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Turn Your iPhone into a Dumb Phone

224 points by hbroadbent 2y ago

oldpersonintx 2y ago
[dead]
echelon_musk 2y ago
Pointless waste of time. It's still an internet connected smartphone - evidenced by the fact he has apps like Slack on the home screen. May as well rename the article to 'how I changed the appearance of my iPhone'.
- iamkonstantin 2y ago
  I think there is a fix for that as well, I use Focus modes to hide work apps outside 09h-16h, so there are absolutely no mentions of productivity (or badges/things that need me to do something) to be seen when I'm not on the clock.
  - prmoustache 2y ago
    When I am working, I am never far from my laptop, why would I install productivity app on my smartphone in the first place? When I was part of an on call shedule, the only app I would accept would be the one pushing the notification like pagerduty. I also found out the hard way a decade ago that having access to productivity apps such as outlook usually meant to enroll your smartphone as a device managed by your IT and it was a big no to me.
- smeej 2y ago
  Came here to make a related comment. I've had the equivalent settings active on my GrapheneOS device for at least a couple years, and I still find myself losing hours of my life to the darn thing. If you don't go after the underlying reason you want to distract yourself from real life by entering the portal in your pocket, all the tips and tricks in the world won't fix the problem.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
dools 2y ago
I just don’t have any social media apps on my phone, that’s basically the only thing that sucks up screen time
- Hendrikto 2y ago
  Hackernews is social media.
  - echelon_musk 2y ago
    Is Safari a social media app?
    - Hendrikto 2y ago
      It can be, depending on how you use it. Although it could be argued that the question does not make a lot of sense. A browser is a tool. Is a kitchen knife a murder weapon? Not per se, but it can be.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - cpach 2y ago
    I guess it can be viewed as such. And at least for me it’s addictive. But HN lacks a lot of the anti-patterns that are present on Facebook, Instagram etc. I find the discussions here much more interesting and useful than viewing silly reels that are produced with the sheer purpose of being addictive. There’s also a builtin noprocrast option.
    - yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
      Sure, HN is less bad, but that doesn't make it not social media.
      - 93po 2y ago
        it's very low on both the "social" side and "media" side. It's mostly text, it's largely technical topics, there's commenting but it's effectively anonymous aside from a couple really well known usernames if you're a regular. no engagement algos, no following, no avatars, no obvious rampant bot activity, no fake content for views
dewey 2y ago
Easy solution: Delete apps you don’t need or feel bad about (Twitter, social media, apps spamming notifications,…) The described solution is just someone procrastinating by spending even more time on their phone trying to customize things and fiddle with apps. Same category as building a todo app to become more productive or building a blogging engine to write more instead of just writing.
- adamwong246 2y ago
  This is the only sane approach. I have reduced my smartphone to a dumb-phone just by removing the apps that suck my attention. But the worst is youtube. You can live without social media but YT has become such a cornerstone that you cannot even uninstall it.
  - toast0 2y ago
    I'm not sure I fully agree about youtube. Yes --- if you're fixing stuff, you end up having to watch youtube. But that's so bad, it's easy (for me) to continue to avoid it. Although, occasionally I do get pulled in to interesting looking videos. But when they start asking me to like and subscribe (which is often!), that's a good trigger to close the thing.
  - claar 2y ago
    On Android phones, you can uninstall system apps using adb: # adb shell $ pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.chrome $ pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube To reinstall: $ pm install-existing com.android.chrome $ pm install-existing com.google.android.youtube
  - realfeel78 2y ago
    > the worst is youtube. You can live without social media but YT has become such a cornerstone that you cannot even uninstall it. Abjectly false.
asimpletune 2y ago
It’s crazy to think that iPhones are so powerful but there’s not an easy way to repurpose them as generic computing devices at their EOL.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- kome 2y ago
  i have an ipad and i would like to run a personal server on it... but how?
  - HenryBemis 2y ago
    Good luck to that.. For a similar need, I turned to a small, portable device, that runs on battery (but not a laptop) to run 24/7. I got a couple of ipads, but since I can't install some OS that I want (without jumping a million hoops). So I got myself a HP Elite X2, second-hand, and it is GREAT. Then I wanted a second one, I couldn't find another HP Elite X2 (at the same price) so I got a Dell Latitude 2-in-1 (basically a Win tablet). Basically I want something to run 24/5, so even if there is a power disruption (maintenance on building, etc.) my downtime would be the 2-3 minutes until my router/wifi reconnects. (we get some once every couple of weeks and a desktop wouldn't reboot)(and I didn't want a laptop as I don't want any fans/movable/mechanical components). I've build custom base to keep them upright --> =|=|= so they can 'breathe' well, and stay cool. I also got a KVM so I got all my devices hooked on it, so when I do need to do some work on them I can do it with my big screen/keyboard/mouse. I only remember to dust them every couple of weeks, and they are golden!
  - Zambyte 2y ago
    The easiest way is to start lobbying against this malpractice.
    - carlosjobim 2y ago
      Is that easier than buying another device to use as a server?
zaptheimpaler 2y ago
80% of the battle is notifications but iOS really sucks at this compared to Android. On Android, I could use an app like Uber, keep the important notifications on like driver/delivery arrived but turn off all the marketing trash. On iOS all you can do is turn on or off all notifications, so if you need certain notifications from an app they get a free pass to spam you all they want :/ The entire idea of any random being able to spam messages onto your phone and make it beep without consent and fine grained control is insane.
- onethought 2y ago
  Can’t this be handled by switching off Lock Screen notifications but keeping time sensitive ones on? I take your core point but your specific example I think is handled by that.
  - ssss11 2y ago
    Are time sensitive notifications new? I’ve never heard of them but the setting is there for me. Using Uber as the example if I turn off Lock Screen notifications and turn on time sensitive notifications then will I get no marketing notifications, and only notifications about my driver turning up?
    - boesboes 2y ago
      Been there for atleast 4 years iirc
    - darren_ 2y ago
      > if I turn off Lock Screen notifications and turn on time sensitive notifications then will I get no marketing notifications, and only notifications about my driver turning up? It's up to the app developer, they get to mark notifications as time sensitive or not. So if someone decides that because a coupon is expiring soon it's "time sensitive" to ping you about it, then they can mark it as such. Hypothetically Apple could frown on this in app review, but it isn't something app reviewers are likely to be able to reliably catch.
cjk2 2y ago
I don't know why people do this. The reason I buy an iPhone is that I want all the non dumb things. If I wanted all the dumb stuff I'd just not bother.
- lying4fun 2y ago
  myb i wanted an iphone 6months ago but today i want a ~dumb phone but im stuck with this iphone i already have. i could sell the iphone but i do need the apps i wouldnt have on a dumb phone so i try to do what i can to dumb it down
- prmoustache 2y ago
