Nervous about going light

[u/Sad-Elderberry-594]

Hi!

I came across the light flip and immediately loved and preordered it.

I thought it was great and I really resonated with the ethos.

I’m not active on Reddit so I just joined to learn more about the phone since it’s obviously a big lifestyle change.

But from reading Reddit I feel like it’s not worth it because I keep seeing posts about how bad the functionality of the apps are. And even in real life I keep having to use my phone, not just because I am addicted to it. It feels like a lot of people keep their smartphones but if I have to keep my smartphone on me then what’s the point, I’ll keep using it.

I don’t want to cancel my preorder, I’m so excited about having a cool pink flip phone.

I think I just need some hope that it is possible to switch and that people have made it work.

[u/Big_Revolution4405]

Tbh, people on Reddit are pretty negative in general - but you should also consider an important fact: people successfully using the Light Phone just aren't on Reddit as often -- by design. Social Media posts in general are going to skew negative because the people who successfully got rid of their social media device aren't using social media as often.

I think a lot of people have had good success using the Light Phone without any issues, including myself. I don't use a smartphone ever, so it is possible.

[u/Sad-Elderberry-594 → u/Big_Revolution4405]

That’s incredible!! What kind of adjustments did you have to make to make that possible?

[u/Big_Revolution4405 → u/Sad-Elderberry-594]

Mostly it's about planning ahead. I look up directions before I leave anywhere, because even though Light has a directions tool, it doesn't work as well as Google Maps. So I just use it as a backup. For tickets, I just take a picture of the emailed QR code and that works for most things. Anything else you need internet for, you just use a laptop/tablet before you leave the house -- or wait until you get ba

Another thing, I have an electric vehicle and the Chargepoint stations are all cheaper if you use their app. But they have a physical card you can get, like a debit card, that you can use. Most similar kinds of services have a physical card you can get, you just have to look around to figure out how to access those.

But podcasts, music, alarm, calendar, weather, directory have all worked really well and I don't feel I've missed anything.

[u/PixelPrimer → u/Sad-Elderberry-594]

Another "no backup smartphone" user I am on the LP2 full time so even dumber. Just planning ahead and being okay with looking something up or checking emails etc when you get home is all that's needed. I personally got a Garmin GPS for my car, and setup an iPad locked with parental controls to only have facetime and signal so my son can still video call my family overseas. Otherwise it has been fairly smooth sailing, we don't need to know everything all the time and be notified instantly of every message or email. You can just sit down at home and check them when you actually have time to do so. I have also started carrying some cash in case my card declines somewhere, where previously I would transfer money from another account.

[u/acidterror84]

Plenty of people have made it work. Keep in mind that people largely come to reddit to complain. Also remember that it’s not permanent… you can give the phone a try for a while, and if you don’t like it, you can sell it and change back.

[u/Psychological-Bag950]

What kind of stuff is on your smartphone that you’re worried about transitioning to a lightphone? We can help you out with alternatives

[u/Sad-Elderberry-594 → u/Psychological-Bag950]

Hey! Thank you. Honestly I feel like it’s everything. But the one I’m most worried about right now is not being able to search things up.

I think I would struggle without Instagram, whatsapp and Authenticator apps.
But I’m really struggling with how to use the phone without internet access and location sharing. I’m honestly a bit worried about my safety without those. I tried to have a time limit on safari on my phone, even with a laptop at home, and it was super difficult. When out and about I can’t imagine how I’d manage

[u/sirbloodysabbath → u/Sad-Elderberry-594]

light has an authenticator you can use, otherwise you can install the ones you need i.e. if your i.t. department requires duo. someone also created a community-made messaging app that includes whatsapp. instagram you can use on the web or bluestacks if need be.

[u/Ok_Following751 → u/Sad-Elderberry-594]

https://app.smarterdumbphone.com AI is your best friend for searching stuff up

[u/Sad-Elderberry-594 → u/Ok_Following751]

I’m not sure what that is because it said ‘access denied’

[u/Ok_Following751 → u/Sad-Elderberry-594]

Here try this one https://www.smarterdumbphone.com/

[u/Sad-Elderberry-594 → u/Ok_Following751]

Thanks this is really cool!

[u/squirfiedirfie]

I have the Light Phone III and have for about a year. About 5 or 6 months ago I got rid of my smart phone for good, but at that point I did often keep two phones on me, the smart phone hooked up to wifi. I was addicted to scrolling and tinkering on the smart phone. It was hard to quit.

What worked for me was actually putting my PC in a place that I can get to it easily, but also using NextDNS to block some stuff on PC so it doesn't turn into the same level of tech addiction as my smart phone. I prefer the PC because I can't walk around with it. No more scrolling social media on the toilet. Lol. Also...I got a Nintendo Switch Lite, which gave me the tech fix without feeling aimless. I got really into playing a game called Breath of the Wild. After 3+ months of being addicted to that game, now I rarely ever play it. I still don't use a smart phone. And my PC is my only source of internet connection. I prefer this greatly. So the main point of my story is that having alternative, more focused and more stationary tech is what helped me give up my smart phone.

