Wisephone is virtually icon-free.

We offer different Wisephone models from time to time that suit different needs, each ones price reflective of its hardware specs.

I also baked several cakes, cooked a lot of elaborate dinners, learned to play Settlers of Catan, tried painting, went on hikes every weekend, and learned to make 61 different cocktails.

Many attention economy companies want you to think about their services in a binary way: either you use it, or you dont, he writes. He says, our phones do too much and all of our apps leave us distracted, overwhelmed, and maybe even depressed..

"I was thinking that of course, she should be a digital native, she should use those devices from early on, and then I started to research this in order to verify whether I am wrong or right in this attitude," said Rajkow.

The next step, according to Newport, is to reintroduce technology. We often don't think about practicing minimalism with our digital devices, so I thought I would share a resource and would love to hear your thoughts - please share other resources below and any tips + tricks you have when it comes to phone minimalism! The subreddit also offers a wealth of resources and tips including blocking software, simplified versions of sites and browsers, a mega list of offline activities, and books/videos from digital minimalist experts.

After the first week, the strangeness of not being able to doomscroll began to dissipate. Family Portal: An online dashboard for managing one or more Wisephones on your account. Now you can. No amount of likes or popularity was worth the endless barrage of criticism left by internet trolls.".

So I decided it was time to bring in the big guns and actually do something extreme about my smartphone addiction. Explaining the term digital minimalism still makes me feel a bit like an asshole, but for the uninitiated, its a philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else, writes Newport in his book.

"You click on it, and it's loads of information all at once, whereas, if you go on the banking app, it's just static and to the point.". Which social media platforms are your go-tos, and why? Press J to jump to the feed. The most important aspect is with the actual phone carrier. You will spend nine years of your life using your phone. It does use some sliders and basic symbols. Without any vibrations in my pocket to distract me, I noticed everything: butterflies, blooming cherry blossoms, birds singing, an extremely twee scene of two teen girls picking flowers and blasting a song about crying in your prom dress. But if youre looking for higher specs or a larger screen, keep your eyes out for future phone models. Despite noticing how social media negatively impacted her mental health, Grams felt trapped in an endless cycle of FOMO and misery.

She also has other social media accounts and set a rule for herself to check them on her computer for two minutes a few times a week. Yet, none of them quite worked for everyday living. I admire technological advancements and write about them on Medium. Several hours later, Id binge-watched nearly the entire first season of Hulus A Teacher by myself in the dark. Eventually, I found myself at the edge of the rolling green hills of the Claremont golf course, which Id never seen before in my countless quarantine walks. The other one (my previous phone, an older Samsung running LineageOS 18.1) only has a few things I like /need using at home (firefox, notes, ebooks reader, YouTube, etc. "Im able to compartmentalize my work life and my personal life. Thankfully, I picked the right turn, and speedwalked for an unknown but far-too-long-for-my-tiny-bladder amount of time back to my home.

So far, it's been working well. We're here to help with tips, clues, and the answer. But nothing worked.

What I mean by that is I dont buy or just throw away stuff, I repurpose them and maintain them alive as long as possible instead of upgrading each and every years. But what is digital minimalism?

A slew of minimalist wallpapers, icon sets, and launchers are out there.

Our phones decrease our quality of life. More in

Rajkow sometimes travels for work, and now that things have started to open up more, the use of QR codes and digital COVID passes presented new challenges. Rajkow does not have any social media accounts except for YouTube where he vlogs about digital minimalism and Reddit where he occasionally posts about the topic. I didnt want to be the grouch who left the room every time my housemates put on a movie, so I came up with this compromise: I would not initiate TV-watching, but if someone else put a movie on, I could watch. Top smartphone users currently spend 4 hours and 30 minutes per day on their phones, and that number is only expected to go up over time as more pastimes and media shift to the internet (Vox). I dont have Verizon or T-Mobile or any service plan at all. We want to see phones become tools again.