  I guess a lot of people only need a dumbphone most of the time but a smartphone becomes a lifesaver a small fraction of the time. Like to hire a cab once in a while, get information online or buy museum tickets on a decent browser while travelling, have access to public transport app in an unknown city, navigation in a vehicle, etc. So there is a case of having the capabilities of the smartphone but not wanting the distraction that are part of the ecosystem. In my own experience, I don't have any social media accounts anymore except one one the fediverse but I only access it from the browser and don't get distracted by notifications. I just wish there was an easy way to mute everyone but a selected number of contacts (you can sorta do it but you need to go through all your contacts, it doesn't work for unknown numbers or for calls). The only real people I want a phone/message tone is my partner, my daughters and their school numbers[1]. I want everyone else to be silent and when calling being redirected to voicebox immediately. [1] which doesn't work as usually people from school use their private smartphones.
- zahma 2y ago
  What appeals to me is the choice about when I want to enable the smart features. Instead of finding myself victim to alerts and being late to the notification, I want to choose when I spend time on my phone. There are a few ways to achieve this, but I decided to give Dumbify a shot.
Lockal 2y ago
The article is not useless as many might think. It is a pity that it is not as well thought out as it appears. For example, the suggestion to remove system applications will almost immediately lead to a bootloop. I, for example, have a hard time imagining how to protect elderly parents from a text message that will send them a link that, when clicked, will bombard them with suggestions to enable notifications, and then notifications will bombard them with suggestions to do something else.
- hbroadbent 2y ago
  Hey I'm the author. I definitely didn't mean to imply you should remove critical system apps (I don't think that's possible on vanilla iOS). More just that it's worth deleting most apps beyond the basics like calls,text,calendar,maps etc
  - 93po 2y ago
    out of curiosity, do you make money from your blog or recommending apps?
    - hbroadbent 2y ago
      hey nah I don't (it's a very new blog!). In the future though I'm considering purchasing and writing reviews of specific "dumb phones" like the Nokia 6300 4g. There's an affiliate marketing angle there, and I'm also considering creating Youtube review videos too.
- mikecarlton 2y ago
  Apple had added assistive mode well suited for seniors — https://www.theseniorlist.com/cell-phones/assistive-access/ https://www.theseniorlist.com/cell-phones/assistive-access/
aserafini 2y ago
One problem I found with the "delete your apps" recommendation, is that you can't actually delete Safari on iOS.
- Synaesthesia 2y ago
  No you have to disable it with parental controls.
Almondsetat 2y ago
How to turn an iPhone into the perfect dumb phone: - Never log into an iCloud account - [optional] don't connect to the internet except for low bandwidth mobile data Done.
mikae1 2y ago
Can Safari be removed? I would assume: no.
NietTim 2y ago
I recognise the problems this 'dumbphone' trend is trying to solve but I really don't understand many of the solutions people are putting forth. What I did years ago is aggressively manage my notifications settings, deleted the apps that were a problem (twitter, reddit) and I'm assertive about not being in too many group chats + notifications off for those. And it's been working great.
- pflenker 2y ago
  Notifications off by default and apps not on the Home Screen by default already goes a very long way. For me, there is no need to make my phone any dumber.
  - walteweiss 2y ago
    I would add that if you truly want to distract yourself, ‘no notifications’ policy doesn’t work. You may just open your distraction and update it manually, expecting for the notification to arrive. Even when you set it to never bother you. So, the best way is to explore what triggers you to distract in the first place. I don’t mean turning off the notifications isn’t going to work. It would, and I highly recommend turning off everything, but the urgent stuff. You’ll notice you won’t miss what you truly need anyway. And you still may distract yourself, when you want it.
    - pflenker 2y ago
      Not adding most apps to the Home Screen adds just enough friction for me. For heavy offenders which draw my attention, there is one sec.
- pxmpxm 2y ago
  Feigning being a victim and having no agency is trendy in certain circles.
- kemayo 2y ago
  I think it's worth viewing through an addiction lens. Some people have addictive personalities, and their brains work differently when presented with things like this. I can have just one drink, or play just a bit of a video game. But I know people who will tip into a destructive addiction spiral from a tiny impetus like that, such that completely avoiding what to me would be a harmless thing is the only way they can live a normal life. It's sort of like people with clinical depression. Advice from people who're not clinically depressed is often terrible, because it's stuff that'll work great if you're a neurotypical person. And it's legitimately hard to get in the mindset of someone whose brain works differently than yours for things like this, and understand what's incredibly difficult for them despite being trivial for you.
squarefoot 2y ago
For Android users, take a look at BaldPhone. Fully Open Source and primarily aimed at seniors, does a pretty good job at simplifying the interface making most important actions easier to perform. It does not turn a smartphone into a dumbphone (I don't think that is even possible without removing entire parts of the system, possibly bricking the device) but the simpler and immediate interface makes it a lot more usable. https://github.com/UriahShaulMandel/BaldPhone https://github.com/UriahShaulMandel/BaldPhone
- Terretta 2y ago
  And on iPhone: https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/assistive-access-iphone/devcd5016d31/17.0/ios/17.0 https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/assistive-access-iphon...
10729287 2y ago
This article is all about showing off and getting attention from people asking about your home screen. It’s all about consuming minimalism and telling people. I disable all notifications but phone, messages and calendar, install minimal applications, no sns, and only show the basics on Home Screen. No need to configure the whole minimal wallpaper, just get your phone far for eyesight.
- throwaway290 2y ago
  You don't need to tell others, just consume your own image as a minimalist person. Still vain of course.
Terretta 2y ago
While deleting apps, BitWarden is built in now, including setting TOTP MFA codes and sharing. https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/iphone/ipha6173c19f/ios https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/iphone/ipha6173c19f/io... Photos and Maps, while deleting the unneeded Google apps, keep the dumb phone from informing third party adtech of your day. The minimal launcher is cool; this is built in: https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/assistive-access-iphone/devcd5016d31/17.0/ios/17.0 https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/assistive-access-iphon...
- conception 2y ago
  Just wanted to toss out that organic maps is offline and really quite wonderful.
  - rcarmo 2y ago
    This. I concur.
  - ghostpepper 2y ago
    What is “organic maps”?
    - windthrown 2y ago
      A specific app which displays mapping data from OpenStreeetMap: https://organicmaps.app/ https://organicmaps.app/
    - mk4p 2y ago
      I'm gonna guess https://organicmaps.app/ https://organicmaps.app/
- 542458 2y ago
  I’m a bit confused by “Bitwarden is built in now” - are you saying that you no longer need the Bitwarden app to connect iOS’s password autofill to my bitwarden vault?
omeid2 2y ago
Re greyscale, it really does work. And you can also add an accessibility switch with Back Tab to turn this on and off by tapping three times at the back of your iphone.
Brajeshwar 2y ago
I tried the "grayscale-only display" for kicks, and it sucks, primarily with Apps that are better off with different colors - Maps. Besides that, I have been disabling Notifications for ages, and that is the one decision that I believe was one of the best decisions of my phone life. I wrote an article in 2014[1] that needs a serious update, but it still makes sense. Make it a habit to turn off Notifications as soon as you install a new app unless they are critical, such as Medical or Kid/school-related. My Home page has a minimal wallpaper that I did a few years back, and it stayed. I usually leave one row at the bottom for beta-testing and region-specific Apps I use while traveling. Of course, none of the Social Media Apps are on my phone. I checked my screen time to include this comment, and I've 37 minutes Daily Average. So, on most usage, I should still likely be averaging less than an hour daily. 1. https://brajeshwar.com/2014/missing-step-productivity-activities-stop-notifications/ https://brajeshwar.com/2014/missing-step-productivity-activi...
