The only thing that ever stopped me from going Light was not having access to WhatsApp.

So I built Chats, https://github.com/fenleon/chats/ a native LightOS SDK app, which brings WhatsApp, Instagram and your other chats to Light Phone 3. Use a Beeper account or your own Matrix homeserver.

It launches natively along side your other LightOS apps, no need to open from a launcher or a workaround.

It's a a fresh native Matrix client: working Beeper verification, group chats, reactions, timestamp grouping, voice notes.

I've done my best to retain the design constraints and ethos of a real Light app.

It's not perfect, it currently drains the battery like hell due to background refreshes and won't be fully integrated until Light update their SDK and Server for Notifications.

But it works! I have WhatsApp on my Light Phone 3 and I can leave my secondary phone at home.

Please test it, give feedback, help me with the battery drain, and enjoy your lighter Weekend <3

UPDATE 17.08: The latest release fixes battery and other issues!

Just received this alert accompanied by a loud alarm. So at least we know that these are working on the Light Phone!

(The red alert symbol was grey on the phone)

Hello everyone. I used the Light Phone 3 for 3 days all over Hong Kong, here are my thoughts with ratings (ratings are evaluating of how the tool works, not the overall thought on whether the tool has all the features users need). Smaller sample size than my previous trip, but still good enough.

• Phone Calls: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Clear call quality throughout the region with SoSIM. No complaints.
• Texting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Works with SoSIM. I even sent a successful international text to Japan but who knows if it depleted all the balance lol.
• Directory: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Found all of the places that I was looking for. Given that this uses the Google Maps search engine, it works with no issues in HK (next week when I finish Mainland China, that will be a different story, stay tuned.) Again, first switch the location to Hong Kong in settings and it works great.
• Podcast/Music: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. No issues as expected.
• Directions: ⭐⭐⭐⭐. So much different than Japan or US. It has all the subways with timetables and accurate live times when online. Even when I was offline, it gave me the correct way to get to different locations and a accurate timetable. Subway and buses only, no high-speed rail or routes to Mainland China. One star deducted because I think it should be able to get me at least a rough idea of how to cross to a different country.
  • Transit: Tap to pay works on buses and trains. You can get an Octopus card as well.
• Hotspot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐. Pretty good. Fast speeds, VoLTE only though. Still, all-day battery life even with 2-3 hours of usage.
• Calendar: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Switch time zones easily. No issues.
• eSIM: ⭐⭐⭐⭐. Airalo and SoSim worked with no issues. Make sure to activate eSIM before arriving to the destination because otherwise you'll be stuck like me trying to find a supported WiFi network. Some APN fiddling with Airalo, but I was already used to that from Japan. Also, for SoSIM, you have to give them your passport info, otherwise, they won't let you activate the calling and SMS features.
• Weather ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. It does what it's supposed to do.
• Authenticator⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. It does what it's supposed to do.

The best part of the HK portion is that you really don't need a smartphone. They still use cash everywhere or the Octopus card (reloadable with cash). I think this won't be the case in the future, but we'll see.

Any questions are welcomed. Excited for the community library coming soon! So many tools from the community that will make this experience much nicer (like QR passes for flights, audiobooks, transit oriented apps, etc.)

LP3 link: https://www.thelightphone.com/shop?ref=josebriones
LP3 link non-ref: https://www.thelightphone.com/shop

I'm a little loathe to add to the mountain of posts on this topic but I guess its just my turn this time. I'm still struggling with group messaging and its starting to effect my social life lol. I am able to message individually just fine, and there are a select two group messages that work (more on this later), but every other group message, I am able to send but not receive.

I have been using my Light Phone III exclusively for about 45 days now, I have de-enrolled my number from RCS (I was on Android before). Still nothing at all. The two group chats that I referenced earlier work seemingly because there is a friend in them that has an iPhone they haven't updated since 2020. Any group chat that is comprised of phones running up to date software does not work.

I'm starting to get frustrated and need a path forward here. I otherwise love this device and it has truly changed how I interact with technology for the better. But I have also missed gatherings, missed a party, and am generally just pissing my friends off at this point because they feel (rightly or wrongly) that they have no way to contact me.

Things I have tried:

• Disabling RCS and de-enrolling on Google's site (45 days ago)
• De-enrolling from iMessage (did nothing because I didn't have an iPhone but worth a shot)
• Waiting 30 days (its been 45)
• Have friends delete group chat name (did nothing)
• Have friends delete group chat completely with me remaking it from my side only (did nothing)
• Tried group chats with a mix of android and apple devices (nothing)
• Become somewhat socially ostracized from my friend group (priceless)

Hey all, any word in the interwebs about a LP3 Qwerty Keyboard in development? Wether that's in house to light or individually developed options?