And that philosophy stems from identifying which technologies serve you and which don't. Over the course of the month, I read three books, and probably every February issue of the New Yorker cover to cover. Digital minimalists combat this by maintaining operating procedures that dictate when and how they use the digital tools in their lives..

Would you try hot dog-flavored candy corn?

slow living, slow lifestyle, slow food, minimalism.

On his quest to find an ideal minimalist phone, the options so far had fallen short. Due to the nature of my job as a reporter, going cold turkey on my phone and computer was impossible. I upload my photos to Google photos once a month and delete them off my phone.

We tested the supposedly intelligent T3 Curl ID to find out. Get to it when you feel like it. She grew up in the Seattle area and received her B.A.

The urgency we feel to always have a phone with us is exaggerated, writes Newport. But the objective is not to dive headfirst back into all your old habits. So, after fretting a little about what I would do in case of an emergency without my phone, I grabbed my pepper spray and told my housemates when to expect me back.

You shouldnt have to worry about your smartphone profiting from your personal data or stealing your attention. Have a role in your life that is constrained with a standard operating procedure that specifies when and how you use it.. Perhaps what initially drew me to Digital Minimalism was the fact that it wasnt all-or-nothing.

Instead, for a technology to make it back into the rotation, it must meet the following criteria: 1.

This doomscrolling session was not unique my iPhone screen time was regularly topping five or six hours but it was the one that pushed me over the edge.

Hes right. We need this. Though recently I also removed all apps I dont really use or want (like Instagram or Twitter) from my iPhone, and if I want to access these I use my computer. The instant relief brought on by the absence of notifications constantly bombarding her was powerful.

Its the one I take outside, take pictures with and use normally. It was the second winter of the pandemic when Alexis Grams, 28, a project manager from Minnesota, decided to make a drastic change.

He ended up deleting social media altogether. "I joined a local book club and didnt have to use SparkNotes since I actually had the mental stamina and attention span to read the books cover-to-cover. In the end, we want Wisephone to be a stress-free experience.

from Mashable that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. I hadnt missed a single text.

How many of us are guilty of scrolling endlessly on our phones, watching videos, or browsing social media, that we fail to realize how much time has passed? Though minimalism is commonly applied to our household belongings, you'll find that minimalist principles work well for our digital devices too. One dreary January evening, after one of those long work days where I thought, Im tired, Ill just lay in bed for a few minutes and check Instagram, I fell into a black hole. Thinking back, I gave it too much attention and it stressed me out. And finally, I vowed to attempt to use texting only for logistics setting up a phone call or an in-person distanced hangout rather than my usual habit of using texting for chitchat. Though technology ought to be a tool, there's no denying that it has become more of a hindrance to our productivity and a detriment to our health.

We have developed a phone that honors both the minimalists need for simplicity and the everyday warriors need for functionality. I checked the clock. The good news is, you can define your own barrier difficulty, and you can select an unlimited number of apps to be blocked, and the app is free to donwload. by Yaren Ucar | Mar 24, 2022 | Blog articles | 0 comments. Its more I used these devices to reduce my IRL clutter than I am really reducing digital clutter, but the way I do it, it actually works.

This new approach worked. You can check it out here, might give some food for thought .

I didnt double-screen during movies, and I looked at people when they were talking.

Id tried and failed my fair share of quick fixes over the months: deleting the social media apps off my phone, iPhone screen time limits, grayscale mode, etc. On the other hand, a digital minimalist is someone who has a good understanding of their digital life and makes conscious decisions about what (and how) to use technology to find focus and calm in their daily lives. So I decided to make February my digital declutter month, and set some ground rules.

Then in December 2021, she switched from her iPhone to a "dumb" Nokia phone.

