Switching to a flip telephone is not as exhausting as you assume. But you may miss having GPS

Updated August 19, 2025 at 10:33 AM CDT

This story was initially printed on August 8, 2024, and has been up to date.

Your smartphone is designed to suck you in. You may choose it as much as rapidly test the climate, solely to seek out your self an hour later scrolling by means of TikTok.

If you “want a break from the digital world and need a change of lifestyle,” take into account switching to a fundamental telephone, says Jose Briones, writer of Low Tech Life: A Guide to Mindful Digital Minimalism. Also referred to as dumbphones (a time period that Merriam-Webster added to its dictionary in 2022), these lower-tech units don’t embrace lots of the apps sometimes discovered on smartphones.

Briones, who’s a fundamental telephone person and the moderator of the discussion board r/dumbphones on Reddit, explains what folks ought to find out about these units earlier than making the transition.

The fundamentals of fundamental telephones

You could be questioning: What the heck is a fundamental telephone? Briones gives a litmus take a look at: in case your system has an app retailer, it is a smartphone, he says. If not, it is a fundamental telephone.

• What do fundamental telephones appear like? They are inclined to have small screens which can be much less engaging to spend time on, and often appear like the flip telephones or Nokia telephones you may need had earlier than smartphones existed.

• What are the options? They mean you can make telephone calls and textual content. But completely different fashions have completely different options. Some provide the power to go looking the web, play mp3 recordsdata, take notes, set an alarm or search for instructions.

• Can I simply use the previous Nokia I had once I was in highschool? Probably not, says Briones. “Nowadays, a lot of providers like AT&T or T-Mobile will not activate older 2G or 3G devices.” So make it possible for no matter telephone you get has a 4G LTE connection.

• How do I do know which telephone is true for me? Make a listing of all of the apps that you just really use in your smartphone. Then look for easy units which have a few of these capabilities. There are quite a lot of fashions on the market: flip telephones just like the CAT S22 or Sunbeam F1 Horizon, “candy bar” telephones just like the Nokia 110 4G and the Light Phone, which seems to be like a small e-reader. Briones, who additionally critiques fundamental telephones, has a short quiz on his website that may enable you make the choice, primarily based on elements like value vary, wants and elegance.

• How a lot do they price? Roughly $20, although the cheaper ones will seemingly be much less customizable, Briones says. Simple telephones with extra performance, common updates and firm assist can price $100 or extra.

You do not have to make use of a fundamental telephone 24/7

A variety of us depend on our telephone as a digital camera, a GPS, a music participant and an alarm clock. We use it for work and to speak with our pals. So it may really feel scary to depart our smartphones behind.

Don’t fear, says Briones. You do not have to make use of your fundamental telephone on a regular basis.

Some folks use a smartphone through the week and a easy telephone on the weekends, after they need to unplug.

Or they use a fundamental telephone for almost all of the time, however swap to a smartphone in moments after they may want extra apps. For instance, in the event you’re on trip, you could want a smartphone to entry to your flight info, translate the language or enable you discover your means round.

Decide the way you need to break up your time together with your smartphone and your fundamental telephone. If you land on having two telephones, Briones says you may join two telephone strains with separate numbers. Alternatively — and relying on the telephone mannequin — you may get a bodily SIM card and swap it out between your telephones.

Find inventive (and analog) workarounds to your digital wants

Using a fundamental telephone will have an effect on your life-style. You will not have entry to lots of the instruments {that a} smartphone offers, not less than not in your telephone. Briones shares some inventive options.

• Lean into the analog a part of what it means to have a fundamental telephone. Get an old-school alarm clock to wake you up within the morning. Carry round a disposable digital camera to take images. Bring again your previous MP3 participant to hearken to music. Use a GPS system like a Garmin.
• Find the workarounds to important apps. If you resolve to get probably the most fundamental of telephones and need to get an Uber, for instance, know that you would be able to order a automotive by telephone (dial 1-833-USE-UBER). You also can name a cab firm. If your employer requires you to make use of a smartphone with an authenticator app to log into the corporate’s web or e mail, ask your IT division in the event that they can provide you a {hardware} safety token as an alternative. Those are physical security keys you may plug into your pc and faucet as a second type of verification after your password.
• Use apps in your pc. If it’s essential to attend a Zoom assembly or promote a lamp on Facebook Marketplace, you do not have to do it in your telephone. Download the apps to your laptop computer or desktop and get the work executed there.

Alert pals and colleagues about your new telephone

One of the most important challenges you could face with a fundamental telephone is that you will be much less obtainable, not less than on sure apps. And that would frustrate pals, household and colleagues who need to attain you, says Briones.

Tell your employer that you just’d like to make use of a fundamental telephone as an experiment, says Briones. See what occurs together with your productiveness and together with your relationships at work. After per week or two, “if everything improves, that’s an argument to continue in this direction.”

Set expectations with pals, household and your employers about how rapidly they’ll count on you to answer messages now that you’re utilizing a fundamental telephone, together with what hours you will be obtainable and how one can greatest be reached.

This could also be tough to do, says Briones, however “this is a moment where you have to say, ‘I am slowing down in my communication practices and I want you to respect that.’ “

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This episode was produced by Margaret Cirino. The digital story was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visible editor is Beck Harlan. We’d love to listen to from you. Leave us a voicemail at (202) 216-9823, or e mail us at LifeKit@npr.org.

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