Turn Your iPhone into a Dumb Phone

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reaction to “dumbifying” an iPhone

  • Many call the approach cosmetic: the phone remains a full smartphone with Slack, browser, etc.
  • Others defend small friction as valuable; even a less convenient path to “slot machine” apps can significantly reduce usage.
  • Some see the trend as performative minimalism; others appreciate practical tips and say it saved them from buying a dedicated dumb phone.

Delete vs. restrain apps

  • Common strategy: uninstall or never install social media, Reddit/Twitter, etc.; use browser + log in each time if absolutely needed.
  • YouTube is widely seen as the hardest to avoid; on Android it can be removed with adb commands.
  • Several note that if you’re truly addicted, you’ll seek out distractions even without notifications or home‑screen icons.

Notifications and OS tools

  • Many argue 80% of the battle is notifications. Standard tactic: allow only calls/messages/calendar; disable almost everything else.
  • Android: strong praise for per‑app “channels” and third‑party tools like notification filters; criticism that powerful permissions can be scary.
  • iOS: discussion of Focus modes, time‑sensitive notifications, Screen Time, Assistive Access, and app‑level controls.
    • Critiques: per‑category control within a single app is weak; developers can abuse “time sensitive” flags; Safari can’t be uninstalled, only restricted.
    • Workarounds: parental controls to disable Safari, Screen Time with a PIN held by a friend, custom Focus modes, and per‑app shortcuts/automations.

Addiction and psychology

  • Several frame this as an addiction/impulse‑control issue, not purely technical; “technical solutions to a mental problem never work long‑term” vs. “they help some people get free enough to work on themselves.”
  • People with more addictive tendencies report needing hard constraints (locked Screen Time, supervised mode, or separate devices).

Alternative devices and repurposing

  • Suggestions: e‑ink phones, tiny smartphones (e.g., Jelly Star), Apple Watch with cellular, or real dumb/flip phones.
  • Some lament that powerful iOS hardware can’t easily be repurposed as generic servers due to locked bootloaders; debate over “you’re holding it wrong” vs. right‑to‑compute on owned hardware.

Practical minimal setups

  • Shared patterns: grayscale or low saturation, minimal home screen, no social apps, no badges, phone stored away from reach, and using built‑in simple modes (Assistive Access / BaldPhone).