, save for an occasional peek at reddit and this site, but still take out my phone about as often as I did before. Mostly I just check the news for the umpteenth time in a day. My current plan is to keep using my phone, but switch to using it for more productive things. For example, I started using Anki for memorization and I use a bunch of music theory/sight-reading apps.
  - duggable 6y ago
    Similar realization here. Just can't get myself off the damn thing - doesn't seem to matter what I'm using it for. Hopefully the more productive route works for you!
  - sjy 6y ago
    I have an entrenched Anki habit – I picked it up while studying for an exam, and now it says I’ve been using it for an average of 17 minutes a day for 2 years. It’s a great tool and I recommend it. But I don’t think it helps to fix the phone addiction problem. Getting to an average of 17 minutes was hard work that required a lot of willpower. I’m sure most people with a phone addiction problem are spending much more than 17 minutes a day on unproductive scrolling.
    - yipbub 6y ago
      What's your recommended Anki app?
frereubu 6y ago
I have two things which stop me, and it's not "muh gps"! I'd be interested in how people dealt with a situation like mine: 1. I have a Mac, and carefully organised contacts. How do I sync them to a Nokia that has 4G tethering (so I can work on my train-based commute) without going through Google? 2. How do you deal with music? I have AirPods and Spotify, which I absolutely love to have with me while walking around. (I'm from the Walkman generation, and the idea of walking around with music in my ears is still magical, particuarly with wireless earbuds). There's a part of me which thinks about a Nokia banana phone for calls / 4G tethering combined with an iPod Touch, but I don't really want two devices.
- threentaway 6y ago
  1. NextCloud supports Calendar and Contacts sync if you are comfortable going down that route. 2. They're just bluetooth ear buds, they work with every phone that supports bluetooth.
  - jethro_tell 6y ago
    How does next cloud sync to a dumb phone? The question is where do you store the music since it's a dumb phone
    - threentaway 6y ago
      Cron job to copy both to a microSD card?
      - jethro_tell 6y ago
        Reminds me of my old casio watch that synced calendar reminders via a sweet dock. Physical actions to do syncing and remembering every time I left my desk wasn't that long ago.
    - sjy 6y ago
      You can load and play audio files on a feature phone. Many people did this before iPhones and streaming services existed.
leptons 6y ago
The smartphone is an incredible tool to have, but it completely pisses me off any time I have to pay attention to it. I hate any message that comes in through it, any notification from any app (I have all notifications turned off except the Samasung notifications which I'm locked-out of disabling - fuck you Samsung Account). The smartphone is only a tool for me, for maps when I'm out, for search data, and accessing my files at home on rare occasions while I'm away from home (via VPN). It's my mobile command center. But when I'm at home - fuck off phone. I'm also in the tiny minority of people who aren't on zuckface, or other popular social media apps. So maybe I just naturally care less about my phone. I've never had a problem ignoring it. I get very few phone calls, almost none, and since COVID happened, I've reduced my data plan to the bare minimum because I just don't really need it anymore working at home. But used as a tool and not entertainment, the smartphone is absolutely invaluable.
dmje 6y ago
Me too. https://variousbits.net/2018/05/11/im-happier-without-a-smartphone/ https://variousbits.net/2018/05/11/im-happier-without-a-smar...
nottorp 6y ago
Just turn off all notifications :) In time you'll stop checking constantly.

stevensawtelle 6y ago

Can you talk more to the practicalities of getting rid of a smartphone? Have you seriously found that the loss of the conveniences they bring haven't been that burdensome? I am really intrigued by the idea but find it almost inconceivable to work for me (which might speak to an addiction, so I feel compelled to understand this further)

