For me, having an iPhone helps. On Android, I'm always downloading new keyboards, launchers, and endlessly tweaking the device. There isn't a lot to customize on an iPhone, so I'm not distracted by tinkering, breaking things, and fixing them. I do that enough on my other devices, and it's not something I want in my pocket distracting me constantly. It's the same reason why I go with Gnome distros for a computer I'm trying to do work on (I am endlessly distracted by KDE's customizability).
The Quest for a Dumber Phone
31–40 of 204 posts
Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone
#32I had researched dumb phones recently only to learn that the two most important functions of a smartphone (for me) is the GPS and having a decent camera, and these things are either crippled or missing entirely from dumb phones. It's simply easier to dumb down your existing smartphone, especially if you have an Android phone.
In my case, I have a 2017 Pixel 2 XL running LineageOS, with a text only home screen launcher (OLauncher). I only have SMS, phone/contacts, camera, open street maps, KOReader, Music, Podcasts, Notes, and Calculator. That's it. Everything else has been purged or disabled, including the web browser, via ADB.
I don't really use it all unless I'm driving. I wrote about my setup here: https://chuck.is/phone
Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone
#33I long for a dumber phone, but I’ve been thinking about all the supplementary devices I’d need to buy to make up for it — basically a printer (+ ink) for tickets and a GPS device with car ride services and google maps built in for getting around. I _feel_ as though I need those things, at any rate.
> I’ve been thinking about all the supplementary devices I’d need to buy to make up for it — basically a printer (+ ink) for tickets and a GPS device with car ride services and google maps built in for getting around. I've got a printer at home. Sister in law printed a plane ticket on it the other day, just in case there'd be an issue with her phone. Instead of "GPS device + car ride services" I've got an old-fashion…
I am with you until the car bit, but I live in Brooklyn and haven’t driven in years. Google Maps is essential for me, I fear
Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone
#34What about landlines? I feel like that's an option people rarely talk about. I use my iPhone as a camera, for text chatting with (less than 5) people, and for navigation, mostly. Sometimes I use it as a phone. I could see replacing the phone feature (except for emergencies) with a landline.
Due to where I live I have to maintain a wired phone as I can’t get a reliable cell signal.
I just have a voip phone adapter connected to a random old phone and I use voip.ms for the actual service. It costs effectively nothing to run. It’s not a landline in the transitional sense, but those largely don’t exist anymore.
Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone
#35I had researched dumb phones recently only to learn that the two most important functions of a smartphone (for me) is the GPS and having a decent camera, and these things are either crippled or missing entirely from dumb phones. It's simply easier to dumb down your existing smartphone, especially if you have an Android phone. In my case, I have a 2017 Pixel 2 XL running LineageOS, with a text only home screen launche…
Being about to use various instant messaging platforms, especially WhatsApp, is also nice.
Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone
#36I've posted this here before, but I've figured out a way that makes an iPhone work as a semi-smart phone for me. I delete all app that I waste time in, but keep one that are useful. (I won't blow two hours scrolling Lyft, and it's very helpful sometimes) I then set screentime permissions to block websites I don't want to use (like reddit), and prevent app downloads. I set a screentime password and give it to my partn…
How do you manage app updates?
I ask because I've been trying to make this system work for me, but find that the app update flow (partner unlocks phone -> update apps -> partner locks phone) always breaks and I end up with an unrestricted phone.
The fact that you can't allow updates while also not allowing installation of new apps is a huge blocker here for me.
Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone
#37I wish I could give up iMessage but I can’t, mostly due to peer pressure. Likewise, I don’t see how I could ever use SMS again when messages are so easily obtainable that they may as well be considered public. People have been charged with driving related crimes just based off of timestamps on SMS messages, for one example, and they didn’t need a warrant. I’m unable to comprehend why anyone would think it’s wise to use SMS.
Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone
#38The most helpful thing I've done was to set my iphone screen to grayscale by default [1]. Now if I look at my phone for any period of time and then look up the whole world appears to be so colorful (even in the dead of winter). The choice of how to spend my time becomes easier and I still have a smartphone in order to live comfortably in the urban world (open qr code menus, order car or scooter rides, present digital documentation or event tickets, etc.)
[1] https://intercom.help/flipdapp/en/articles/1970782-how-to-se...
Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone
#39I've been using my Samsung smartwatch with LTE as a smartphone that's hard to abuse. Thursday through Sunday I only carry it and leave my "real" phone at home. It's pretty nice because I still have Bluetooth calls in my car and navigation in a pinch. I can still stream music and ask Google to look things up for me. Actual calls on the watch are fine, but I do keep a pair of bluetooth headphones on me so I don't have…
Oh man, I have been wondering about this experience myself - though if it would all work with no smartphone at all (I have been rolling with the LightPhone II for a few years now).
It had seemed like stand-alone watches were nearly there, but not quite the last time I dug into it. But it works for you?
Re: The Quest for a Dumber Phone
#40Smart "Phones" would have:
Automatic Recording (of all calls) - with prompts optionally (consent), Speech to Text, Spam Protection, "Captchas for calls"
Instead we got this:
https://i.etsystatic.com/28431667/r/il/d1a61f/3334764950/il_...
with a browser in it.