- cricalix 2y ago
  You can make the greyscale toggle on triple power/home button, or via control centre. Thus, you can have it on most of the time, toggle it to look at a map, then toggle it back.
  - elboru 2y ago
    That’s a perfect solution for me, thanks for the idea!
  - garof 2y ago
    I made a Shortcut for it and added it to the home screen. I found the triple click too fiddly, and the control center option to be not present enough.
  - Timothee 2y ago
    You can also have a Shortcut that toggles the setting when you open and close specific apps. I just did it and it’s very simple: - in the Shortcuts app, go to Automations - add a new one and pick “App” as the trigger - choose the apps you want color in and pick “run immediately” and on open and close - on the next screen pick “new blank automation” - in the new shortcut add “Set Color Filters” and set to toggle You can also make different automations for open and close, but toggle works as long as you toggle the effects manually. But in this case you can just toggle it back manually.
dave84 2y ago
No mention of the iPhone’s built in ‘Assistive Access’ mode. That would be my first port of call for turning it into a dumb phone.
ibrahimsow1 2y ago
disclaimer: No relation. Adding to this clearspace app. Kicks you out of your current at after a selected amount of time. Takes time to load the app in, really good jolt to the brain. Although the apps SSO is buggy af, and it glitches out sometimes.
gman83 2y ago
I'm using Niagara Launcher on Android, really recommend it.
Alifatisk 2y ago
Looks really interesting, I'll give this a shot.
mwidell 2y ago
If the problem is social media app addiction, I have found the best solution is to turn on screen time, whitelist your most important apps like messages, calendar etc. and then enable a passcode to access any other app. Ask a friend to set a pin code for you so you cannot cheat. Another solution is to just use an apple watch with cellular as your primary phone. It has everything you need (spotify, imessage, etc.) but nothing that distracts you like youtube, tiktok etc.
- Zambyte 2y ago
  It's important to note that music streaming and texting are also wants rather than needs. I've recently started leaving my house where the only electronic device that I go with is my compact camera.
  - thallium205 2y ago
    What compact camera do you use?
    - Zambyte 2y ago
      Sony ZV-1. I've also got a smallrig L bracket on it for extra tripod mount points (I use it as a webcam with a wall power supply, but the built in mount is blocked by the battery compartment door when it's open) and it is still pocketable. I would say the image quality is better than my phone (Samsung S10) and worse than my DSLR (Nikon d3400). Sometimes I prefer it over my DSLR though, like for its super fast and accurate auto focus.
- surfcao 2y ago
  Apple watch is a 'dumb' phone. I upgraded to watch ultra for this purpose. Just leave the iphone at home or in the car (bonus: one less item to carry). I use browser to check twitter occasionally, but it helps break the habit of keeping phone around all the time. Do miss the camera though..
rhplus 2y ago
iOS has a built-in “simple” mode called Assistive Access. It does a lot of what’s described here. https://support.apple.com/guide/assistive-access-iphone/welcome/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/assistive-access-iphone/welc...
- adamors 2y ago
  Didn’t know about this, quite cool.
- layer8 2y ago
  What it looks like: https://nerdschalk.com/use-assistive-access-iphone/#interacting-with-apps https://nerdschalk.com/use-assistive-access-iphone/#interact... It has some major limitations though, like you can’t zoom into photos, and you can’t use Bluetooth headphones or AirPlay.
api 2y ago
I take a medium approach and turn off almost all notifications, do not install “social” addictionware apps or similar junk, turn off background refresh for almost everything, and if I need some gratuitous app on a trip I uninstall it as soon as I don’t. I haven’t tried their lock down mode yet whatever it’s called.
someluccc 2y ago
A hack that has worked for me is having another person set up the code for screen time settings, in a way that there is just enough friction for the often unconscious reflex to open XYZ app and proceed to get sucked in. In my case I both set a daily time limit and block certain apps to only certain hours of the day
walteweiss 2y ago
Seriously, HN? You want a dumb phone, go get yourself used iPhone X/SE or something, and never install anything, but only the essential stuff. Without all the gazillion of apps, it would work wonders even in 2024. You have issues with you wasting your life on something like Facebook? Don’t install it. Use browser when needed. Use private tab in Safari, and enter your password each time, so it’s all complicated now. (That’s how I use it, btw.) Same with any other addictives. Android users, I recommend you to get oLauncher from f-droid/gplay (or better oLauncherCF), and that’s enough already. Hide all the distractions, and Bob’s your uncle. I have my phones to be the bare minimum pocket computers for years now, and I’m surprised that topic still arises and is actual. Greyscale is bullshit, isn’t it? Has anyone used it seriously for over a couple of days? Even Night Shift is kinda bullshit, in a way. (Better to leave it on, though.) The way is to not use your phone in the night, if you can afford it. If there’s no nightly drone and missiles attacks from russia in your countries now. So that you need to watch out for Air Raid Alerts 24/7. And your life is at stake. If you’re not there, chances are you can afford to not touch your phone since the evening till the morning. Think of it. The essential thing isn’t inside your phone, it’s outside of it. It’s you. Work on yourself, and those distractions wouldn’t take you that easily, even when your phone is all flashy and colourful. I know, we all have that shared problem, but I thought it’s kinda resolved issue for over– for years. Since– idk, 2017?
- realfeel78 2y ago
  Not everyone is neurotypical.
eurvin 2y ago
I was seriously looking into purchasing a dumb smart phone, a la Light Phone 2 or Punkt MP02. I want some messaging, audio, maps etc but keep the slot machine apps as far away as possible. This simple guide saved me at least € 300 on the purchase of a new phone... for now.
- seam_carver 2y ago
  How about an e ink phone?
  - eurvin 2y ago
    Looked into this category specifically and Light Phone 2 is actually an e-ink touch phone with Android as its underlying OS. I may reconsider my choice later on, but for now these solutions will do.
    - seam_carver 2y ago
      Maybe consider an e ink phone that runs full android, not the limited version the light phone uses. Here’s a video of me using one. E ink phone Android app showcase | Hisense A9 review https://youtu.be/dvO9ScTdwz8 https://youtu.be/dvO9ScTdwz8
simonbarker87 2y ago
I’m not sure why there is so much negativity toward this article here. Even a small amount of friction to getting to slot machine apps does wonders for reducing the amount of time spent on them. But likewise it’s nice (and useful) to still have access to these apps for some people so deleting isn’t a viable option. Like any other “everything in moderation” suggestion if it’s not all or nothing, just use self control, the internet hates on it.
- dangus 2y ago
  Probably because the article has basically 3 suggestions that don’t even scratch the surface of what the OS has built in to manage overuse. Turning off notifications is stupidly simple to a fault. Sorry, people can’t just turn off notifications from their spouses or day care apps or school/kids’ phone numbers or other important stuff like that. But this article doesn’t really get into the stuff that the OS has built-in to manage notification priority, it just tells you to turn it all off as if they’re telling the government to print more money to end poverty. Kind of crazy that a blog post on this subject doesn’t even mention the Screen Time feature.
  - CPLX 2y ago
    Indeed. I have actually created a dumb zen phone, and the killer way to do it is put it in supervised mode without the browser or App Store. Then you’re genuinely handicapped. My version has maps, kindle, texting, phone, Spotify, camera, and the podcasts app. Perfect for running errands or going to the park with my toddler and still being reachable.
    - realfeel78 2y ago
      What apps or websites were sucking your time so much that you felt the need to do this?
  - mozman 2y ago
    You can setup emergency bypass, silence unknown calls, etc. I have 98% of notifications disabled both on phone and desktop.
epstein 2y ago
Tbh iphone itself is less smart than android