I live with three friends in a cozy Oakland apartment and our main source of quarantine entertainment is watching movies. 'Wordle' today: Here's the answer, hints for July 30, We watched Incantation, the horror movie that's freaking out TikTok. She only uses Facebook and Instagram on her laptop. "I think social media apps are the main issue," says Jones. We know this, yet we feel powerless to stop it. Phone companies will resell phones that someone else changed their mind on within the window (~two weeks) that they allow returns and I recommend starting there. But she keeps up her digital minimalist habits by having a second phone with all of the social media apps that she keeps in a drawer when she's not working. Fortunately, my housemates quickly learned to show me memes in person.

One Friday afternoon, I heard someone knock at my bedroom door. I thought I was the only one who didn't have a phone plan and just used the internet. And thats a phone with a high-res backlit LCD unlike some minimalist devices we know of. As most of us work in tech-heavy industries, we understand how important it is to keep your digital house clean. But Rajkow found a workaround by using his iPad instead, which still aligns with his goal to only use tech that serves him and his family.

Grams had inadvertently peeked behind the curtain of the social media machine and discovered its true cost: time.

"The thought of my life quickly passing by while my face was constantly fixated on whatever mindless videos I was watching was a grim, uncomfortable thought," she says. This helps with the number of accounts. I may have failed at detoxing entirely from TV, and I really, really failed at replacing all text conversations with phone calls (Its a pandemic!

As for FOMO, Jones makes a good point: you can't have FOMO if you don't know what you're missing out on. This might sound weird or stupid, especially on this sub, but I use two phones (only one of which as a sim card). For each technology you reintroduce, determine what value it serves in your life and how specifically you will use it so as to maximize this value.. They wrap your phones functionality with a veneer of simplicity.

Wisephone starts at $399.

We use cookies to give you the best experience. I did my job just fine, it turns out. The concept, popularized in 2019 by Cal Newport's book Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World, isn't new. Is your inbox out of control? Finally, Id completed my month-long digital declutter.

TV, however, was a tougher call. It's an adaptable approach because it puts the "rulebook" in the hands of the individual.

to save battery life and overall phone usage, Make sure your phone is up to date with the most recent software updates, and that you've backed up your essential photos and videos, Start and end your day with non-digital activities to avoid a non-productive lull, When checking social media, consider setting a 10-minute timer to check it every few hours to limit yourself, Consider removing distracting apps such as email or social media apps for a few days to limit unnecessary phone usage, Keep notifications to a minimum by turning off apps or notifications, and enable off the do not disturb function, keeping your phone face down on a surface or table, Take intentional time off your phone at least a few hours every week.

Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts.

A phone designed to cut out unnecessary distractions like social media, addictions, and advertisements with calling, texting, and a few simple tools. The key is to evaluate which technologies add meaningful value to your life and limit or eliminate the rest. The first week was undeniably strange.

The beauty of this philosophy is that it's completely up to the individual to identify which technologies they value it's not a stringent set of rules.

If you find your smartphone tractor beams your attention, then you will find respite in Wisephones simplicity. I felt horrid. Be the best way to use technology to serve this value (if its not, replace it with something better).3. Other than that, as far as websites and apps, I have two email addresses. Last year, Ella Jones, was in her final year at the University of Leeds when she ditched her smartphone. It's easy to feel like the pandemic stole time away and messed with life plans, so Stolen Time looks at how to do things more efficiently. I can only assume he was too busy practicing digital minimalism. The atmosphere on TikTok "had become too toxic and negative.

He discovered a version of the problems Frances Haugen would eventually blow the whistle on Facebook and Instagrams reported effects on mental health among teens. So it kind of eliminated FOMO in a lot of ways.

Essentially, digital minimalism is whittling down the technology you use to tools that only help or enrich your life in some way. Did you see your aunts post on Facebook the other day about the snow storm? my grandma asked me on the phone one morning. Wisephone is meant to be a pure, simple, and safe experience: Ad-free: Your data is not tracked or sold.

Its a minimalist phone from its foundation because its design is person-centered, not profit-driven.

"At the end of the break, reintroduce optional technologies into your life, starting from a blank slate. A minimalist phone that complements your intentional lifestyle. Not necessarily part of phone minimalism, but I recently got rid of my Apple Watch, it was a huge step towards feeling more minimal.