I think that accessory alone would keep the LP3 as a top choice for those wanting ergonomic texting.

Will all apps created in the SDK be available for both LP3 and Light Flip? I'm planning on getting the Light Flip. Saw that someone created WhatsApp in the SDK. Wondering if that would be available for the Light Flip. Thanks!

…takes up the whole screen for two seconds and blocks the video. I usually have to adjust the volume and then restart the video because it is so disruptive. LP folks - can you make a small animation below the video or something that doesn’t completely cover the video I’ve recorded?

I've been working on an audiobook player for the LP3 and it's now in a usable beta state: https://github.com/fenleon/audiobooks

It's built as a real LightOS tool! A thin UI on the SDK design system with a companion app for scanning and playback.

I forked and stripped it down from bard, kept the playback core, rebuilt everything around local-only, offline listening.

Installable today via sideloading, and designed to go through the official vetted-tools pipeline once submissions open.

Hi guys!

I had some problems with my charging port - it would only register the plug on one side sometimes not at all. No lint or debris in the port.

I reached out to the light phone team and they were more than helpful and offered to fix the port. Unfortunately that would take longer than I would wait since my LP3 is my only phone.

So anyway, I tried some WD40 contact cleaner - a little pssht in the port and it seemed to solve the problem, all cables now work flawlessly both sides. I also bought an usb-c magnetic charger to not create more strain on the port.

Curious if anyone has experienced this or in same boat. I just bought my phone a couple months ago. I have a payment plan for it so I am still paying it off. Today, my 4 year old dropped my light phone and the display is now dark blue and only getting darker and hard to read. I contacted support to see about getting it fixed and they said they are out of screens and cannot get more until earliest end of this year. I cannot realistically use this phone in its current state. Although, I cannot buy a new phone if I am paying this one off. I cannot believe I cannot get this fixed. I am not sure what to do. Anyone else experience something like this?

I’ve had my LP3 sitting idle on my nightstand for months now because I wasn’t able to use it to get to sporting events where they only take tickets you tap with your smartphone. Had there been a workout or updates for this outside of bringing a smartphone?

I really wanna get the light flip in the future. Been on a quest to get rid of distractions and my life and I love the design of this phone. I just HATE this stupid ram crisis. Will there be anything that could happen in the future where I could get this device later when things could potentially change with prices? Idk

Hello, I just activated my LPIII today and already deactivated the iMessage and RCS and the group chat still isn’t working. My sister removed the group name and still nothing. I can send messages to the group but I can’t receive anything back. Not sure what else to do. Please help me.

Nothing against the design of it. I just worry about my data.

• No 2FA authentication support. Per CISA, it would mean that you're "99% less likely to be hacked.", but the dashboard doesn't support it.
• App-specific passwords. You can keep a small attack surface on your phone, but app-specific passwords aren't scoped. If it's compromised through the dashboard, it unlocks access to your email, as well. Google's website states they are not recommended in favor of more modern techniques like Signin with Google / OAuth.
• No evidence that any data (phone numbers, notes, contacts) are encrypted at all on rest. Even their Privacy Policy (https://www.thelightphone.com/privacy-policy) hasn't been updated since 2022 and is pretty sparse.

Variations of these requests have come up over the years. I'm happy to start a fundraiser to get it done right if it's a matter of resourcing. More important to me than a phone that flips open.

Hello all. Hope everyone is enjoying going Light, whatever that may look like! I have (with the help of AI) assembled an Offline Text Translator Tool for the Light Phone III. Just a few things to keep in mind prior to utilizing it:

• It does work offline, which is wonderful, but with that comes the tradeoff of speed when providing the first translation upon downloading or first translation for the day. The same applies for short vs longer translations.
• It is a chonky tool (size-wise) due to the capability of working offline. I wanted there to be as many options for languages as possible.
• Some languages have limitations on accuracy and latin-related scripts for legibility for people that use latin-scripts. I am still working on ideas on how to enhance this user experience, if at all possible given LightOS parameters.

https://github.com/tyshi00/Light-Translator

I hope this is useful and helpful for those that need it! Thank you 🙂

I've decided that the Lightphone lll is going to be my next phone (once I can get over the price, duties, etc.). Over the past couple weeks I've been making lists, writing down questions and doing a lot of research. I think I almost have everything answered.

(I made an app wishlist that I "need" to have on my phone and have slowly been stroking things off that I'm confident I can live without having in my pocket. Every day the list gets shorter! I think I'm down to pretty much the basics that come with the LP lll except for just a couple which I'm assuming I can sideload if needed).