captaincrunch 2y ago
If you have a problem with attention, just buy a flip phone, they still exist.
- the-grump 2y ago
  Two paragraphs in: "Perhaps, like most people, you need a smartphone to fully engage with society (like with QR menus, the bane of the dumbphone life!)."
  - cpach 2y ago
    Indeed. Or TOTP; parking your car; buying your tickets for the metro/train to commute to work, etc etc.
    - Hoodedcrow 2y ago
      IDK about parking situation as I don't own a car, but I find it hard to believe that in some place there would be no way of paying for public transport without a smartphone. I personally use a cash-paid, cash-refilled transport card. As for TOTP - this one is very universally doable on desktop, like with KeepassXC. Or you're talking about logging in outside your home, like in a library or computer club?
      - CatWChainsaw 2y ago
        Saw the parking thing on a trip to Pennslyvania. Lots of signs for the parking app on the street, yet none of them were kiosks or had a phone number to call and arrange parking fees that way. It boggles my mind that so much innocuous activity got sucked into smartphones. It is not actually more "convenient" to download yet another app that wants access to all my data, just to pay for a parking space, when my credit card is on my person and kiosks do not take up that much space.
  - captaincrunch 2y ago
    How does my grandfather exist in this complicated world? You don't need a smart phone.
abhayhegde 2y ago
It just feels wild to suggest turning a $1000 phone into something a $100 phone. However, I see the appeal.
seam_carver 2y ago
I like e ink phones a lot. Same screen tech as Kindle ereaders. Great for reading and text. Terrible for videos and scrolling. Here’s a video of me using one: E ink phone Android app showcase | Hisense A9 review https://youtu.be/dvO9ScTdwz8 https://youtu.be/dvO9ScTdwz8
EasyMark 2y ago
just turn it off and check your messages every few hours, that's what I do. Airplane mode is a god send if you're trying to break the habit. Yesyesyes I know that's not an option for everyone. Back in the day I did fine without being constantly online though, and so far I'm good. Seems like a reasonable compromise between smart phone and dumb phone
eleveriven 2y ago
I was trying to minimize my YouTube watch time. It was a failure.
- realfeel78 2y ago
  If you're on iPhone, just use Screen Time and have someone else you trust set the PIN.
dot5xdev 2y ago
It's easy to break your phone addiction—I've done it a 1,000 times... But, seriously, I've tried launchers, leechblock, and other software solutions. For me, they don't work long term because I end up just reverting and unblocking. I always have some justification in my head as to why I need to reinstall Discord or browse YouTube and then it's over. For me, I've had much better luck with a device where those types of slips are impossible. Mostly... although sometimes I really do need a smartphone to scan a QR code or to pay a foodtruck with Venmo. The Jelly Star seems to be the best compromise for me so far. It's still a smartphone, but the screen is so small that it's a lot harder to be on it for hours.
- beeboobaa3 2y ago
  Technical solutions to a mental problem never work.
  - karpovv-boris 2y ago
    Yes. You could try endless ways to limit usage of your phone (change screen colours, launchers, deleting apps) but in the end of day you only will be hating using your phone. And I think bringing negative context in your daily life is not okay. In this case, by limiting your phone usage, you need to try to fill the open void with something more interesting. If you do so, then returning to using phone will feel like just using another tool.
- b112 2y ago
  The food thing is a pet peeve for me. I walk if a restaurant requires any form of smart phone to use. Doesn't matter if it is for menus, ordering, or payment. Nuts to that.
- SkyPuncher 2y ago
  Putting my phone in black and white mode was helpful. It really brought down the engagement level
- joker99 2y ago
  Sometimes it’s hard for us to fight ourselves. My wife has the same issue and we found a solution that works well for her: screen time. She asked me for help and we set up limits for instagram and all the other shitty apps but here’s the important part: she doesn’t know the code to disable it. And she wanted it that way. Reduced her screen time from about 7h per day to 4h.
cocoa19 2y ago
I implemented all of them. Thank you for sharing. I recently finished Atomic Habits and these actions pair well with it. Especially the points about making the bad habits less accessible and make them less satisfying.
- hbroadbent 2y ago
  Enjoy!
knallfrosch 2y ago
My Androids made better dumbphones. The always-on display simply showed a small Whatsapp icon. No need to unlock your phone or check an app for messages. Only unlock it at all if you have a message. Ignore the message without reading its contents. And, as LineageOS/cyanogenmod can, disable notifications also in the status bar. Use Google Maps or your train ticket app without being interrupted by the status bar icons/notification center. "Do not disturb" really means you won't get any notifications. 1-click toggle. iOS on the other hand, I haven't even found a way to make notifications silent while making calls ring. (Apart from toggling notification settings for 30 apps individually!)
- CharlesW 2y ago
  > iOS on the other hand, I haven't even found a way to make notifications silent while making calls ring. (Apart from toggling notification settings for 30 apps individually!) In iOS you can use a Focus mode. You can either "Silence Notifications From" to blacklist or "Allow Notifications From" to whitelist (then don’t whitelist any to silence all).
- coolspot 2y ago
  iOS: Settings -> Focus -> (any focus) -> People -> Allow Calls From [Everybody, Allowed People, Favorites, Contacts]
nrvn 2y ago
I have turned my work iphone into a dumb phone. It has got only apps that cannot be removed, plus the apps that are provisioned through mdm. No icloud, nothing beyond what is needed for communication with my colleagues. Location services off, bluetootg is always off, wifi only connects to cirporate network. My personal phone is less so dumb but I follow the YAGNI principle there as well.
lazamar 2y ago
The most effective solution I found was keeping my phone in my backpack instead of my pocket. When working I keep it somewhere I’d need to get up to get it. Together with taming notifications this provides enough friction to discourage me from reaching for it at every spare second. Once the phone reaches my hands the tricks in the post are not enough to remove the need for conscious effort to let go of the thing and put it back in its inconveniently positioned place.
jmprspret 2y ago
Wait since when does iOS support third party launchers? This is news to me.
remot_human 2y ago
I would say what you can do is simply block or time limit distracting apps and websites from the screentime section of the iPhone settings, and then get a friend to input a pin to lock the settings in place
deleted 2y ago
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lpln3452 2y ago
So you need a dumb phone to focus on? Can't you decide what to focus yourself in? That sounds like you should ride a car with a top speed of 50 kmph to control your driving speed. If you can't concentrate, practice it.
- shinycode 2y ago
  Once you’re addicted, this might be a way to practice and get free again
zahma 2y ago
I gave this a try. I'm already a skeptic towards cell phone usage, but I figured why not try to push it a little further by "minimalizing" my home screen. Dumbify is easy enough to set up. It's not always an elegant solution as the list of supported apps is quickly exhausted and required me to make a shortcut. There's a delay and window transitioning from when I tap the link for Anki as Dumbify must first open its app, then go to the shortcut, and then open Anki. Not a huge latency, but noticeable and irksome at times when I want to do a quick search on Firefox. Maybe that's my fault for not trying to deliberately dumb my phone down further to the point where I don't even need a browser. How do we know when we're dumb enough with our phones? What level of distraction is acceptable? The other major detractor is the fact that instead of seeing my badges on my homescreen, I just flip over one page. Mind you, these are only messenger apps, so that I can at least be reachable by those in my life. I don't have badges enabled on Mail or other apps. I don't have social media accounts, let alone the apps for them, yet my instincts are still to open and flip to the page with the badges. Maybe my behavior will change over time, but I am skeptical it will.