"Basically, I concluded that I will probably never give a smart device to my children before they're 18.". It was a YouTube video titled Cat has a crazy deep meow. It was so delightful I nearly cried. Jones ended up using the flip phone for nine months until she switched to an old iPhone 5S because she missed having a high-quality camera, but through the digital minimalism subreddit, she's found ways to make her iPhone less distracting like deleting the app store or making the screen grayscale.

These devices do not take up much physical space, but they can take up a lot of time and energy in our day to day, and using them less than usual can help better the quality of our lives.

Wisephone is not a minimalist wallpaper or basic launcher.

To get started, Newport recommends a clean slate approach by cutting off all "optional technologies" for 30 days. I only had to swipe up, type T-W-I and the app popped up. 2 folders in main screen, with frequent apps. I delete any app I don't use often. Spoilers within.

Consider turning off your phone for one whole day on a weekend to enjoy non-digital activities - try a new recipe, go outdoors, etc. By signing up to the Mashable newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications

A friend recommended Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport. The pandemic is boring as hell, but I didnt want to live like this.

Constantly buzzing, battery only lasted a day.

I also keep all my most used apps on one page and the rest I need to have but dont use often in the App Library. My previous bad habit of taking work breaks by lying in bed and scrolling through Twitter vanished, replaced by reading or chatting with housemates. I trained myself to pick up a book or flip through the New Yorker in an idle moment.

Social media, which I always considered a necessity to have on my phone for work reasons, wasnt actually necessary. It was such a success that she documented her experience on YouTube. Unpluq Tag to Reduce Screen Time: Soon on Kickstarter. Rather than the occasional digital detox or hacks like turning off notifications, Newport argues that an entire philosophy is needed to make lasting changes. It started when she and her boyfriend were talking about the purpose that smartphones serve and whether they were actually useful or a waste of time. Late thirties and I have owned 4 or 5 cell phones in the 21 years that I have owned one.

I tapped on every news alert. Share on Facebook (opens in a new window), Share on Flipboard (opens in a new window), Facebook and Instagrams reported effects, Too many mental health apps put style over substance, Investigating the digital wealth gap between users and the tech giants in control, Here's what you need to do before you break up with Facebook, I'm Gen Z, and I ditched my iPhone for the Light Phone II for a week, 14 of the best time travel movies you can watch right now, Save time with the 10 best Siri Shortcuts, 10 best Google Chrome extensions for productivity, 5 Bookmarking apps for saving stories you want to read later, Super subscription managers to save money and streamline your life, 'Xenoblade Chronicles 3' is Nintendo's most unsung series at its best, 10 years later: The legacy of Psy's 'Gangnam Style', 'Skate' was always the anti-Tony Hawk and the coming revival seems to lean in, Lili Reinhart lives two lives in 'Look Both Ways' trailer, MrBeast hits 100 million YouTube subscribers, YouTube creators can now quickly make Shorts from their long-form videos, FTC sues Meta to stop VR developer acquisition, Instagram boss responds to latest criticisms: 'It's not yet good', In Meta's 'Are We There Yet,' not even Keke Palmer can make the metaverse make sense, 'Wordle' today: Here's the answer, hints for July 29, 'Harley Quinn,' and why we all lose when superheroes can't eat p*ssy. Make a list of all those apps, programs, websites, and social media accounts. Thanks for sharing, the apple watch is certainly a distraction!

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About the literal minimalism (how much stuff I have), Im worrying about my privacy so I naturally dont have much on my phones anyway.

To support this, I started to keep my phone in do not disturb mode permanently, so it would only vibrate if I were receiving a call, rather than constantly sucking me in with the sound of text alerts. We decided on a bring-your-own-carrier policy for simplicity and flexibility. But isolated from my usual diet of Instagram stories of friends and family hiking and cooking delicious meals, I immediately felt untethered. And when it comes to social media, we are all definitely the product. This will fuel your soul.