ocdtrekkie 6y ago
I have my smartphone and am not the OP, but I spent several years on Windows Mobile which supported almost no apps, so it was kinda like a dumbphone. I think people often overestimate their need. People act like they can't live without Google Maps, but 90% of them take the same route to work every day. I would argue if you aren't traveling outside your local area, you have zero need for a mapping app. It's true you may not be notified of a slightly faster route because of some unforeseen event, but the difference is probably a couple minutes at most, and you should know your local streets well enough to get along anyways. There was the rare event where I couldn't participate in some restaurant's rewards program because they only did it via iOS/Android app, and that was annoying, but it also led me to just use that business less.
- manaskarekar 6y ago
  This was also my experience with the Lumia 920 (greatest phone + OS combo ever IMHO). The maps ("Here") on Windows Mobile were actually not bad at all. Using this phone taught me not to be obsessed with instant mail notifications among other things.
  - Spearchucker 6y ago
    I still use my 950. People get annoyed with me because I don't use messenger or WhatsApp. It does email and phone calls just fine. Anything other than that or surfing the intertoobs can wait until I get to a PC.
    - jkepler 6y ago
      When I was in Europe in 2018/2019 (where they still had decent 3G network coverage unlike my provider here in the USA) I used my Nokia N900 as my daily driver, not as a smartphone but primarily a feature phone with a full keyboard and a Linux terminal for bash scripting on the go. In fact, I used a bash script to track my cash expenses rather than a dedicated app.
    - ocdtrekkie 6y ago
      I just left my Elite x3 behind this year. Best phone I've ever owned. But I consider security updates a must-have, so I dropped it when Microsoft finally stopped pushing updates.
- alanbernstein 6y ago
  You're right, I don't often need mobile maps. It's just that when I do, it's unexpected.
apetresc 6y ago
Specifically what functionality do you feel is so critical? The only thing I really struggled with at first was: - 2FA codes, but a self-hosted Bitwarden and a Yubikey solved that well enough - Maps. This is a legitimate sacrifice, especially for someone with as poor a sense of direction as I have. But between the mapping application in my car and looking things up before I leave somewhere on my laptop, it's not been a huge problem.
- codr7 6y ago
  I got a simple CAT-model that runs KaiOS. It sort of supports Maps, but is inconvenient enough to kill the temptation to use it for everything. As an added bonus, it's water proof, doesn't crack when dropped and the battery lasts a week.
- SamBam 6y ago
  For me: Maps and WhatsApp. I could probably ditch Maps (by using my spouse's when needed, not sure if that counts...), but I have family abroad and other family here), and kid photos to send etc etc. It's true I could do most of that via email, but the rest of the family is on WhatsApp and I would genuinely feel more disconnected from them then I already do.
  - beefield 6y ago
    You can install whatsapp on a virtual android machine on your desktop/laptop. I did that for a while and used a dumb phone (new nokia 8110) as my main phone and hotspot for a while. I kind of enjoyed it, but a couple of things made me give up for now.: First, abysmally bad battery life when using it as a hotspot (and no auto wifi disable when no devices connected). Second, laughably slow charging. Like, not even net charging when using lots of data via wifi hotspot and even in best case something like 4 hours to charge from empty to full. I am still keen to buy a dumb phone that fixes these.
    - SamBam 6y ago
      I thought WhatsApp needed to verify the device using a phone number? Does that work with the virtual Android?
blackearl 6y ago
I would think it's better to develop the will power to not hop on your phone whenever available, take a breath, smell the flowers, but also still have the option of something as amazing as GPS. Not really interested in going back to pulling over and looking at a map these days.
- perlgod 6y ago
  "muh GPS" is definitely the most common argument people give me. Garmin still makes car GPS units. I have one and it works well. To be fair, I was able to refrain from mindless scrolling all the time. But with the phone nearby, I always wanted to mindlessly scroll during every random quiet moment. I liken it to an alcoholic keeping an ice cold beer on his desk all day, but doing his best not to take a sip. Why subject yourself? I experimented without a smartphone and I am happier as a result. This will probably not be the case for everyone. But, if you ever feel like a slave to your own technology, I highly recommend trying it out.
- Jtsummers 6y ago
  Developing will power is one of those "easier said than done" things. At the end of a long day of work, without my phone, I find my ability to focus is shot. Especially since I can't work out like I used to, a few more weeks and I should be able to again. Workouts physically exhaust me but restore my mental focus. There are lots of things that drain people (emotionally, mentally) that leaves them in a similar state, where having the device present is just too strong a temptation and then an hour or more is gone.
- wussboy 6y ago
  Will power don’t really work that way. Studies show it is an exhaustible resource and if you’re using it all day to fight of pulling your phone out of your pocket, you won’t have it for anything else you do in your day (and you’ll STILL probably pull your phone out!) The people with the best will power have organized their lives so that they don’t need will power.
  - reificator 6y ago
    I was under the impression that those studies not only failed to replicate but in fact more recent studies found the opposite...
perlgod 6y ago