224 points by hbroadbent 2y ago

[dead]

Pointless waste of time. It's still an internet connected smartphone - evidenced by the fact he has apps like Slack on the home screen. May as well rename the article to 'how I changed the appearance of my iPhone'.

iamkonstantin 2y ago
I think there is a fix for that as well, I use Focus modes to hide work apps outside 09h-16h, so there are absolutely no mentions of productivity (or badges/things that need me to do something) to be seen when I'm not on the clock.
- prmoustache 2y ago
  When I am working, I am never far from my laptop, why would I install productivity app on my smartphone in the first place? When I was part of an on call shedule, the only app I would accept would be the one pushing the notification like pagerduty. I also found out the hard way a decade ago that having access to productivity apps such as outlook usually meant to enroll your smartphone as a device managed by your IT and it was a big no to me.
smeej 2y ago
Came here to make a related comment. I've had the equivalent settings active on my GrapheneOS device for at least a couple years, and I still find myself losing hours of my life to the darn thing. If you don't go after the underlying reason you want to distract yourself from real life by entering the portal in your pocket, all the tips and tricks in the world won't fix the problem.

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[deleted]

dools 2y ago

I just don’t have any social media apps on my phone, that’s basically the only thing that sucks up screen time

Hendrikto 2y ago
Hackernews is social media.
- echelon_musk 2y ago
  Is Safari a social media app?
  - Hendrikto 2y ago
    It can be, depending on how you use it. Although it could be argued that the question does not make a lot of sense. A browser is a tool. Is a kitchen knife a murder weapon? Not per se, but it can be.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- cpach 2y ago
  I guess it can be viewed as such. And at least for me it’s addictive. But HN lacks a lot of the anti-patterns that are present on Facebook, Instagram etc. I find the discussions here much more interesting and useful than viewing silly reels that are produced with the sheer purpose of being addictive. There’s also a builtin noprocrast option.
  - yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
    Sure, HN is less bad, but that doesn't make it not social media.
    - 93po 2y ago
      it's very low on both the "social" side and "media" side. It's mostly text, it's largely technical topics, there's commenting but it's effectively anonymous aside from a couple really well known usernames if you're a regular. no engagement algos, no following, no avatars, no obvious rampant bot activity, no fake content for views

dewey 2y ago

Easy solution: Delete apps you don’t need or feel bad about (Twitter, social media, apps spamming notifications,…) The described solution is just someone procrastinating by spending even more time on their phone trying to customize things and fiddle with apps. Same category as building a todo app to become more productive or building a blogging engine to write more instead of just writing.

adamwong246 2y ago
This is the only sane approach. I have reduced my smartphone to a dumb-phone just by removing the apps that suck my attention. But the worst is youtube. You can live without social media but YT has become such a cornerstone that you cannot even uninstall it.
- toast0 2y ago
  I'm not sure I fully agree about youtube. Yes --- if you're fixing stuff, you end up having to watch youtube. But that's so bad, it's easy (for me) to continue to avoid it. Although, occasionally I do get pulled in to interesting looking videos. But when they start asking me to like and subscribe (which is often!), that's a good trigger to close the thing.
- claar 2y ago
  On Android phones, you can uninstall system apps using adb: # adb shell $ pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.chrome $ pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube To reinstall: $ pm install-existing com.android.chrome $ pm install-existing com.google.android.youtube
- realfeel78 2y ago
  > the worst is youtube. You can live without social media but YT has become such a cornerstone that you cannot even uninstall it. Abjectly false.

asimpletune 2y ago

It’s crazy to think that iPhones are so powerful but there’s not an easy way to repurpose them as generic computing devices at their EOL.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
kome 2y ago
i have an ipad and i would like to run a personal server on it... but how?
- HenryBemis 2y ago
  Good luck to that.. For a similar need, I turned to a small, portable device, that runs on battery (but not a laptop) to run 24/7. I got a couple of ipads, but since I can't install some OS that I want (without jumping a million hoops). So I got myself a HP Elite X2, second-hand, and it is GREAT. Then I wanted a second one, I couldn't find another HP Elite X2 (at the same price) so I got a Dell Latitude 2-in-1 (basically a Win tablet). Basically I want something to run 24/5, so even if there is a power disruption (maintenance on building, etc.) my downtime would be the 2-3 minutes until my router/wifi reconnects. (we get some once every couple of weeks and a desktop wouldn't reboot)(and I didn't want a laptop as I don't want any fans/movable/mechanical components). I've build custom base to keep them upright --> =|=|= so they can 'breathe' well, and stay cool. I also got a KVM so I got all my devices hooked on it, so when I do need to do some work on them I can do it with my big screen/keyboard/mouse. I only remember to dust them every couple of weeks, and they are golden!
- Zambyte 2y ago
  The easiest way is to start lobbying against this malpractice.
  - carlosjobim 2y ago
    Is that easier than buying another device to use as a server?

zaptheimpaler 2y ago

80% of the battle is notifications but iOS really sucks at this compared to Android. On Android, I could use an app like Uber, keep the important notifications on like driver/delivery arrived but turn off all the marketing trash. On iOS all you can do is turn on or off all notifications, so if you need certain notifications from an app they get a free pass to spam you all they want :/ The entire idea of any random being able to spam messages onto your phone and make it beep without consent and fine grained control is insane.

onethought 2y ago
Can’t this be handled by switching off Lock Screen notifications but keeping time sensitive ones on? I take your core point but your specific example I think is handled by that.
- ssss11 2y ago
  Are time sensitive notifications new? I’ve never heard of them but the setting is there for me. Using Uber as the example if I turn off Lock Screen notifications and turn on time sensitive notifications then will I get no marketing notifications, and only notifications about my driver turning up?
  - boesboes 2y ago
    Been there for atleast 4 years iirc
  - darren_ 2y ago
    > if I turn off Lock Screen notifications and turn on time sensitive notifications then will I get no marketing notifications, and only notifications about my driver turning up? It's up to the app developer, they get to mark notifications as time sensitive or not. So if someone decides that because a coupon is expiring soon it's "time sensitive" to ping you about it, then they can mark it as such. Hypothetically Apple could frown on this in app review, but it isn't something app reviewers are likely to be able to reliably catch.

cjk2 2y ago

I don't know why people do this. The reason I buy an iPhone is that I want all the non dumb things. If I wanted all the dumb stuff I'd just not bother.

lying4fun 2y ago
myb i wanted an iphone 6months ago but today i want a ~dumb phone but im stuck with this iphone i already have. i could sell the iphone but i do need the apps i wouldnt have on a dumb phone so i try to do what i can to dumb it down
prmoustache 2y ago
I guess a lot of people only need a dumbphone most of the time but a smartphone becomes a lifesaver a small fraction of the time. Like to hire a cab once in a while, get information online or buy museum tickets on a decent browser while travelling, have access to public transport app in an unknown city, navigation in a vehicle, etc. So there is a case of having the capabilities of the smartphone but not wanting the distraction that are part of the ecosystem. In my own experience, I don't have any social media accounts anymore except one one the fediverse but I only access it from the browser and don't get distracted by notifications. I just wish there was an easy way to mute everyone but a selected number of contacts (you can sorta do it but you need to go through all your contacts, it doesn't work for unknown numbers or for calls). The only real people I want a phone/message tone is my partner, my daughters and their school numbers[1]. I want everyone else to be silent and when calling being redirected to voicebox immediately. [1] which doesn't work as usually people from school use their private smartphones.
zahma 2y ago
What appeals to me is the choice about when I want to enable the smart features. Instead of finding myself victim to alerts and being late to the notification, I want to choose when I spend time on my phone. There are a few ways to achieve this, but I decided to give Dumbify a shot.