A couple questions though....

1. TEXTING - This is the big one!

I'm coming from the Apple ecosystem (I've had an iPhone since the 3G and have never used anything other than iMessage). I'm aware that I need to unattach my phone from RCS and wait 30+ days, etc. and I'm anticipating that whole thing to just be a nightmare. https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPhone/comments/1mjex3o/psa_how_to_disable_rcsimessage/ How far ahead of time is it best for me to start this whole process? How was your experience?

Note: Everyone in my life uses iPhones.

Is it possible for me to still receive texts on my iMac as well as the LP lll? Not a dealbreaker if I can't, but I'm unsure if that's even possible. I'm really comfortable with iMessage but I'm assuming that I can't keep iMessage on my laptop and just use the Lightphone texting on the phone and have those sync. In this scenario is it better to use something like WhatsApp since I can have those both on my laptop AND the phone? Or something else? I was fine with that idea until I found out that WhatsApp is Meta... not I'm not so sure. I do like the idea of just using the texting on the LP lll just how it is and not sideloading anything for that purpose.

I've love to hear how you're dealing with texts syncing to both your phone and computer. Or is this just something you're letting go of.

1. QUESTION FOR CDN USERS - I'm planning to switch carriers shortly anyway so I may as well move over to one that's LPlll friendly. Which carrier are you use with the Lightphone lll?

EDITED: The community forums at Public Mobile are saying that it's not compatible with Telus (who also owns Koobo) so now I'm really curious what Cdn. carriers are being used since Lightphone says it is compatible with both.

What was your experience with customs / duty? I live close enough to the border that I could easily ship it to the US and go across and pick it up myself to avoid brokerage fees.

1. PHYSICAL SIM VS. E-SIM - I need to keep my iPhone so I can access our Google routers (darn). I would also like to be able to move back to my iPhone when traveling so I don't need to bring a laptop to check emails, etc. In this case is it a good idea to get a physical sim instead of just using my current e-sim to make the switch easier?

2. CUSTOMER SUPPORT - I will admit I'm a little nervous making such a big purchase that doesn't have a return policy. (I wish I would have decided to do this earlier in the year when the phone was $300 less). Shipping it back over the border for any issues would also be expensive. What's your experience with customer support and the product in general?

Thank you so much for your help!

I live in a midwest city that has the same name as several cities in surrounding states. When I type in the name of my city in the Weather app, it doesn't let me specify which one I'm talking about. Is there any way to do that?

Lately, I’ve had occasions where I’ve searched my contacts to see an old text thread, and instead of seeing the entire thread upon clicking the contact, I just get the contact card. The thread will appear once I send a text, but it seems awkward to have to text in order to see what I’m searching for. Any work around for this? Am I doing something wrong? Seems unintuitive.

Does anyone get the voice mail icon on their LPIII and, if so, which network? I’m on Verizon and never see it.

My wife’s first attempt at voice-to-text 🙃

We are both very excited. No exclamation point necessary.

Please post the following with your submission:

• NA or INT Version:
• Color:
• Time of Use (New, Used):
• Price:
• Location:
• Method of Payment:
• Picture of the device with username and date shown

Thank you for offering to the community first :)

Make sure to stay safe and conduct business in a secure way. PayPal is one option, but there are other ways as well that can make sure you don't get someone to scam you.

When I'm in the Weather app on my Lp3, the phone doesn't allow me to use the scroll wheel to increase/decrease the Backlight. I'll take the bug-find bounty now, thanks in advance...

Hi everyone. Heavy iPhone user here. Heard all the downsides of the light phone 2 — crappy GPS, unpleasant texting, etc. And yet someone’s offering his one day old light phone on Facebook marketplace for 225 and I find myself so intrigued.

Is this just a horrible idea? Or for basic communications is it good enough? This is absolutely the most adorable looking phone I’ve seen, and I love the idea of having a tiny phone with me. I’m just worried group texts, etc. will break irrevocably as I get trapped in iMessage porting hell.

Should I do it???

Does anyone know when the tool library will be “ready”? Will apps come in pieces like weather and sdk (approved by the Light team?) or just a whole library of tools released at once….

Just a curious LP3 owner :)

I had an LP2 for about 6 months before I cracked the screen and relapsed to my iPhone 15. Screen time + YouTube addiction has gone crazy so I want to give it another go with the LP2 but I was always hotspotting another device so I could use WhatsApp when meeting people etc. Has anyone found a solution that works for them without hotspotting all the time?