I’d like your expert advice. My old smartphone is about to kick the bucket, and I can’t wait to finally let go of the tiny depression rectangle for ever. How can I keep using OTP and 2FA services when on a dumb phone? I expect that with time I will manage to limit the use of services that require this kind of stuff, but can’t at the moment. I don’t use my smartphone for much, so I don’t expect to run into much trouble, but is there anything else I might be forgetting apart from authentication issues? I’ll speak to my bank to see what they offer besides 2FA and app - I’m sure they have something since it’s a bank for farmers and old rural folk.
Btw I have been enjoying my collapse lately, as so much over-engineered stuff just starts failing and encourages a retreat to more simple solutions. I’ll do my part by ditching the surveillance box.
in my experience modern “dumbphones” are still just smartphones with bad hardware.
what actually helped me with phone usage and doomscrolling was completely deleting all mainstream/algorithmic social media, being extremely aggressive about blocking problematic domains with DNS (so it can apply to all my devices, not just my smartphone), rejecting unnecessary apps, limiting notifications to only specific people/times, etc.
tl;dr being mindful and intentional about how you use all technology will have a bigger impact than just replacing your phone with a different one :)
I can’t wait to finally let go of the tiny depression rectangle for ever
I think your problem isn’t the technology itself, but what you make out of it.
Smartphones are incredibly capable and useful if used correctly.
If you assess your problem spots (e.g. doomscrolling, news, chatting, etc.) and remove them then you have all pros without many cons.I’m using a Pixel with GrapheneOS, which I dumbed down quite a bit. I’m rarely on my phone anymore, coming from a doomscroll addict.
If you assess your problem spots (e.g. doomscrolling, news, chatting, etc.) and remove them then you have all pros without many cons.
This is the way. The technology isn’t the problem, the problem is that we’ve been trained to respond to smartphones like Pavlov’s dogs - conditioned to respond to every noise it makes and eat up all the content it will show us. I treat my phone like email - check and respond to messages at my leisure, and unless I’m expecting a call from someone I usually let it go to voicemail.
How can I keep using OTP and 2FA services when on a dumb phone?
That’s the reason why I use a smartphone… like a dumb phone.
I install on it only the apps I need and must have access to: security, finance,… apps like that. And nothing else. No game, obviously no social, but also no music, movies, not even ebooks and also no ‘but I like that app so much I can make an exception’. No nothing. I don’t even use the agenda on that phone, I use a paper one, and I barely use it as a phone too. It’s dumb and almost useless (just not completely useless), exactly like I want it to be.
Your and Günthers comment pointing out I might just use my smartphone wrong - I guess additionally to wanting to solve my own issues with phone use I also want to make a tiny personal political statement - so that in the future whenever a public or private organization wants to force me to download their app I will point out that I can’t, even if I wanted. I want to fight back against the growing expectation that one has to carry a smartphone before we have to carry the stupid things by law. I love all the convenience but I’m becoming more and more convinced that we lose to much through it.
I ditched my Mobilek years ago, still got a dumb phone around with the battery taken out, it only gets power when there is a need for it. Some banks offer QR code based 2fa using a dedicated scanning device, so no need for a smartphone there.
Live is more peacefull like this, going back to email, no checkmarks that i did read anyones message, no pressure to instant reply…feels good i hope u enjoy it too. People who truly care for u wont mind and just send u email, people who dont actually care for your…u probably lose contact but thats ok.
In my country almost all (maybe actually all) 2FA services have the option to send a text/sms with a code, that would work for a dumb phone as well. Or via email to your computer. Do you have those options?
I can do banking online without an app, but I want an app for local transport like buses and trains as that is cheaper than paying with card. Are you set to travel without a smart phone?
Other things I use a smart phone for: calendar to remember peoples birthday by. Alarm clock. Photos of my pets being adorable, or injuries to show a doctor or insurance company. Video calls with the veterinarian (a phone is much easier to navigate than a webcam). Digital tickets for movies/shows/events/travel instead of needing a printer. Map and navigation.
Thanks, very valuable input - all things I’ve been using a phone for at some point. The achieved slowdown might amount to more than I can handle atm, all considered, or at least it would have to be very well prepared.
what of TOTP for 2FA ona dumb phone and alas my bank has their own app for 2FA
I have a Pixel with GrapheneOS. I control the backups and I can reset it without an internet connection. It’s fine for me. As for OTP, I don’t think I have ever needed it on my smartphone. I use Bitwarden on my home computer, but https://keepassxc.org/ should work too.
If I had to go back to a dumb phone, I would slowly erase each application on my phone, and check that I don’t need OTP on the go.
And some banks require that you use the mobile application, but I haven’t seen it in my country.
Hi there ! lucky you, soon released from the little controlling brain device ! For the otp and 2fa, I use ente auth on pc, and keepassXC for strong passwords. For now I have them both on pc and phone (ente auth have sync, but keepassXC is local so you can copy and paste the file from one device to another) while my smartphone is still alive. But i try to reduce progressively the apps on my phone so the transition to dumb phone and pc only is easier.
Maybe keep a very basic smart phone but disable data on it - either at the provider end or by turning off mobile data and deleting the apn settings.
2FA apps are usually time based and don’t need data.
IIRC you need data for MMS (media and group messages)
Yes. I think it can use a separate apn. But you’re getting into smart phone territory if you’re planning to send photos…
There are options of Android on a flip-phone (CAT S22), candybar, or just too-small-to-doomscroll (unihertz jelly). I presume most of those are fairly clean Android due to performance.
There are more “gimmicky”/expensive devices such as Mudita Kompakt, Minimal Phone.
Hate to point to reddit, but r/dumbphones has a guide to dumb and simpler devices. (Ignore annoying daily asks for recommendations)
I really liked the microsoft option (this was work) to get a phone call and you would respond with a two digit number that it displayed on screen (so much better than it reading off a number to you). Unfortunately that is not ubiquitous. Honestly why not just not add apps to your phone. Its a nice cameria and it works as a phone. That is pretty much what mine is. I keep it off most of the time and use it as a phone and camera. Im not sure I would get another smartphone without a work reason though. Im not a big camera person but it is handy to have a decent enough one around.