I have not found it to be overly burdensome. I have an indestructible kyocera flip phone, so I'm able to call people (and SMS in a pinch). I have an LTE-enabled tablet, so if I'm going somewhere totally unfamiliar, I'll throw it in my bag just in case I need to look up some information. Otherwise you just have to plan your outings in advance - like we always did prior to 2008 or so. I have a Garmin GPS mounted in car for road trips, which I honestly prefer since it doesn't tempt me to fiddle with it while driving like a smartphone does. I also carry a semi-nice digital camera sometimes. It's obviously not as convenient as a smartphone camera, but I find I am more thoughtful and appreciative of the photos I take as a result. I use more paper items (small paper notebook for grocery lists, transit tickets instead of using the app, etc). This can be somewhat freeing, as I've missed my ferry a handful of times because their app glitched out. My personality tends towards obsession and analysis paralysis, which can be good for programming but sometimes bad for real life. I no longer obsess over which restaurant has the best looking pictures or online reviews, I just walk inside and try it out. Sometimes this is for the better, sometimes for the worse, but it's definitely a more human experience. Without the smartphone, I also find I am much more inclined to talk to random strangers, since I can't just whip out the phone during awkward silent moments. With lack of FOMO, I am also much more present with family and friends, which is probably the biggest benefit.
- stagehn 6y ago
  Thank you for sharing these experiences
- wussboy 6y ago
  Thanks for your great response. I’ve often considered doing something like this. I wonder if there is a way to accomplish many of these things while still carrying your phone? For example, what if your phone took 5 minutes to unlock? And didn’t give notifications until you unlocked it? Just a thought.
  - mdiesel 6y ago
    My OnePlus (not sure how widespread the feature is on android) has a Zen Mode, once started you can't use the phone for most things until the timer elapses. A bit different, but good if you want a break.
sumtechguy 6y ago
I have found many smart phones have a low power mode. This basically makes the phone into a phone that can run voice, text, and maybe one other application. The upside is the battery lasts like a week. If it was not for hangouts I probably would put my phone in that mode for that reason alone.
bentcorner 6y ago
If you have a Samsung phone a more gradual step in this direction is their maximum battery saver mode (my S7 had it, at least, not sure about more recent models). It turns the phone into close to a dumb phone (iirc no social media apps, maybe a web browser). Only a subset of preapproved apps are available in this mode.
- frosted-flakes 6y ago
  > not sure about more recent models My Galaxy S10e has it.
apricot 6y ago
Not OP, but I also made the choice not to carry a phone (not even a dumb phone) because I don't want the inconvenience of carrying an interrupting device everywhere I go. There's a phone at home and one in my office for emergencies, but other business gets done by email, on my terms. I live in a (non-US) large city, walk or bike to work every day and don't own a car. We have a pretty good public transit system which I used to use a lot, pre-covid. The biggest inconvenience of not carrying a cell phone was that I didn't have access to live bus and subway schedules, so I would sometimes take a suboptimal route to my destination. My schedule is done on paper in a pocket schedule book that I always carry. I also carry a pen, a simple watch, a Swiss army knife, and a small flashlight, all of which I use at least once every day. I also always have a book in my bag, for reading while waiting for the bus, the doctor, or other things and people. I look things up on the Internet at home. I'm not saying I will never carry a phone, but it seems that not having a phone is the right choice for me at the moment.
searchableguy 6y ago
It's not practical. Many malls and chains have moved to digital order/payment systems. What I recommend is installing a very learn custom ROM and use vpn + pihole. You can find and install one of those social media blocklist.
frodetb 6y ago
I've done the same thing, and started out with an extremely dumb feature phone. Maps and IM were the biggest losses, and meant I needed to plan activities to a much larger degree before going out. I'd have details settled with friends before leaving my connection to the group chat. I'd plan out my route in google maps and try to memorize where destinations were and how to get to them. Of these two, only the lack of maps is a real step back. I've come to appreciate the need for clear planning that comes out of not having my group chats with me constantly. The feature phone was doomed from the start, since it only had a 2G connection which is going away. But then that phone broke after a rainstorm, and I got a Nokia 2720 Flip running KaiOS. It has 4G, can work as a wifi hotspot, and has a version of Google Maps that is surprisingly not-terrible. With that, I lost my only real pain points. AND I have a cool retro looking satisfyingly flippy flip-phone. I highly reccommend it to anyone who wants to listen.
bcoughlan 6y ago
I moved back to a Nokia feature-phone for a few years. I missed out on social events by not having WhatsApp. The real problem app for me was the browser. Now I have a smartphone now with some modifications: rooted, removed Play Store and Chrome. If I want to have a browser for a few days I download and sideload the Firefox APK. If I get into bad habits I just remove it again. I also have a Kindle, and instead of reading on the computer I use the "Send to Kindle" extension so I can read them in depth later. It's just too hard to focus on the screen, especially because I'm usually browsing articles as a means of procrastination anyways. People find it bizarre and hilarious when I explain my smartphone setup, but compared to a few years ago the reactions are much more understanding, because even non-tech people these days recognize that they have a problem. It has also done wonders for my attention span. I wonder if the reason public discourse has gone to shit is because people struggle to consume info longer than a tweet.
tboyd47 6y ago
There are different levels of “getting rid of.” I have several smartphones but don’t use them as phones, and don’t carry them on my person. For cell service I have a dumb phone (Alcatel MyFlip) I keep on me. I’ve operated like this for years and find no loss of convenience at all. Whatever I need a smartphone for (2FA codes, podcasts, Discord, etc.) I can do at home with Wi-Fi. Everything else I can do on a computer. The only thing mildly inconvenient is having to ask people for directions sometimes (which is really only inconvenient for them, because of their embarrassment at not being able to explain how to get to their own house). Overall, it definitely helps with social etiquette and living in the moment. It makes you more in tune with other people. Having to keep a smartphone on you at all times to function is a burden, instead of the other way around. It’s a burden placed on you by corporations and governments.

