Better sleep
Bright screens in bed keep your brain awake. People who read on a light-emitting screen before sleeping produced less melatonin and took longer to fall asleep than those reading a printed book.
Source: Chang et al., PNAS, 2015
Coming soon · Free to join
We’re building the biggest dumbphone community in the world.
Do you want to be part of it?
No spam. Just one e-mail when the doors open – unsubscribe with one click.
Why go dumb?
The benefits of a digital detox
You don’t have to throw your smartphone in a lake. Even spending part of your day with a simpler phone gives your brain, your sleep and your relationships room to breathe. Here’s what research says:
Sharper focus
Just having your smartphone on the desk – even switched off – reduced people’s available working memory and attention. Leaving it in another room helped most.
Source: Ward et al., Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2017
Brighter mood
Students who limited social media to about 30 minutes a day for three weeks reported significantly less loneliness and depression than a control group.
Source: Hunt et al., Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 2018
Time back
People who deactivated Facebook for four weeks spent about an hour more per day offline – and reported higher well-being.
Source: Allcott et al., American Economic Review, 2020
Less stress
Checking e-mail only three times a day, instead of constantly, measurably lowered people’s daily stress.
Source: Kushlev & Dunn, Computers in Human Behavior, 2015
Closer connections
Even a phone lying on the table can make a conversation feel less close and less meaningful. Put it away and people notice.
Source: Przybylski & Weinstein, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2013
Short summaries of published studies, for general information – not medical advice.
Explained
What is a dumbphone?
A dumbphone – also called a dumb phone, feature phone or minimalist phone – is a mobile phone that does the basics really well: calls, texts, an alarm, maybe music and maps. What it doesn’t do: endless feeds, infinite scroll and a constant stream of notifications.
Some people switch completely. Many more use a dumbphone as a second phone for evenings, weekends, holidays or simply the walk to the bakery – and leave the smartphone at home. There is no “right” way. That’s exactly why we’re building a community.
| Dumbphone | Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|
| Calls & texts | Yes | Yes |
| Social media feeds | No | Yes |
| Notifications | Few | Many |
| Battery life | Often several days | Usually a day |
| Time to pick it up “just to check” | Almost never | All the time |
The community
What we’re building
A place for everyone who wants a healthier relationship with their phone – from curious beginners to hardcore Nokia veterans.
Setups & tips
Which phone? How do I handle banking, tickets and group chats? Real answers from people who’ve done it.
Detox challenges
From a phone-free evening to a dumbphone month – do it together, not alone.
Local meetups
Phone-free meetups in your city. Talk, play, walk – no screens on the table.
A louder voice
Together we can push for services that don’t force everyone to own a smartphone.
FAQ
Questions & answers
What is the Dumbphone Community?
A global community for people who want to use their smartphone less – or replace it with a simpler phone. We share setups, tips, challenges and meetups. It launches soon; the waitlist is open now.
Do I need to own a dumbphone to join?
No. Whether you’re just curious, planning a digital detox or already living smartphone-free – you’re welcome.
Do I have to give up my smartphone?
Not at all. Many people use a dumbphone as a second phone for evenings, weekends or holidays and keep their smartphone for everything else.
What does it cost?
Joining the waitlist and the community is free.
When does the community launch?
Soon. Everyone on the waitlist gets an e-mail as soon as the doors open.
What happens to my e-mail address?
We only use it to tell you about the community launch. You confirm your sign-up via e-mail (double opt-in) and can unsubscribe with one click at any time.
Ready to go dumb?
Join the waitlist and be one of the first members of the biggest dumbphone community in the world.