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How I turned my iPhone into a ‘dumb phone’

These days, there’s a growing temptation to step back and reclaim a bit of simplicity, especially when it comes to our relationship with technology.

I constantly find myself questioning my relationship with my smartphone. From doomscrolling on Twitter (or X) to checking my email at all hours, I often wonder if I’ve lost control over my own screen time.

When I came across the Assistive Access feature in iOS 17, which essentially transforms your iPhone into a “dumb phone,” I thought, “This could be it. The key to breaking my phone addiction.”

For context, a “dumb phone” offers limited functionality, typically only calls and texts, and lacks the distractions of social media, internet access, and endless apps.

The Assistive Access feature in iOS 17 isn’t a perfect equivalent, but it comes close by simplifying the interface and restricting access to only a handful of pre-selected apps.

Basically, it offers a stripped-down version of the iPhone, designed to minimise distractions and make it more accessible to users who don’t need or want the full iPhone experience.

Intrigued, I decided to give it a try.

I needed assistance

The setup was surprisingly easy. I simply directed to Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access, and within a few minutes, my iPhone 13 was reduced to a handful of apps with a much simpler interface.

Gone were the usual rows and rows of apps that normally clutter my home screen. Instead, there were just a few pre-selected essentials: Phone, Messages, and Calendar. No social media, no email, no games.

The interface was shockingly barebones, even a little jarring at first. The big, brightly coloured buttons reminded me of my early days of using feature phones in the mid-2000s. But that was the point, right? The idea was to get away from the endless stream of notifications and unnecessary features that pull us in a million directions.

Initially, the change was blissful. I suddenly had no reason to compulsively check my phone every few minutes. No email dings, no Instagram notifications. For the first time in ages, I felt free from the grip of my device. I found myself more present in conversations and more focused on my work.

Dumb Phone: The reality check

But, as with all good things, the novelty of my “dumb phone” life began to wear off. By the second day, I started noticing some very real limitations that came with the simplicity.

For starters, Assistive Access meant I couldn’t access several apps that are crucial for my daily routine. While I could still make calls and send texts, I quickly found that not having access to Google Maps made navigation a challenge.

I missed having my calendar app available for quick scheduling, and not being able to use WhatsApp was far more inconvenient than I anticipated. Most importantly, though, it impacted my work.

As someone who frequently needs to stay connected to the news cycle and communicate with people on the go, I realised that turning my phone into a “dumb phone” wasn’t as liberating as I had hoped. I couldn’t send a quick voice note on WhatsApp or glance at my inbox for an urgent message.

Of course, you can set up these apps in the Assistive Access settings, but the list of apps started to get longer than I would like to admit. Then I started to question the application of using “dumb phone” mode – if I’m using all the apps anyway, am I really changing my relationship with my phone?

A balancing act

Despite these setbacks, I didn’t want to give up on the idea of simplifying my phone usage. The short time I spent with Assistive Access revealed just how much of my daily phone habits were unnecessary distractions. Sure, I need my phone for work and essential tasks, but do I need to check Instagram 10 times a day? Probably not.

So, after my brief flirtation with a “dumb phone,” I decided to take a more moderate approach. I went back to using my iPhone as a smartphone, but I took the lessons I learned from the experiment and applied them in a way that felt more sustainable.

First, I significantly reduced the number of apps on my home screen. I moved all my social media apps and games into a separate folder on the second page of my phone.

I also turned off non-essential notifications. I realised that my phone doesn’t need to ping me every time someone likes a tweet or when a new video goes live on YouTube. Instead, I only get notified about messages and calendar reminders. Everything else can wait until I have the time to check it on my terms.

Lastly, I started using Apple’s built-in Screen Time feature to set limits on certain apps. Now, I’m only allowed 30 minutes a day on social media. When the time is up, I get a reminder to take a break and do something more productive (or just put my phone down entirely).

While Assistive Access wasn’t a perfect solution for me, it did what it was supposed to: it forced me to re-evaluate my relationship with my phone.

Even though I couldn’t make the full switch to a “dumb phone,” the experience was a valuable reminder that I have more control over my phone usage than I often think.

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