geocrasher 6y ago

I get the same thing by A) not watching the news B) turning off notifications for almost all apps C) the real magic key to keeping control of your smart phone, instead of letting it control you is <buzz> <buzz> hang on Hello? Look I'm right in the middle of something I'll... yeah. I know I ... I KNOW. Look, I gotta go. Anyway, as I was saying... uh... well anyway. Phones suck.

r00fus 6y ago
I am very brutal in ignoring calls and sending SMS text replies to known IDs that might have something urgent. I know the prefix is for all of my key numbers like kids schools, hospitals and simply don’t pick up if the prefix is not right.
DiffEq 6y ago
I have had my office phone on Do Not Disturb for 5 years and my cell phone has all notifications turned off and the ringer is set to off. The only time i turn it on is if I am expecting a call - which is hardly ever. Same with my PC - no notifications...it helps a great deal to keep the tool a tool instead of letting it become your master.
- gadabout 6y ago
  Culling down notifications was a life-changing action for me. Like you, I turned off almost all notifications. My only notifications were texts/calls from people that depended upon me (my wife, my parents, my best friends). Interacting with apps and my phone in general after that became something either I chose or chose not to do. My phone was no longer an algorithm or other person controlling me, but instead a useful tool. This is obviously a luxury that I am able to work and live like this, but I would encourage everyone to turn off any notifications they can and see how they feel after a week or month like that, then revisit and turn off more if possible. I would also say that some form of control is still required. Whether that is self-control, technological control, or control via absence. I struggled a lot with whether I should delete Reddit from my phone to make sure I don't end up in an abyss of lost time. Eventually I settled on moving it a ridiculous number of empty screens over by itself in an unusual spot. If I want to open Reddit now, it is a very deliberate action that gives me time to ask myself "you sure?" but also doesn't take away that option of my life.

kemonocode 6y ago

Best thing I've done this year is to simply get a feature phone. They're cheap, they're hardy, and they're mostly free from distractions to give you. This one I have does have an Internet browser and some kind of Facebook functionality but the experience is so incredibly miserable, it acts as a very effective deterrent.

wtetzner 6y ago

I wonder how much benefit people would get by just putting their phone in airplane mode for long chunks of time.

