What would stop you from switching to a flip phone (or dumbphone) in 2025?

Submitted ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨tim@feddit.org⁩ to ⁨technology@lemmy.world⁩

https://tim.kicker.dev/2025/09/14/flip-phone/

I’ve been using a flip phone as my daily driver for a while now. The smartphone is still around, but it mostly sits in a drawer until bureaucracy or banking apps force me to use it.

For me, the benefits are clear: less distraction, more focus, better sleep. But I know for many people it’s not so easy. Essential apps, social pressure, work requirements… these are real blockers.

I’d like to start a discussion (almost like an informal poll):

If you thought about switching, what’s the single biggest thing that holds you back?
Is it banking? Messaging? Maps? Something else?

I’m genuinely curious because if we can identify the main pain points, maybe it’s possible to work on solutions or even start a small project around it.

So: what would need to change for you to actually give a flip phone a try?

source

Comments

Sort:hotnew top

ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Literally just having a hotspot built in is keeping me on android. The lappy goes where I go, and that means as long as I have internet access I’m as connected as I could ever want to be.

Basically everyone has wifi, usually available after. I might just go out and get an unlocked dumbphone this week honestly.

source
chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Banking, messages, email, calendars, discord, messenger, maps, browser, YouTube, music, shattered pixel dungeon, Wikipedia, notes, swipe keyboard, duolingo, WhatsApp, desmos, reminders, camera, photos, home automation….

I use my iPhone for a ton of different things. I pretty much never use it to make calls and hate talking on the phone (which is what flip phones are optimized for).

source
sefra1@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
No decent (local) music player, no DSP, no music streaming with newpipe, decent video player to watch series in bed, screen too small to read books, no e2ee messaging, no web browser, useless camera, operating system without security updates.

I honestly couldn’t care less about calls and SMS, I only use that like few times a year.

source
the_q@lemmy.zip ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
It’s weird reading the responses. Our society has pushed smartphones down our throats that people can’t imagine living without one. They name things they “need” when in reality it’s all convenience in some form or another. All the while the true purpose of these devices is to listen, serve ads and feed on our insecurities, fears and anger.

source
- Nima@leminal.space ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  “our society has pushed smart phones down our throats”
  
  smartphones evolved from older methods of just getting through the day. taking notes, listening to music, calandars, date books, libraries, files, methods of communication.
  
  you make the assumption that everyone is a slave to their device just because it’s a smart device.
  
  some of us were alive before smart phones existed. and we’d prefer not to go back in tech. and would instead prefer the devices we have now.
  
  source
  - bryndos@fedia.io ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
    I second this.
    No one forced me. Even when work tried to force me to use smartphone 2FA it was easy enough to say "I'm not putting any f-ing micrsoft crap on my phone", they found a workaround - magically they could just use the basic telephone network to do the 2FA.
    
    I chose to get one because it's more convenient than having phone, walkman, camera, book, torch , map, compass etc.
    I still carry many of those things from time to time when I want them, or when I want extra resilience.
    But I's choose the phone most times because it is a cheap, lightweight, small, convenient alternative that makes so many things just a bit easier.
    
    Bloody hell just faffing around with walkman batteries and recording compilation tapes was annoying enough.
    
    It's also very easy to just leave your phone behind and use the alternatives, they pretty much all still exist in some form. I mean that happens to me regularly whenever I lose my phone of when I forget to charge it or (partly) when I'm just out of range of the celluar network. I don't remember either dying or having any police jump on me and force me to buy a new one or charge it up immediately.
    
    source
magnetosphere@fedia.io ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Integration with my car stereo for music and GPS

source
mcbenavides85@piefed.social ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’m doing the flip phone thing with an ipad at home. I do miss streaming music and maps.

source
relativestranger@feddit.nl ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
i have only ever had basic phones, dating back to my first nokia ~ 25 years ago. i don’t have the need or desire to have an android or iphone. one time. just once, ever–i enabled cellular data on my phone so i could look something up–the current weather forecast (in the kai weather ‘app’) because it started to look like i might get stranded out in a bad storm and i forgot to check the forecast before i left.

source
twice_hatch@midwest.social ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
If it’s at that point:

Set up a password manager on your desktop

Change your account passwords to something too long to remember, and keep them in the password manager

I have a Pixel phone with Graphene for offline maps, Wi-Fi, emergency calls, etc.
source