Ask Lemmy

Nothing, really, though it took a good bit of detox to get to that point. I'm only using a pseudo dumb phone, though (it runs Android 11 in a flip phone form factor).

Last August, I did a 30 day challenge and used it like a true dumb phone. No email, no chat, just the same things a comparable KaiOS true dumb phone would do. That was...limiting but I quickly got used to it. After that, I decided to un-dumb it a bit and am still daily-driving it almost a year later.

The only apps it runs now:

• Thunderbird Mobile for email
• Aegis for TOTP
• Bank app (a necessary evil since I bank remotely and nearest branch is 50 miles away)
• Organic Maps
• SchildiChat (Matrix group chat)
• Meshtastic
• Fennec (though mostly only for looking up business phone numbers/addresses while I'm out)

So it's not a true dumb phone now, but it's pretty bare bones. I think even true dumb phones have mobile browsers (KaiOS is basically Firefox OS, afterall) as well as some kind of mapping, email, and even TOTP apps. All the rest of the "smart" stuff it does is just annoying enough that I don't spend all day on it, but works well when I need it.

I don't know if I could go to a Light Phone III since I need my bank app, but something like the Minimal Phone with its eink display and QWERTY keyboard is probably my upgrade path.