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He shared that since switching to a flip phone, he has been focusing more on tangible things than on digital things.
Man Ditches iPhone For A Flip Phone, Says: ‘I’m Using My Brain More Now’
What would happen if you stopped using your iPhone or Android phone for a month? At a time when smartphones have become an extension of daily life, the idea of spending a day without them feels impossible to most. But one person decided to take up the challenge of living without a smartphone. He has now revealed that the experience has been life-changing, and for the better.
Nathan Covey shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that he had completed one month of switching from a smartphone to a flip phone. “Everyone is more severely addicted to their smartphones than I thought. Once you have a dumbphone, you’ll frequently find yourself as the only person in the room not on their phone,” he wrote.
In his post, he mentioned that before making the change, he believed living without a smartphone in today’s time would be difficult. But to his surprise, many of the concerns he once had turned out to be manageable. He added, “My iPhone addiction had fed my brain excuses to not do this earlier. If you really want to make the switch, you can.”
Although Covey saw some positive changes, the transition was not entirely smooth. He said he initially felt self-conscious about using a flip phone in public, worrying that it would draw attention. But he became more comfortable with it over time.
“I am using my brain more. Even though my flip phone has Waze, I find myself memorising maps and roads. I’m more bored and get lost in my thoughts. I’m using paper and pen more. Increased desire for tangible things > digital things. Overall, it has been a great experience and I plan on never going back,” he explained.
Another major change he noticed was in the way he communicated. He said, “I call people way more now. And I’ve discovered that calling is just so much more superior than texting for a lot of things.”
Officially 1 month since I switched to a flip phone.– Everyone is more severely addicted to their smartphones than I thought. Once you have a dumbphone, you’ll frequently find yourself as the only person in the room not on their phone. It’s not just teenagers, it’s parents and… pic.twitter.com/cR5epuyDuf
— Nathan Covey (@nathan_covey) June 2, 2026
Internet Asks Him How He Makes Digital Payments Or Uses Maps
His post quickly grabbed eyeballs, with many expressing their curiosity about how he manages tasks such as digital payments, search topics on Google and navigation.
One person asked, “I love the idea of doing this – but have some questions – how do you handle services, products, etc that require apps. Can it scan a QR code? What about digital payment, in places where it becomes necessary? What about being able to use Gmail and Google Calendar?”
Another individual commented, “I can totally see it. Just removing most apps from the device was a really positive experience for me when I was running this setup with OpenClaw.”
A user pointed out, “So depressing when I go to a restaurant or diner and see parents and kids in their own little phone worlds. Headphones on and all. The phones are poison.”
“Haven’t quite gone this far yet, but definitely finding myself drawn to analogue things more lately. Notebook and pen, mechanical watch, film camera. There’s something about the singular focus of analogue that I find attractive as everything around becomes hyper digitalised,” a different person said.
“I’ve found a better option: use normal smartphones but put all distracting stuff like social media on your desktop. it is harder to be addicted this way, and you use ur phone less,” someone suggested.
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