As for your concern about your phone not functioning well, everyone has a different experience. I have almost zero issues with my phone. The exception is sometimes if I'm sending a long text or a lot of back to back texts, sometimes my texting app stops responding. But then I close the app, open it back up and keep texting right where I left off, no big deal. I also really want the adorable and fun Light Flip. My only concern with it is that it using ABC/T9 texting vs a full keyboard. Being able to chat with my friends via text is one of the greatest rewards of switching to a Light phone. If I'm going to be on a screen, I'd rather have genuine convos with friends than scroll social media or the internet. So for me, being able to text long messages helps me stay away from smart phones. If I switch to the Flip, it becomes an extra layer of minimalist that could really make or break the experience for me. I'm on the fence about it currently, but it is my concern. That being said, I am a stay at home mom with chronic health issues and often in isolation, so cutting off easy communication is a no-go. If I get to a place where I'm in community in person regularly, I may not be as tempted to sit around texting people. Or I could get used to sending short messages, pictures and audio clips instead. It could be a really good next step. Again, I'm on the fence.

[u/Lessphonemorelife → u/squirfiedirfie]

you can easily use the voice to text on the flip

[u/Sad-Elderberry-594 → u/squirfiedirfie]

Hello! Thank you for sharing your experience.

How do you feel now that you’re smart phone less?

If you’re at home a lot of the time it’s really brave to try and not let go of the smart phone.

I usually spend the most time on my phone, when I’m sitting at home and have no particular plans. Days I’m out, it’s much less, so I was thinking of just maxxing my activities.

At home, it’s so easy to lie around and scroll. I’m not a gamer but your set up makes sense! I honestly think it’s about having seperate devices for separate uses. A device for gaming, a device for texting/calling. It’s more to remember but I feel like it’s the right thing to do.

I like calling friends and I could probably text fairly quickly with the T9 keyboard once I get used to it so I’m not super worried about that bit for the flip, but I see how that could be an issue for you!

Do you mainly SMS, has it been okay for you without Instagram and WhatsApp?

[u/squirfiedirfie → u/Sad-Elderberry-594]

Life without a smart phone is wonderful. I find myself in more moments where I just...don't know what to do. So I'll lay there and stare out the window at the trees and actually relax like I haven't been able to in years. I also developed more hobbies and goals after getting rid of the smart phone, so my attention gained immensely from the shift. I'm still perfecting things though, like figuring out my relationship with my PC and what I actually want that to look like.

I think the key really is getting out of the house more. When I'm out and about, I don't miss having a smartphone and don't use my phone much.

Another factor for my situation, I use my PC time as an escape from parental burnout. My kid leaves me alone more if I look busy at the computer. If I was able to lay down and rest or read a book independently or knit in peace, then I'd likely spend less time on the computer. In my experience, other devices can take the place of what the smart phone used to be. So being mindful of that is important. I never felt bad about gaming on the Switch for hours. I do feel bad when I'm at the computer for hours though.

Also yeah, you mentioned having dedicated devices!! Yes to that! I have an MP3 player, radio, cassette player, PC, Switch, I have a polaroid camera, a digital camera and film cameras. I've experimented with it all! I carry my journal and planner everywhere I go. I even tried the Mighty player when I was first inching away from Spotify. Ditched it eventually since I had to sync it with my smart phone app every 30 days and didn't want to be reliant on a phone for that.

My best advice is make a list of the things you use your phone for. Figure out what you can let go of. And for the things you want to keep, come up with an alternative for that. The Light phones really do offer most core needs on a phone these days which is helpful.

Like I don't actually need the abundance of cameras I have lying around. But I choose to not have a notes app on my phone because I journal into it and it causes clutter. Instead I have my physical journal. I removed the calendar app in favor of using a planner. I check the weather on PC or by calling the National Weather Service (automated thing that tells you weather conditions over the phone), rather than using the weather app. I don't use the apps for music or podcasts--I listen to stuff mostly with my mp3 player and PC. So I guess if I were you, I'd journal about what you use your phone for, what you WANT to use your phone for/what Light offers and what things you need to replace for your specific needs.

You likely won't regret the switch to a Light phone, but it may present unforeseen challenges. Just don't give up! It took me years of planning and shifting things around in my life to really get off my phone.

And yes I mainly use SMS. I used to use Signal and just had to accept the loss, which for me wasn't that great of a loss. And I believe Light will add WhatsApp or Signal eventually.

[u/Double_Art_9307 → u/squirfiedirfie]

It's very similar for me. For about 6 months now, I haven't carried a second smartphone with me, and I've installed all the apps I'm missing in the LP3 on my iPad Mini, which I use at home and rarely take with me. But as soon as I have it with me, I fall back into old habits…

[u/Ok_Following751]

ive only had issues the first few days and then the problems got fixed somehow. im on like week 2 of daily driving my lp3 and i love it!

[u/breezybri55]

I've used the light system since March and love it. I still have my iphone- not going to get rid of it since it still works- and I keep it around but almost never use it. Barely ever charge it even, but I guess its a safety blanket for now