How to get away from owning a smartphone (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 day ago by HurlingDurling@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Hey everyone, I was entertaining the thought of going away from owning a smart phone.

I already have a modded ipod classic that I use as my main music player.

I also know how to use a paper map.

I also have the Microsoft authentication app for work (I could just use my phone on wifi mode for this)

The last issue I have is WhatsApp where I communicate with friends and family around the world.

Is there a way to use WhatsApp on a non-smart phone? Or should I just buy a pixel and install a secure rom?

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[-] butter@midwest.social 2 points 4 hours ago

You have to ask yourself: what can you actually get away with.

If you're techy, get a Linux phone. I assume there's a WhatsApp client, but if not you could bridge to Matrix.

Then you'll have the option to use a phone, without the addictive qualities of Android/iOS.

Your next best will be GrapheneOS. By default, no Google, so no notifications at all. But that can be turned on and enabled if needed.

[-] Etterra@lemmy.world 4 points 11 hours ago

You must not have been born in the 70s or 80s. It's really easy. Step 1, replace your smart phone with a flip phone. This concludes all your steps.

[-] viking@infosec.pub 3 points 8 hours ago

I'm born in that era, and where I live, I must authorize bank transactions via app, pay parking tickets through an app, use an app for public transport, and need to scan a QR code that's changing every 90 seconds to access my gym.

There is no workaround for the parking app, other than inconveniencing myself and staying at malls exclusively. The gym doesn't have an alternative either. I could surely switch, but that's the only option.

For banking, sure, I could do stuff over the counter like some octogenarian, wasting time getting there and waiting in line. That changes a 20 second procedure into a minimum 1h long one, provided whatever I'm trying to pay happens during service hours of my bank. No thanks.

Public transport would be the easiest, though that only applies for subways and trains where counters and vending machines exist. At bus stops we don't have those, and drivers aren't selling tickets anymore. You must board with a valid ticket, which usually only works through an app, unless you have a monthly ticket that can still be bought as a paper pass.

[-] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

Not so easy for someone who was born and raised in a time and place where key services all rely on smartphones (especially the WhatsApp for family communications)

[-] Psythik@lemmy.world -1 points 8 hours ago

Tell the family to stop being cheap bastards and to pay their damn cell phone bills already, so that you don't have to keep using that Meta-owned crap.

[-] skeesx@lemm.ee 2 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

I had the exact same Problem.

You need an Android Emulator for your PC, since Whatsapp for desktop always needs to be paired with a phone, then install Whatsapp Business. The Business Version lets you sign up with a landline number. Youll geht a call with the code read to you, and youre done.

If you already have a number, and are planing to keep it, you can just use that, and read the code from your phone.

If you decide to use a desktop app or the web version instead, you will have to open Whatsapp on your phone once every two weeks or it will unpair.

[-] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

What are you looking to get out of your dumb phone experience?

It sounds like you want/need the smart phone part, but not the doom scroll and spyware part.

For that I offer the following advice;

Step 1 is to delete all unnecessary apps. Keep 1 or 2 time killers, preferably puzzle games or something not related to endless scrolling, that you can start/stop anytime.

If you have one, make an old phone your "entertainment" device. This is for things like Lemmy and whatever else you do fun/pass time. Leave it the bathroom or at your spot to relax. This way you can get your internet fix, but it doesn't follow you throughout the day.

Step 2 is to make sure you set your notifications right, only communication from actual people (text/call) and important stuff like work/bank emails should make noise. Everything else can shove off.

On the spyware front, Pixel+Graphine OS is a good option, it does works with MS authenticator.

[-] Furbag@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago

Is there a way to use WhatsApp on a non-smart phone?

WhatsApp has a browser app you can use, turning it into something more like an instant messenger akin to Skype while you're on a computer. Not sure if you need a phone to manage the account or not, but you could keep a cheapo burner phone for situations like that and then just toss it in a drawer and ignore it until you need to make changes again.

[-] ComradeMiao@lemmy.world 49 points 1 day ago

I think with 2fa, qr codes, talking with family, and emergency services it's not reasonable to not have a phone. Instead of purchasing a device why not just turn it off and put it away when you're not using it?

Your maps and ipod have already showed you these are just tools. Continue down that route.

BTW, this post is so close to my own recent questions I thought I had posted it, lol. Share your modded ipod over at c/ipod , trying to start a little community

[-] ironsoap@lemmy.one 15 points 1 day ago

Addiction is a tough thing... Hard just to out it down.

[-] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

And price.

When I go just walk my dog, I almost never take the smartphone with me. I always did that. Later I just bought a cheap dumb phone for 10 bucks, just in case. I always have that on me now.

So yeah, trying to not break something more expensive. Plus it's far more reliable than any smartphone. It just works, no stuttering, no crashes, buttons rather than touchscreen, the alarm app doesn't get ~~killed~~ optimized... Though it has the same problem as every single modern phone I get: the minimum headphone jack volume is way too loud. I wanted to use it for music, but that's a no-go. There's no equalizer to tune it down.