Lockal 2y ago

The article is not useless as many might think. It is a pity that it is not as well thought out as it appears. For example, the suggestion to remove system applications will almost immediately lead to a bootloop. I, for example, have a hard time imagining how to protect elderly parents from a text message that will send them a link that, when clicked, will bombard them with suggestions to enable notifications, and then notifications will bombard them with suggestions to do something else.

hbroadbent 2y ago
Hey I'm the author. I definitely didn't mean to imply you should remove critical system apps (I don't think that's possible on vanilla iOS). More just that it's worth deleting most apps beyond the basics like calls,text,calendar,maps etc
- 93po 2y ago
  out of curiosity, do you make money from your blog or recommending apps?
  - hbroadbent 2y ago
    hey nah I don't (it's a very new blog!). In the future though I'm considering purchasing and writing reviews of specific "dumb phones" like the Nokia 6300 4g. There's an affiliate marketing angle there, and I'm also considering creating Youtube review videos too.
mikecarlton 2y ago
Apple had added assistive mode well suited for seniors — https://www.theseniorlist.com/cell-phones/assistive-access/ https://www.theseniorlist.com/cell-phones/assistive-access/

aserafini 2y ago

One problem I found with the "delete your apps" recommendation, is that you can't actually delete Safari on iOS.

Synaesthesia 2y ago
No you have to disable it with parental controls.

Almondsetat 2y ago

How to turn an iPhone into the perfect dumb phone: - Never log into an iCloud account - [optional] don't connect to the internet except for low bandwidth mobile data Done.

mikae1 2y ago

Can Safari be removed? I would assume: no.

NietTim 2y ago

I recognise the problems this 'dumbphone' trend is trying to solve but I really don't understand many of the solutions people are putting forth. What I did years ago is aggressively manage my notifications settings, deleted the apps that were a problem (twitter, reddit) and I'm assertive about not being in too many group chats + notifications off for those. And it's been working great.

pflenker 2y ago
Notifications off by default and apps not on the Home Screen by default already goes a very long way. For me, there is no need to make my phone any dumber.
- walteweiss 2y ago
  I would add that if you truly want to distract yourself, ‘no notifications’ policy doesn’t work. You may just open your distraction and update it manually, expecting for the notification to arrive. Even when you set it to never bother you. So, the best way is to explore what triggers you to distract in the first place. I don’t mean turning off the notifications isn’t going to work. It would, and I highly recommend turning off everything, but the urgent stuff. You’ll notice you won’t miss what you truly need anyway. And you still may distract yourself, when you want it.
  - pflenker 2y ago
    Not adding most apps to the Home Screen adds just enough friction for me. For heavy offenders which draw my attention, there is one sec.
pxmpxm 2y ago
Feigning being a victim and having no agency is trendy in certain circles.
kemayo 2y ago
I think it's worth viewing through an addiction lens. Some people have addictive personalities, and their brains work differently when presented with things like this. I can have just one drink, or play just a bit of a video game. But I know people who will tip into a destructive addiction spiral from a tiny impetus like that, such that completely avoiding what to me would be a harmless thing is the only way they can live a normal life. It's sort of like people with clinical depression. Advice from people who're not clinically depressed is often terrible, because it's stuff that'll work great if you're a neurotypical person. And it's legitimately hard to get in the mindset of someone whose brain works differently than yours for things like this, and understand what's incredibly difficult for them despite being trivial for you.

squarefoot 2y ago

For Android users, take a look at BaldPhone. Fully Open Source and primarily aimed at seniors, does a pretty good job at simplifying the interface making most important actions easier to perform. It does not turn a smartphone into a dumbphone (I don't think that is even possible without removing entire parts of the system, possibly bricking the device) but the simpler and immediate interface makes it a lot more usable. https://github.com/UriahShaulMandel/BaldPhone https://github.com/UriahShaulMandel/BaldPhone

Terretta 2y ago
And on iPhone: https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/assistive-access-iphone/devcd5016d31/17.0/ios/17.0 https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/assistive-access-iphon...

10729287 2y ago

This article is all about showing off and getting attention from people asking about your home screen. It’s all about consuming minimalism and telling people. I disable all notifications but phone, messages and calendar, install minimal applications, no sns, and only show the basics on Home Screen. No need to configure the whole minimal wallpaper, just get your phone far for eyesight.

throwaway290 2y ago
You don't need to tell others, just consume your own image as a minimalist person. Still vain of course.

Terretta 2y ago

While deleting apps, BitWarden is built in now, including setting TOTP MFA codes and sharing. https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/iphone/ipha6173c19f/ios https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/iphone/ipha6173c19f/io... Photos and Maps, while deleting the unneeded Google apps, keep the dumb phone from informing third party adtech of your day. The minimal launcher is cool; this is built in: https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/assistive-access-iphone/devcd5016d31/17.0/ios/17.0 https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/assistive-access-iphon...

conception 2y ago
Just wanted to toss out that organic maps is offline and really quite wonderful.
- rcarmo 2y ago
  This. I concur.
- ghostpepper 2y ago
  What is “organic maps”?
  - windthrown 2y ago
    A specific app which displays mapping data from OpenStreeetMap: https://organicmaps.app/ https://organicmaps.app/
  - mk4p 2y ago
    I'm gonna guess https://organicmaps.app/ https://organicmaps.app/
542458 2y ago
I’m a bit confused by “Bitwarden is built in now” - are you saying that you no longer need the Bitwarden app to connect iOS’s password autofill to my bitwarden vault?

omeid2 2y ago

Re greyscale, it really does work. And you can also add an accessibility switch with Back Tab to turn this on and off by tapping three times at the back of your iphone.

Brajeshwar 2y ago

I tried the "grayscale-only display" for kicks, and it sucks, primarily with Apps that are better off with different colors - Maps. Besides that, I have been disabling Notifications for ages, and that is the one decision that I believe was one of the best decisions of my phone life. I wrote an article in 2014[1] that needs a serious update, but it still makes sense. Make it a habit to turn off Notifications as soon as you install a new app unless they are critical, such as Medical or Kid/school-related. My Home page has a minimal wallpaper that I did a few years back, and it stayed. I usually leave one row at the bottom for beta-testing and region-specific Apps I use while traveling. Of course, none of the Social Media Apps are on my phone. I checked my screen time to include this comment, and I've 37 minutes Daily Average. So, on most usage, I should still likely be averaging less than an hour daily. 1. https://brajeshwar.com/2014/missing-step-productivity-activities-stop-notifications/ https://brajeshwar.com/2014/missing-step-productivity-activi...

cricalix 2y ago
You can make the greyscale toggle on triple power/home button, or via control centre. Thus, you can have it on most of the time, toggle it to look at a map, then toggle it back.
- elboru 2y ago
  That’s a perfect solution for me, thanks for the idea!
- garof 2y ago
  I made a Shortcut for it and added it to the home screen. I found the triple click too fiddly, and the control center option to be not present enough.
- Timothee 2y ago
  You can also have a Shortcut that toggles the setting when you open and close specific apps. I just did it and it’s very simple: - in the Shortcuts app, go to Automations - add a new one and pick “App” as the trigger - choose the apps you want color in and pick “run immediately” and on open and close - on the next screen pick “new blank automation” - in the new shortcut add “Set Color Filters” and set to toggle You can also make different automations for open and close, but toggle works as long as you toggle the effects manually. But in this case you can just toggle it back manually.

dave84 2y ago

No mention of the iPhone’s built in ‘Assistive Access’ mode. That would be my first port of call for turning it into a dumb phone.

ibrahimsow1 2y ago

disclaimer: No relation. Adding to this clearspace app. Kicks you out of your current at after a selected amount of time. Takes time to load the app in, really good jolt to the brain. Although the apps SSO is buggy af, and it glitches out sometimes.

gman83 2y ago

I'm using Niagara Launcher on Android, really recommend it.

