The Dumbphone Debacle

written: 02/16/2026, published: 02/18/2026

*DISCLAIMER: I cuss a lot. Don’t read if you don’t like bad words.

I can’t lie and say that I haven’t considered switching to using a “dumbphone” full time, as I obviously have, but my main issue is just how reliant I have to be on smartphone apps and how a lot of these dumbphones straight up just don’t work in the US. It’s very frustrating researching dumbphones because I do want to become more analog and only need a phone for, you know, the original purpose of a phone, calling and then eventually texting people. I hate how we have to be so overly reliant on these tiny computers now, because literally just going out day by day, you have to use it for EVERYTHING. I need it to scan QR cards because restaurants don’t have menus or take orders anymore, I need it to navigate my public transportation because these buses never arrive on time, I need it to literally pay for shit if I forget my wallet. I can understand how these amenities are reliable for others, but now it’s to the point where you have to rely on these features to even function. I hate having to scan QR cards to look at a menu, just give me the damn menu. I hate how my buses are always fucking late so I have to track it in real time through an app that doesn’t even work half the damn time. I hate digital wallets on phones, period as a concept, but I need it to send and receive money from people, because not everyone has a Paypal. Especially digital wallets, I genuinely hate them as a concept, because why the fuck are we willingly letting these private corporations essentially have access to our banking information? I know I sound like I’m wearing a tin foil hat right now, but trust that I’m getting somewhere with this. This overreliance on needing smartphones to literally do anything throughout your day to day makes it very easy to not question “why am I giving these private corporations my sensitive information?” It turns your device into an ID in itself in a way, which I can’t say that this just now started happening, it’s been like this for a while. It’s just becoming easier to put two and two together.

I can’t use dumbphones because half of them either don’t even work, and let me be superficial, but a lot of the ones that do work are so fucking ugly. I get that durability was one of the defining features of older phones, like the Nokia, can’t forget that, but I’m sorry the Cat S22 is fucking hideous. I don’t like bigger phones either and the Cat S22 is a literal brick in your pocket. Besides my wienor. Which is why I was so heavily drawn towards the more simpler and cute styles like the Galaxy Folder 2, LG Wine Smart, Blackberry Q20. BUT THEY DON’T WORK HERE. Unless you can figure out that weird mumbo jumbo cell service stuff to somehow get them to work on American towers, they’re not gonna work. They only exist for the aesthetic of having a Y2K style phone that’ll sit in their junk drawers when they get bored of it within a week. I’ve spent hours trying to research on what’ll work, what won’t, and how to get ones that won’t work to work and it’s all just too confusing. I just want a dumbphone. I’m tired of relying on smart apps. I’m tired of being consumed by my phone. I’m tired of freaking out whenever I lose my phone because that means I can’t look at my funnies for the five minutes that it takes to find my phone. It’s so exhausting and makes me yearn for living during a time where we weren’t itching for access to these computers. Can’t say that people in the 2000’s weren’t obsessed with their phones, as yes they were. Just not to the extent as it is now, because they didn’t need their phones to look at menus or pay for food or parking. The phone was only needed to call, text people, and take pictures. But even then the quality sucked so they used digicams. Social media did exist on these phones, but they fucking sucked. It was only used to message people. The actual social media experience was on the computer, because that was what it was originally made for. It’s just ridiculous how reliant we have to be.

Like what I keep mentioning, we have to use our phones for literally everything. It’s genuinely insane. It’s what makes the transition to a dumbphone so hard. It’s quite literally the biggest questions asked on r/dumbphones. “Are there dumbphones that can run Whatsapp? Spotify? Youtube?” etc. etc. etc. It’s frustrating and I can’t say that I haven’t asked that either. All I want is one that uses Android OS so I can use my bus app. That is all. That is all I need. If I want music that’s why I have an MP3 player. Don’t wanna listen to music? That’s why I have my DSi. Don’t wanna play on my DSi? I stare out the window. Just a cycle of what I do when going from my point A to point B. But I still get consistent itches to scroll through Youtube or Pinterest or Tumblr or WHATEVER. It’s very frustrating trying to, you know, completely get rid of my itch for smart apps, when they’re still RIGHT THERE waiting to be clicked. Or tapped. Whatever.

Besides that consistent itch to continuously scroll like a good little consumer, phones now have to be used to quite literally do anything. I feel like I’m lowkey regurgitating, but like. Digital wallets, QR codes being everywhere, and just in general needing 24/7 internet access makes it to where you have to have a smartphone, honestly just makes a phone another form of ID. One of my favorite local restaurants, oh my God it’s so good I love that place so much, BUT. I have to scan a QR code to not only look at the menu, but also take and pay for my order. In which I have to use a digital wallet to do so. Sighs loudly. I get that a lot of people nowadays hate ordering in person, I know I do too, but at the same time though, I don’t like needing a reliance on a device to order food. Because yes it does make those jobs obsolete. It is easy! I can’t lie and say that ordering digitally is hard, because come on, we’re on a phone 24/7 tapping on stupid apps, you can learn how to take orders digitally. But I believe that that option needs to stay what it was originally meant to be, purely optional. Like with QR codes and digital wallets especially. Now you need a phone to be able to do anything not just paying for food, but also parking, you can even use it for applying for jobs? Why? Lots of places with now hiring signs don’t even stock paper applications anymore, they tell you to download an app. I’m so serious. You need to download an app to even apply for a job, that's probably not gonna hire you anyway, because that now hiring sign is a lie. You need a phone so you can order food, pay for parking, apply for jobs, keep your banking information, look for directions to places, track public transportation, look at your work schedule, look at your upcoming paycheck, even track your fucking period and pregnancy. It becomes another part of yourself that’s difficult to cut off.

Dumbphones that work are $400. I’m not spending $400 on a phone as I’ve never spent $400 on a phone and don’t plan on it anytime soon. That is video game console pricing. The easiest workaround to living a dumbphone experience without buying another phone for either way overpriced or straight up doesn’t work? Just turn your already existing phone into a dumbphone. It’s easier said than done as cold turkey doesn’t work for everybody, but in my defense I quit drinking and smoking cold turkey, so turning my already existing phone into a dumbphone has been no problem so far. All it takes is not only discipline, but quite literally just dig out your old DS or MP3 player or whatever gadgets you’ve grown up with that didn’t get lost in the sea of time. And use those. I play on my DS on the bus. I’ve started a whole living dex on Pokemon Platinum and I’m almost done with the Regional Dex. I’ve either deleted or put time limits on apps that I have trouble closing out. Instagram and Twitter? Gone, I don’t use them anymore. Tumblr? Time limit for an hour, that’s why I don’t post too much unless I’m on my computer. Pinterest? Time limit as well, and it’s a good cleanser too as like. The social factor is non-existent on Pinterest. Every single video or streaming app is on time limits as well. I can only look at Youtube, TikTok, Crunchyroll, Netflix, etc. for an hour a day. Because if I really wanted to go on any of those, that is why I have a TV and computer. Do not buy the $400 dumbphone that you’re not going to use. Just turn your already existing phone into a dumbphone. My phone only exists to call and text people and track public transportation. That is all I need.

Yours truly, Lilac