geocrasher 6y ago
My favorite part of going camping is unplugging for a couple of days at a time.
- Jtsummers 6y ago
  I used to take week long trips to Maine with my dad to learn to make furniture. Those were some of the most relaxing and restorative weeks I've ever experienced. 8+ hours of physical work, go home and shower. Then walk around the downtown or go hiking (skip the shower in that case). Eat out or cook dinner, read a book. Never touched a computer, and minimally used my phone (more on the last trip because I'd just started the relationship which is now a marriage). And I only used the phone for communicating with specific individuals (close friends, family) not mindless web browsing and games.
- nicbou 6y ago
  Then you return and there's an underwhelming number of notifications. You're caught up in about the same amount of time as if you left for an hour.
ChrisCinelli 6y ago
I started doing it. Or at least turning off data so I am still reachable.

umvi 6y ago

I recently bought a Jelly 2 on kickstarter, here's to hoping it will have the same effect as what you describe.

richajak 6y ago

I recently realized that I slowly lost my ability to do simple calculations that was used to be easy, eg total bill of grocery shopping before going to the cashier. I put the blame to the calculator app on my phone

foxdev 6y ago
I could never do math in my head like this (with reasonable speed and accuracy), so I didn't lose anything. I put an estimated cost by each item on the grocery list, total it at the bottom, and note whether the real prices are higher or lower than the estimate as I get things. It's never happened, but I can at least know if the register total is at odds with expectations.

shados 6y ago

The urge to use it right before bed (and at the same time wrecking your sleep quality, and then messing with your next day) is huge too.

fullstop 6y ago
I don't have a problem with this, at all. With that being said, my phone (OnePlus 7T) has a "Zen Mode" which locks you out of the phone for a set period of time. You can make and receive phone calls, and take photos, but that is it. I don't use it, as I am not a heavy phone user, but I can see where it may be helpful for some people.

Accacin 6y ago

I also did this, although only for a while. I first removed all notifications and apps from my phone (although I do not use social media anyway), and eventually went to some cheap flip phone. However, once I had to go rescue my wife when she locked her keys in the car.. And it took me 2.5 hours when it should have taken 1 hour because I got lost... I've taken to using my smart phone but leaving it at home as much as I can, I only take it out if I'm going out for a long period of time now and I'll take my dumb phone so my wife can contact me if possible.

reificator 6y ago

Looking at these comments I'm realizing I might be an outlier. If I'm traveling to an area I've never/rarely been before, I'll use turn by turn navigation the first few times. But once I'm familiar with the area I just look up the specific place for the nearest cross streets before I leave. I kind of assumed that's how everyone navigated, minus taxi/delivery/other professional drivers who probably use GPS more.

tgb 6y ago
This is what I do if I'm walking, but I mechanically follow the GPS if it's on and I'm driving. Means I have no clue where things are unless they're in walking distance.
Aerroon 6y ago
I'm the same. I look at a map beforehand and try getting there on my own. If I can't then I can always use some navigation assist later.
- reificator 6y ago
  I'm not ashamed to say I've gotten lost doing this occasionally and either turned on directions or just double checked the GPS. But it's fairly infrequent and it doesn't happen twice in the same place.
  - wool_gather 6y ago
    Heck, sometimes it can be fun to get a little lost. "Oh, _that's_ where $FOO is!", as you accidentally go by it. Or "That looks like a cool $BAR, I'll have to come back and check it out"
    - waihtis 6y ago
      This is definitely part of the fun. I sometimes take new routes to places I’ve visited before without particularly checking beforehand if road XYZ actually connects to the intended destination (it’s enough if it leads to it’s general direction) - once in a while you end up in a cul-de-sac, but mostly you end up with your described situation

pier25 6y ago

My strategy is to have a crappy smartphone.

kilroy123 6y ago

If you're using an iOS device, and now on iOS 14. I highly recommend putting the screen time widget front and center so you can see just how much time you're spending on your phone. Terrifying to watch.

siengu 6y ago

I'm using iOS Content & Privacy Restrictions to dumb down my Iphone SE as much as possible while retaining the needed functionality (Calculator, Camera, Notes, Calendar, Clock, Phone and SMS). I uninstall other apps that can be removed. Safari can be disabled using Content restrictions. I install Here Maps, download offline maps for the nearby regions for when I need navigation. Data & WIFI are always off. The phone is not signed in the app store. Content & Privacy Restrictions are protected by a pin code that I write down and store in a relatively hard to reach place. This way I have a relatively modern phone that is not a distracting toy. I could get a dumb phone (I used one up to somewhere in 2018), but currently there is no dumb phone that would take some half decent photos and provide a possibility to navigate offline.