Alifatisk 2y ago

Looks really interesting, I'll give this a shot.

mwidell 2y ago

If the problem is social media app addiction, I have found the best solution is to turn on screen time, whitelist your most important apps like messages, calendar etc. and then enable a passcode to access any other app. Ask a friend to set a pin code for you so you cannot cheat. Another solution is to just use an apple watch with cellular as your primary phone. It has everything you need (spotify, imessage, etc.) but nothing that distracts you like youtube, tiktok etc.

Zambyte 2y ago
It's important to note that music streaming and texting are also wants rather than needs. I've recently started leaving my house where the only electronic device that I go with is my compact camera.
- thallium205 2y ago
  What compact camera do you use?
  - Zambyte 2y ago
    Sony ZV-1. I've also got a smallrig L bracket on it for extra tripod mount points (I use it as a webcam with a wall power supply, but the built in mount is blocked by the battery compartment door when it's open) and it is still pocketable. I would say the image quality is better than my phone (Samsung S10) and worse than my DSLR (Nikon d3400). Sometimes I prefer it over my DSLR though, like for its super fast and accurate auto focus.
surfcao 2y ago
Apple watch is a 'dumb' phone. I upgraded to watch ultra for this purpose. Just leave the iphone at home or in the car (bonus: one less item to carry). I use browser to check twitter occasionally, but it helps break the habit of keeping phone around all the time. Do miss the camera though..

rhplus 2y ago

iOS has a built-in “simple” mode called Assistive Access. It does a lot of what’s described here. https://support.apple.com/guide/assistive-access-iphone/welcome/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/assistive-access-iphone/welc...

adamors 2y ago
Didn’t know about this, quite cool.
layer8 2y ago
What it looks like: https://nerdschalk.com/use-assistive-access-iphone/#interacting-with-apps https://nerdschalk.com/use-assistive-access-iphone/#interact... It has some major limitations though, like you can’t zoom into photos, and you can’t use Bluetooth headphones or AirPlay.

api 2y ago

I take a medium approach and turn off almost all notifications, do not install “social” addictionware apps or similar junk, turn off background refresh for almost everything, and if I need some gratuitous app on a trip I uninstall it as soon as I don’t. I haven’t tried their lock down mode yet whatever it’s called.

someluccc 2y ago

A hack that has worked for me is having another person set up the code for screen time settings, in a way that there is just enough friction for the often unconscious reflex to open XYZ app and proceed to get sucked in. In my case I both set a daily time limit and block certain apps to only certain hours of the day

walteweiss 2y ago

Seriously, HN? You want a dumb phone, go get yourself used iPhone X/SE or something, and never install anything, but only the essential stuff. Without all the gazillion of apps, it would work wonders even in 2024. You have issues with you wasting your life on something like Facebook? Don’t install it. Use browser when needed. Use private tab in Safari, and enter your password each time, so it’s all complicated now. (That’s how I use it, btw.) Same with any other addictives. Android users, I recommend you to get oLauncher from f-droid/gplay (or better oLauncherCF), and that’s enough already. Hide all the distractions, and Bob’s your uncle. I have my phones to be the bare minimum pocket computers for years now, and I’m surprised that topic still arises and is actual. Greyscale is bullshit, isn’t it? Has anyone used it seriously for over a couple of days? Even Night Shift is kinda bullshit, in a way. (Better to leave it on, though.) The way is to not use your phone in the night, if you can afford it. If there’s no nightly drone and missiles attacks from russia in your countries now. So that you need to watch out for Air Raid Alerts 24/7. And your life is at stake. If you’re not there, chances are you can afford to not touch your phone since the evening till the morning. Think of it. The essential thing isn’t inside your phone, it’s outside of it. It’s you. Work on yourself, and those distractions wouldn’t take you that easily, even when your phone is all flashy and colourful. I know, we all have that shared problem, but I thought it’s kinda resolved issue for over– for years. Since– idk, 2017?

realfeel78 2y ago
Not everyone is neurotypical.

eurvin 2y ago

I was seriously looking into purchasing a dumb smart phone, a la Light Phone 2 or Punkt MP02. I want some messaging, audio, maps etc but keep the slot machine apps as far away as possible. This simple guide saved me at least € 300 on the purchase of a new phone... for now.

seam_carver 2y ago
How about an e ink phone?
- eurvin 2y ago
  Looked into this category specifically and Light Phone 2 is actually an e-ink touch phone with Android as its underlying OS. I may reconsider my choice later on, but for now these solutions will do.
  - seam_carver 2y ago
    Maybe consider an e ink phone that runs full android, not the limited version the light phone uses. Here’s a video of me using one. E ink phone Android app showcase | Hisense A9 review https://youtu.be/dvO9ScTdwz8 https://youtu.be/dvO9ScTdwz8

simonbarker87 2y ago

I’m not sure why there is so much negativity toward this article here. Even a small amount of friction to getting to slot machine apps does wonders for reducing the amount of time spent on them. But likewise it’s nice (and useful) to still have access to these apps for some people so deleting isn’t a viable option. Like any other “everything in moderation” suggestion if it’s not all or nothing, just use self control, the internet hates on it.

dangus 2y ago
Probably because the article has basically 3 suggestions that don’t even scratch the surface of what the OS has built in to manage overuse. Turning off notifications is stupidly simple to a fault. Sorry, people can’t just turn off notifications from their spouses or day care apps or school/kids’ phone numbers or other important stuff like that. But this article doesn’t really get into the stuff that the OS has built-in to manage notification priority, it just tells you to turn it all off as if they’re telling the government to print more money to end poverty. Kind of crazy that a blog post on this subject doesn’t even mention the Screen Time feature.
- CPLX 2y ago
  Indeed. I have actually created a dumb zen phone, and the killer way to do it is put it in supervised mode without the browser or App Store. Then you’re genuinely handicapped. My version has maps, kindle, texting, phone, Spotify, camera, and the podcasts app. Perfect for running errands or going to the park with my toddler and still being reachable.
  - realfeel78 2y ago
    What apps or websites were sucking your time so much that you felt the need to do this?
- mozman 2y ago
  You can setup emergency bypass, silence unknown calls, etc. I have 98% of notifications disabled both on phone and desktop.

epstein 2y ago

Tbh iphone itself is less smart than android

captaincrunch 2y ago

If you have a problem with attention, just buy a flip phone, they still exist.