How it became more difficult to maintain work-life balance and focus on complex problem-solving.". No blaring notification badges required. Constantly, I found myself reminded that Digital Minimalism wasnt written for a pandemic. I hope all is well - curious if any of you practice phone minimalism? Youve gotta see this, urged my housemate, bringing her laptop screen close to my face. I feel like it felt like an obligation to use it. My fear that if I didnt refresh Instagram every five minutes during my downtime, Id miss out on a crucial restaurant closure and be in huge trouble didnt come true.

We're here to help with tips, clues, and the answer.

Michael Zelenko, a prolific tech writer, has covered the minimalist phone movement. App Blocker 3 Reasons To Try One Today! Where was Google Maps when I needed it?

If needed redownload and delete. And how do you incorporate the best practices into your day-to-day life? He was teaching me how to still use new technologies, but in a way that is useful, not toxic. Thanks for signing up. I found myself alone on a Friday night (a rarity in my house of four), panicked, and broke my TV rule. If this sounds extreme, r/DigitalMinimalism offers a detailed guide with varying levels of extremity for those who aren't willing to go cold turkey or are simply "digital minimalism curious." Its much more effort to use these without the proper app so Ive seen my use of these drastically reduced. I decided to do something extreme to stop.

I had no watch, and therefore no idea how much time had passed, but it didnt matter.

On February 19, in a moment of weakness, I let Newport down. Grams used a Light Phone for a while: a minimalist phone that only has simple functions.

What he learned was profound. But accessing them is not easy!

I practice inbox zero, clear my texts every Sunday, and go through my photos once a week. I blinked, and suddenly Id been in bed for an hour and my eyeballs were seared from all the blue light and my back hurt from curling up in a little pill bug ball and Id forgotten to eat dinner and all Id gained was the dubious certainty that Courtney from high school was definitely going through a breakup. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. I made it all the way back to freshman year of college before I came to my senses.

I spent 1/4 of every day on my phone. You start to realize how much time there actually is in the day when your face isnt glued to your screen.". Oh wow, that's awesome! "I saw more and more how tech was invading people's lives, people's privacy. I feel better after publishing a video," he said. Email: madeline.wells@sfgate.com. During this time, you explore activities that you find satisfying and meaningful, and at the end of the decluttering period, you selectively reintroduce optional technologies into your life, starting from a blank slate. The pandemic has skyrocketed my screentime, so I tried a 30-day "digital declutter" to see if I could fix it. Like everyone else, Rajkow and his family used video calls on his desktop to keep in touch with loved ones during the pandemic. Lets give it a try! Should I cut through the golf course and risk being shooed out by old people with golf clubs? Sure, I wasnt the first to know everything, but as it turns out, that restaurant will still be closed tomorrow. I began to feel lighter, more present. Theres a movement happening.

Sit through the first 10 hours and you're golden for the next 60. If you have not tried some yet, Unpluq App can help you. If you continue to use this site we assume that you are ok with it.

in English and Media Studies from UC Berkeley.

Prior to SFGATE, she was an associate editor at East Bay Express and freelance writer covering the Bay Area music scene. Do you use a gas stove for cooking? Heres why we believe youll find yourself at home with Wisephone. Obviously all notifications except important ones are disabled on both of them. Its with this mindset we built, and continue to grow, our curated list of tools on Wisephone.

Digital minimalism is a movement that encourages people to take a break from all things tech-related, including social media platforms and smartphone apps, to give themselves time to reflect on their habits and start making smarter choices about using technology. As someone with ADHD, her smartphone was a huge distraction that took away from activities she enjoyed like reading, her mental energy too depleted to finish a book.

An early tech adopter, when his first daughter was born seven years ago, he started thinking about how he would teach technology to his children. On my work computer, I downloaded a Google Chrome plug-in called StayFocusd that only allowed me 30 minutes a day on these same three sites (for work reasons). Turn off all alerts from apps, emails, and social media.

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