[-] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

A cheap solution that might solve your volume problem is to add on an adapter that features a volume rocker dial. You can plug that into your phone and then plug your headphones into that adapter.

Something like the below screenshot. Hopefully it won’t muddy audio quality, so check this out and see if it’s something you can give a go.

[-] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Almost all of these things can be done from a computer, siting in comfort at home. And some of them, i.e. communication, are even more pleasant that way. The supposed convenience of the mobile form factor is mainly a function of habit. I speak from experience, having mostly kicked that habit.

The "emergency" argument is particularly tiring BS IMO. Somehow we managed for all of history until basically yesterday without this functionality and got by just fine.

The fact that technology exists is not in itself a reason to adopt it. If only we would learn this lesson at last. Rant over.

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

I don't know man, I'm often out and about when I need to communicate to people.

I find it rather convenient to not have to find a library or an Internet-cafe, especially seeing my city doesn't have any anymore probably.

And I remember living without a mobile before they came along. There's a certain romantic novelty in agreeing to meet under x sign in y place at x hour. But it wears off fast, and if you're running a bit late or want to reschedule something on the fly? Good luck without a mobile of any sort, smart or not.

[-] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

want to reschedule something on the fly

Yeah it certainly got easier to be late and generally not keep commitments, that's for sure.

I do agree that communication when out and about is a genuine killer feature. It's was the original use case after all. But doomscrolling social media, or banking, or shopping, or playing dumb games, or most of the other things I watch people doing in public - personally I am never going to buy the argument that this is about "convenience". To me it's pretty obvious that it's just addiction and irrational social contagion.

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world -1 points 10 hours ago

"Not keep commitments".

In what sort of a life do you live that nothing surprising ever happens or you interact with no-one because you'd know people are unpredictable.

I watch people doing in public - personally I am never going to buy the argument that this is about "convenience

I'm use to drive a taxi for several years. When I started, GPS was still rather shit. (I usually preferred the street dictionary.) And when I was a kid, my dad had NMT phones in his cars.

You might not have any engagements that require any sort of fluidity, but other people sure do. For instance I'm driving someone from place a to place b. During the ride, they suddenly realise they need something from a shop. That's an extra 10 min now that I could not predict, making me possibly late for the next ride, depending on where and when it's from. Even with mobiles, it was hard to actually tell people times with accuracy more than a +-30 min after I had a fare or two in queue.

So yeah. Modern gps the ability for people to see how long it'll be before you're at their place has really made it more convenient. Not to mention that this convenience includes card payments. Because before you'd have to have a credit card and manually run it through the receipt labeler thingy. ka-chunk

To me it's pretty obvious that it's just addiction and irrational social contagion.

To me it's pretty obvious you're just being reductive because it's not purely positives, like with anything in the real world.

If you don't focus on high-schoolers and instead look at 30+ people going about their day, I'm sure it's not "just doomscrolling and addiction".

Hell, imagine if covid had hit 25 years earlier. The fuck would've we been doing? Working from home like everyone did would not have been possible. But it's not like chilling at home while working is convenient, right?

[-] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

By downvoting my comment you're saying you don't care what I have to say. So that's the end of this debate. Good night.

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

You tried implying that I can't keep a schedule, instead of addressing the earlier argument. Someone clearly downvoted that. It wasn't me.

"I have no responses to your arguments so I'm gonna use some ridiculous bullshit excuse to leave while pretending my rhetoric wasn't completely proved wrong"

Were you even conscious before mobile phones became a thing?

[-] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

Well if it wasn't you then I apologize.

Yes I was about 20 when mobiles took off. But my "rhetoric" wasn't proved wrong or right. It was just my perspective. You can have yours too and that's fine.

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

Fair do's, mate.

[-] foenkyfjutschah@programming.dev 0 points 7 hours ago

Hell, imagine if covid had hit 25 years earlier. The fuck would’ve we been doing?

playing computer games. organizing the CD collection. watching TV shows. mastering a skill like programming or image editing on the computer system at hand. masturbating to VHS porn. having long, undisturbed landline conversations. reading books.

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

Apparently you didn't have a job 25 years ago?

Not "we" as in "oh god whatever will I do with my personal free time" but "we" as in "the global economy". Moving from offices to homes didn't affect pretty much anything now, as all work is done on computers, papers aren't much of thing, everyone has a computer at home and connections are good.

25 years ago maybe one in four families had a shitty computer which wouldn't be able to run smooth 480 video let alone send or receive any meaningful data aside from some text documents through email

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[-] wulrus@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

A 2000s Garmin GPS with OSM is neat and durable like a Nokia. Still use it even though I do keep my smartphone:

https://www.garmin.com/de-DE/p/8703

[-] clubb@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago

There are kaios phones, which are basically very weak smartphones (like 512 mb of ram weak) that run kaios, which is android. They perform poorly enough that you wouldn't want to use for social media, and you can run whatsapp on them

[-] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 20 points 1 day ago

Correction: KaiOS is a Linux distro that only runs web apps. It descends from the botched Firefox OS project and uses Firefox's browser engine.

