Anyone started using a dumbphone recently?

Aggressively reclaiming the notification/reminder area in the existing smartphone appears to be working for me.

I uninstalled intrusive (android) applications and moved to web equivalents. Anything that tries to gain space in the notification/lock-screen is uninstalled or if not viable (cabs, etc) are banned from showing notifications - and I poll when required. In my country, applications are increasingly intrusive (food apps piling on food offers, cab services pushing ads for cabs - wth, I'll book a cab if I need one, who advertises using push notifications for cab booking?).

I access web-versions via Firefox for Android with UBlock Origin enabled. These include socials like twitter, instagram. The setting provides a richer experience thanks to fewer ads. I noticed instagram cached videos to ensure smoother experience in doomscrolling (prefetch some recommendation buffer starting segments). The web version makes doomscrolling clunkier than a native-application (which works in favour of the dropping agenda). Most of the times I forget to enter the doomscrolling app because no reminders in the notification area.

My banking application was pushing loan-deals I did not want and stealing notification space. Unlocking my bootloader caused it to cry about security, now I use web-version there as well.

No, because they’re relatively more insecure than, and far less useful than a smartphone.

An alternative for some is to uninstall undesired apps and set up something like Screen Time restrictions and have your spouse or a trusted friend keep the passcode secret from you.

The real problem is your self-control.

Anyway, HN search will pull up countless Ask HN threads for just 2023 about this same topic.

No phone for a few months now. I feel fantastic and only had two issues.

1. Convincing spouse and crew to fix meeting times in advance. No more "I'll text you when I get off work". This produces a much smoother cadence to life.

2. Work RSA token. Put it on a computer next to my work machine. A more ambitious hacker could put it on a wrist watch: https://blog.singleton.io/posts/2022-10-17-otp-on-wrist/. Company really needs to get YubiKeys.

My son just got a part time job as a cowherd (really!) and is supposed to be getting a flip phone to keep in touch but I don’t it will work on the farm.

My “mobile phone” for a long time has been Skype since it is not hard to find WiFi at home, work or in the road. The microphone failed on my iPad and unfortunately my bluetooth keyboard is not compatible with my headphones so I may be switching to something else.

Have you tried turning off notifications for all your apps other than texts/calls?

I put off a smartphone successfully until last year. The only annoyance is when programs I'm not running send me notifications... I turned those off, and now I'm a much happier camper.

Yeah, I am starting up a small business and needed a work phone number so got a flip phone. It’s a monthly plan from Verizon and the phone was cheap.

It’s exactly what I need and works as expected.

I used to have a smartphone, but never really liked calling people. So I decided to live without a phone altogether.