the-grump 2y ago
Two paragraphs in: "Perhaps, like most people, you need a smartphone to fully engage with society (like with QR menus, the bane of the dumbphone life!)."
- cpach 2y ago
  Indeed. Or TOTP; parking your car; buying your tickets for the metro/train to commute to work, etc etc.
  - Hoodedcrow 2y ago
    IDK about parking situation as I don't own a car, but I find it hard to believe that in some place there would be no way of paying for public transport without a smartphone. I personally use a cash-paid, cash-refilled transport card. As for TOTP - this one is very universally doable on desktop, like with KeepassXC. Or you're talking about logging in outside your home, like in a library or computer club?
    - CatWChainsaw 2y ago
      Saw the parking thing on a trip to Pennslyvania. Lots of signs for the parking app on the street, yet none of them were kiosks or had a phone number to call and arrange parking fees that way. It boggles my mind that so much innocuous activity got sucked into smartphones. It is not actually more "convenient" to download yet another app that wants access to all my data, just to pay for a parking space, when my credit card is on my person and kiosks do not take up that much space.
- captaincrunch 2y ago
  How does my grandfather exist in this complicated world? You don't need a smart phone.

abhayhegde 2y ago

It just feels wild to suggest turning a $1000 phone into something a $100 phone. However, I see the appeal.

seam_carver 2y ago

I like e ink phones a lot. Same screen tech as Kindle ereaders. Great for reading and text. Terrible for videos and scrolling. Here’s a video of me using one: E ink phone Android app showcase | Hisense A9 review https://youtu.be/dvO9ScTdwz8 https://youtu.be/dvO9ScTdwz8

EasyMark 2y ago

just turn it off and check your messages every few hours, that's what I do. Airplane mode is a god send if you're trying to break the habit. Yesyesyes I know that's not an option for everyone. Back in the day I did fine without being constantly online though, and so far I'm good. Seems like a reasonable compromise between smart phone and dumb phone

eleveriven 2y ago

I was trying to minimize my YouTube watch time. It was a failure.

realfeel78 2y ago
If you're on iPhone, just use Screen Time and have someone else you trust set the PIN.

dot5xdev 2y ago

It's easy to break your phone addiction—I've done it a 1,000 times... But, seriously, I've tried launchers, leechblock, and other software solutions. For me, they don't work long term because I end up just reverting and unblocking. I always have some justification in my head as to why I need to reinstall Discord or browse YouTube and then it's over. For me, I've had much better luck with a device where those types of slips are impossible. Mostly... although sometimes I really do need a smartphone to scan a QR code or to pay a foodtruck with Venmo. The Jelly Star seems to be the best compromise for me so far. It's still a smartphone, but the screen is so small that it's a lot harder to be on it for hours.

beeboobaa3 2y ago
Technical solutions to a mental problem never work.
- karpovv-boris 2y ago
  Yes. You could try endless ways to limit usage of your phone (change screen colours, launchers, deleting apps) but in the end of day you only will be hating using your phone. And I think bringing negative context in your daily life is not okay. In this case, by limiting your phone usage, you need to try to fill the open void with something more interesting. If you do so, then returning to using phone will feel like just using another tool.
b112 2y ago
The food thing is a pet peeve for me. I walk if a restaurant requires any form of smart phone to use. Doesn't matter if it is for menus, ordering, or payment. Nuts to that.
SkyPuncher 2y ago
Putting my phone in black and white mode was helpful. It really brought down the engagement level
joker99 2y ago
Sometimes it’s hard for us to fight ourselves. My wife has the same issue and we found a solution that works well for her: screen time. She asked me for help and we set up limits for instagram and all the other shitty apps but here’s the important part: she doesn’t know the code to disable it. And she wanted it that way. Reduced her screen time from about 7h per day to 4h.

cocoa19 2y ago

I implemented all of them. Thank you for sharing. I recently finished Atomic Habits and these actions pair well with it. Especially the points about making the bad habits less accessible and make them less satisfying.

hbroadbent 2y ago
Enjoy!

knallfrosch 2y ago

My Androids made better dumbphones. The always-on display simply showed a small Whatsapp icon. No need to unlock your phone or check an app for messages. Only unlock it at all if you have a message. Ignore the message without reading its contents. And, as LineageOS/cyanogenmod can, disable notifications also in the status bar. Use Google Maps or your train ticket app without being interrupted by the status bar icons/notification center. "Do not disturb" really means you won't get any notifications. 1-click toggle. iOS on the other hand, I haven't even found a way to make notifications silent while making calls ring. (Apart from toggling notification settings for 30 apps individually!)

CharlesW 2y ago
> iOS on the other hand, I haven't even found a way to make notifications silent while making calls ring. (Apart from toggling notification settings for 30 apps individually!) In iOS you can use a Focus mode. You can either "Silence Notifications From" to blacklist or "Allow Notifications From" to whitelist (then don’t whitelist any to silence all).
coolspot 2y ago
iOS: Settings -> Focus -> (any focus) -> People -> Allow Calls From [Everybody, Allowed People, Favorites, Contacts]

nrvn 2y ago

I have turned my work iphone into a dumb phone. It has got only apps that cannot be removed, plus the apps that are provisioned through mdm. No icloud, nothing beyond what is needed for communication with my colleagues. Location services off, bluetootg is always off, wifi only connects to cirporate network. My personal phone is less so dumb but I follow the YAGNI principle there as well.

lazamar 2y ago

The most effective solution I found was keeping my phone in my backpack instead of my pocket. When working I keep it somewhere I’d need to get up to get it. Together with taming notifications this provides enough friction to discourage me from reaching for it at every spare second. Once the phone reaches my hands the tricks in the post are not enough to remove the need for conscious effort to let go of the thing and put it back in its inconveniently positioned place.

jmprspret 2y ago

Wait since when does iOS support third party launchers? This is news to me.

remot_human 2y ago

I would say what you can do is simply block or time limit distracting apps and websites from the screentime section of the iPhone settings, and then get a friend to input a pin to lock the settings in place

deleted 2y ago

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lpln3452 2y ago

So you need a dumb phone to focus on? Can't you decide what to focus yourself in? That sounds like you should ride a car with a top speed of 50 kmph to control your driving speed. If you can't concentrate, practice it.

shinycode 2y ago
Once you’re addicted, this might be a way to practice and get free again

zahma 2y ago

I gave this a try. I'm already a skeptic towards cell phone usage, but I figured why not try to push it a little further by "minimalizing" my home screen. Dumbify is easy enough to set up. It's not always an elegant solution as the list of supported apps is quickly exhausted and required me to make a shortcut. There's a delay and window transitioning from when I tap the link for Anki as Dumbify must first open its app, then go to the shortcut, and then open Anki. Not a huge latency, but noticeable and irksome at times when I want to do a quick search on Firefox. Maybe that's my fault for not trying to deliberately dumb my phone down further to the point where I don't even need a browser. How do we know when we're dumb enough with our phones? What level of distraction is acceptable? The other major detractor is the fact that instead of seeing my badges on my homescreen, I just flip over one page. Mind you, these are only messenger apps, so that I can at least be reachable by those in my life. I don't have badges enabled on Mail or other apps. I don't have social media accounts, let alone the apps for them, yet my instincts are still to open and flip to the page with the badges. Maybe my behavior will change over time, but I am skeptical it will.