[-] clubb@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

You're probably right, I've only used old nokias with symbian, so I wouldn't know.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 8 points 1 day ago

KaiOS is more like "Firefox OS" than Android, but otherwise, yes.

I did a 30 day dumbphone challenge a few months ago. Was originally going to use a Nokia with KaiOS but wanted to be able to re-purpose it afterward so I went with an Android-powered flip phone.

[-] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 day ago

Android-powered flip phone

That doesn't quite sound as a dumbphone to me.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 3 points 1 day ago

I disabled pretty much everything and dumbed it down for the 30 days to nothing more than what a modern "dumb" phone would do.

[-] hperrin@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Everyone has an email address. Just saying.

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 9 points 1 day ago

You could always ask for their address and use mail.

[-] Hikermick@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Godspeed!

You didn't specify your reasoning for getting away from smartphones. Cost or to escape the trappings? Other? I was thinking you could hang on to your smartphone and just delete the nonessential stuff.

[-] adp1314@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Check out the Light Phone. It only has a handful of functions. Talk, text, directions, music, notes, and a camera.

thelightphone.com

[-] Theoriginalthon@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

What is it about a smart phone that you don't want/like?

[-] HurlingDurling@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

I feel like these devices are too annoying. For example, I dissabled notifications for almost all apps, but a couple of updates later, and the notifications are back (even though the setting is still dissabled), and I feel like when these apps are developed, they want to bundle critical notifications with non-critial ones (ie. Do you want a notification when someone breaks into your house AND when our sales team wants to upsell you something? Or neither?). Then there's the data privacy aspect.

[-] nichtburningturtle@feddit.org 6 points 1 day ago

A minimalistic custom rom might fix some of those issues for you.

[-] JovialSodium@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 day ago

Matrix has a WhatsApp bridge and an SMS bridge. Perhaps it's possible to combine these for a WhatsApp <> SMS bridge? I don't know if these bridges can work in this way. I'm just aware of their existence. Even if it does work, I imagine it'd be pretty suboptimal. But it's potentially an option.

[-] nimpnin@sopuli.xyz 1 points 11 hours ago

Or use matrix on the computer

[-] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 2 points 1 day ago

I use a fire tablet for maps. osmand allows you to download whole states at detail and it does not take huge amounts of space. its not great for privacy but I use google voice. That being said I have a smartphone I had to get for work. I picked up the free talk and text thing. I basically keep it shut down until I need it.

[-] goodshowsir@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Still using a laptop? Isn’t there a WhatsApp download for a desktop app?

Edit - although you would still need some sort of smartish phone to set that up I am sure.

Haven’t checked the same might be true for the Authenticator app. If you are just dealing with one time number codes there are Firefox plug ins you can use.

[-] Sergio@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 day ago

Isn’t there a WhatsApp download for a desktop app?

all I know about it is the following:

While the messaging platform already offers cross-platform support, users were able to add a new contact only via the primary Android phone or iOS handset—by adding a phone number or scanning a QR code. ... In a press release, WhatsApp notes that users will soon be able to add and manage contacts through WhatsApp Web and also through Windows platforms or their preferred device, like Android tablets.

https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/whatsapp-likely-to-have-userames-soon

unclear if/how soon you'll be able to use it without a phone number at all.

[-] MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

I use WhatsApp on my computer, in a web browser, but you do have to activate it from your phone via a q code.

[-] LordCrom@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

You didn't think meta would give away Whatsapp without harvesting your phone number did you? Remember you and your data are the product

[-] urheber@discuss.tchncs.de -3 points 23 hours ago

I don't think the key to getting away from your phone is to buy another.

if your friends aren't gonna support your switch, and you therefore need WhatsApp. maybe those people don't care enough.

I had this, when I switched to an old LG L70 and WhatsApp didn't run, so I switched to telegram, and less than a handful of my "friends" even bothered. Glad to say I cut ties with the rest :).

[-] leonine@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 hours ago

This is the exact defination of "egoist"

[-] urheber@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 7 hours ago

bro u dont know the situation

[-] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 hours ago

So... you unilaterally decided to change the method of comms you and your friends had been using, then decided they were bad friends for not falling in line?

[-] urheber@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 10 hours ago

yuh, but also not just that, i have "friends" i still deal with that i dont talk to on the phone :) They werent my people either.

[-] HurlingDurling@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago

The issue is that these friends aren't in the same continent as I am. Online chat is the only way we can chat and the rest of the world (unfortunately) use WhatsApp. I have maybe 2 friends who use sms who are in the states.

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this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2024

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