duggable 6y ago

Gah, I need to do this so bad. Lately I've admitted to myself that I'm truly addicted to my phone. I go through phases of blocking safari, deleting all my non-essential apps, etc, but they always find a way to slowly creep back into my life ("5 minutes of reddit won't hurt while my kids are playing on their own...."). I'm realizing that I am just one of those people who can't handle even having it as an option. Thanks for inspiring me to take the next step.

jacobmoe 6y ago
Something I realized recently is that I'm not addicted to social media or any apps in particular, but I am addicted to my phone. I managed to give up pretty much all social media, save for an occasional peek at reddit and this site, but still take out my phone about as often as I did before. Mostly I just check the news for the umpteenth time in a day. My current plan is to keep using my phone, but switch to using it for more productive things. For example, I started using Anki for memorization and I use a bunch of music theory/sight-reading apps.
- duggable 6y ago
  Similar realization here. Just can't get myself off the damn thing - doesn't seem to matter what I'm using it for. Hopefully the more productive route works for you!
- sjy 6y ago
  I have an entrenched Anki habit – I picked it up while studying for an exam, and now it says I’ve been using it for an average of 17 minutes a day for 2 years. It’s a great tool and I recommend it. But I don’t think it helps to fix the phone addiction problem. Getting to an average of 17 minutes was hard work that required a lot of willpower. I’m sure most people with a phone addiction problem are spending much more than 17 minutes a day on unproductive scrolling.
  - yipbub 6y ago
    What's your recommended Anki app?

frereubu 6y ago

I have two things which stop me, and it's not "muh gps"! I'd be interested in how people dealt with a situation like mine: 1. I have a Mac, and carefully organised contacts. How do I sync them to a Nokia that has 4G tethering (so I can work on my train-based commute) without going through Google? 2. How do you deal with music? I have AirPods and Spotify, which I absolutely love to have with me while walking around. (I'm from the Walkman generation, and the idea of walking around with music in my ears is still magical, particuarly with wireless earbuds). There's a part of me which thinks about a Nokia banana phone for calls / 4G tethering combined with an iPod Touch, but I don't really want two devices.

threentaway 6y ago
1. NextCloud supports Calendar and Contacts sync if you are comfortable going down that route. 2. They're just bluetooth ear buds, they work with every phone that supports bluetooth.
- jethro_tell 6y ago
  How does next cloud sync to a dumb phone? The question is where do you store the music since it's a dumb phone
  - threentaway 6y ago
    Cron job to copy both to a microSD card?
    - jethro_tell 6y ago
      Reminds me of my old casio watch that synced calendar reminders via a sweet dock. Physical actions to do syncing and remembering every time I left my desk wasn't that long ago.
  - sjy 6y ago
    You can load and play audio files on a feature phone. Many people did this before iPhones and streaming services existed.

leptons 6y ago

The smartphone is an incredible tool to have, but it completely pisses me off any time I have to pay attention to it. I hate any message that comes in through it, any notification from any app (I have all notifications turned off except the Samasung notifications which I'm locked-out of disabling - fuck you Samsung Account). The smartphone is only a tool for me, for maps when I'm out, for search data, and accessing my files at home on rare occasions while I'm away from home (via VPN). It's my mobile command center. But when I'm at home - fuck off phone. I'm also in the tiny minority of people who aren't on zuckface, or other popular social media apps. So maybe I just naturally care less about my phone. I've never had a problem ignoring it. I get very few phone calls, almost none, and since COVID happened, I've reduced my data plan to the bare minimum because I just don't really need it anymore working at home. But used as a tool and not entertainment, the smartphone is absolutely invaluable.

dmje 6y ago

Me too. https://variousbits.net/2018/05/11/im-happier-without-a-smartphone/ https://variousbits.net/2018/05/11/im-happier-without-a-smar...

nottorp 6y ago

Just turn off all notifications :) In time you'll stop checking constantly.