My Dumb Phone Summer & How I Kept up with Content Creation
I’ve had a few people ask, so I wanted to do a short overview of my summer with the dumb phone while still content creating!
I have considered going “dumb” for a long time, but never had the guts to go with it. My whole point in simplifying (or making it more complicated?) was a conviction that I don’t want my kids to be addicted to screens and that example needs to start with my use, not theirs.
There’s a whole, well-intentioned trend going around about raising “screen-free” kids, but I’m not seeing the parents follow suit. In fact, the parents who understand the screen addiction from their own experience are the ones advocating most for this. And I’ll raise my hand first: it’s hard to be a stay-at-home, business-operating parent and not get sucked into the online world every hour.
The Dumb Phone I Got:
The phone I chose was a Nokia 2780. It was under $100 as I wanted to keep things cheap and affordable for the experiment. Although I would have LOVED to relive high school and get a candy-bar style phone, the reason I chose this one is because it had a hotspot, navigation, and group texting.
Another bonus to this phone (vs my “older” iPhone) is that is utilizes USB-C charging which just makes life a little more simple in 2026!
Set-up was as simple as moving my Mint mobile SIM card over, and turning it on. I was able to sync my contacts via Google from my iPhone and it felt WAY more seamless than expected.
The navigation was totally fine and worked for me. You do have to manually click through each turn, but that’s kind of how I prefer it anyway so I can look ahead. I also just don’t use navigation much in my day-to-day life, so I don’t need anything fancy.
We did take a trip to the east coast while I used it. And since I was traveling with my husband, we just defaulted to using his phone for all the “smart” things. I did pack my iPhone, just in case – but I honestly don’t remember a single time I pulled it out for an actual need.
If I did need to use my iPhone, it would be as simple as turning the dumb phone’s hotspot on, then connecting to that wifi network on my iPhone. Sure, it took a few extra steps, but it wasn’t bad at all.
Keeping My iPhone Around
I still created content over the summer and have quite a few life things like my kid’s Yoto Player, cycle tracking, and group messaging apps that I needed to keep up on. So I kept my iPhone in the closet for the most part until I needed to use it as a TOOL for work.
As someone who creates content for two small businesses, it’s not really an option for me to throw all the smart devices in the trash (I love you, Airdrop!). BUT, this experience definitely gave us a beautiful boundary between home and work life, allowing me to be focused and content in the space I needed to hold for the moment.
The whole point of doing this was to have my phone available and out if someone called, but not a distraction while around my kids. And it worked! My screen time went WAY down, I was definitely less distracted, and my brain felt GOOD.
What to do for a Camera with a Dumb Phone
As for a camera, that was tricky.
Besides creating content, I’ve ALWAYS been a picture-taker. I had cameras all growing up and it’s always been a joy to capture life, so that was probably the trickiest thing to figure out.
Because I was keeping things cheap, I got a $100 camera off Amazon that was waterproof and ruggedized which sounded right up my alley. It even had a little selfie screen on the front! I was really excited about being able to take it on more adventurous terrain. It worked great, but when it came to transferring photos via bluetooth, it never worked right, so I had to return it 🙁
Once I figured that camera wouldn’t work, I just brought an old phone with me and it stayed on airplane mode, essentially acting as a camera. This was a pretty clunky and ridiculous solution, but it still helped me stay in the moment, focused on what really matters in life.
A Little Hack for Sending & Receiving Links with a Dumb Phone
When I was doing things like planning a trip or party with a friend, sending links back and forth was a pain. I did find a little workaround that was totally fine for me and again, kept my distractions down:
I used Google Voice!
Now with Google Voice, you can get a free number and with the Nokia 2780, I was able to forward messages to that number, then check the links on my computer or smart phone. I could also send links and photos from that number if I needed.
That little hack actually became very helpful in certain circumstances, so it’s a good one to keep in your back pocket if you ever decide to go dumb 😉
Why I Gave up the Dumb Phone
I have two reasons why I switched back to my iPhone after a few months:
First, I was going on a road trip and my husband and I really missed being able to keep up with each other via Google Maps. We always mutually share our location as a convenience so we don’t have to call and text all the time if we’re curious.
Second, the flip phone was starting to get a little glitchy. I am pretty “fast” with my old-school T9 texting (thank you, 2008), and if I was doing that as a call came in, the phone would totally freeze and I’d have to take the battery out to restart it. Otherwise, the Nokia 2780 flip phone really outperformed what I expected of it.
How I’d Go “Dumb” Differently Next Time
The reality is, I really loved having a simple phone that I could grab for short outings and have around the house without any “smart” distractions. I would 100% do this again and I know exactly what I would do differently.
After I save a little bit, I would really like to try the Mudita Kompakt phone. It has a few more options than a regular “dumb phone,” but it keeps things simple and I’m totally in love with the e-ink screen too!
As for the camera situation, I have an older Insta360 that I might try to get faster with and that will help with content creation as well as still using a retired smart phone. For everyday life, I might just get a better, more reputable digital camera. If you’re looking, I have a couple fancy ones on my radar: the Canon Power Shot V 10 or one of the DJI Pocket cameras.
By now you can see that going fully “dumb phone” would set me back a pretty penny, so I’m just not quite ready to make that leap. It will be an investment, but now I know it’s both realistic AND worth it!
My Favorite Doom-Scrolling Fix (without having to get a dumb phone)
If you’ve ever heard of devices that block certain apps when you give them a tap, but aren’t sure if they’d actually work for you, I get it…I was too! This winter, I found a super cool little company called Pause Box. They have a “normal”-sized one with a magnet (for your fridge, for example), or a tiny Pause Tag keychain you can get for under $20!
Still a skeptic, I ordered the Pause Box’s tiny Pause Tag keychain. Unsure if it would help me keep my smartphone around without being distracted, I gave it a go. Let me tell you: it has done the job! I also want to note that this amazing company doesn’t require a subscription; just a FREE iOS app to run it – no gimmicks.
So if you’re not quite ready to get a dumb phone, this is an even more affordable and convenient way to stay connected AND drop those screen time hours. Plus, they are a small, family-owned company out of Snohomish WA who makes and ships everything in their home – usually with “The Office” playing in the background.
The founder/creator/owner of Pause Box told me that he wanted to make an affordable alternative to Brick and went to work. He’s done the start up thing before and only has intentions of keeping Pause Box at home “while still doing [his] normal day job and being a good Dad and husband.” BLESS – I just love this family and want to support them so much!
I loved it!
Again, this experience was overall wonderful for me and the relationship with my kids. I do believe more people need to give it a try. It’s very tricky to get away with it in this day and age, but with the right planning and workarounds, it’s totally doable to go back to a “dumb phone.”
If you’ve never tried silencing the “digital noise” before, going to the “extremes” I went might not make sense. I’d encourage you to start by simply turning off all your notifications except time-sensitive ones like calling and maybe texting. It’s amazing how clear your head will feel when you draw the line between constant dings and real life. Turning off notifications was a great start that helped me years ago, although I did eventually find myself back in the doom-scroll life.
As you’ve read: I still create content and work online. If it’s possible for me to draw realistic boundaries, it’s possible for you.
It might go without saying, but my mental health and overall outlook on life was EXTRA positive during my dumb phone experience. If you give it a try, there’s definitely a “digital detox” you’ll go through, but trust me: it’s worth it! If you’re struggling with how your relationship with your phone affects you and the people around you, I’d say to give it a shot — you’ll never know what it’s like to go back unless you try!
Have you “gone dumb” or considering it? Tell me your favorite tools to make it work in our day and age!
