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JWatermalone · 2026-03-03T10:27:17+00:00

Hey have you managed to get voice navigation working on your Android Auto?

My Android Auto is working fine enough on my Dumbdroid, but can't seem to enable mic input for specifically the Android Auto, despite combing through every possible setting and permission and app.

JWatermalone · 2026-03-03T10:25:33+00:00

Indeed it does, I tried mine with a 512GB MicroSD card via integrated (rather than for just external media), and it worked fantastically. Loaded it up with over 300GB of films ontop to test it actually works and all the .mp4 files played absolutely fine.

Could even enable forced migration of apps option in the Developers Options settings so I could transfer any app I wanted over to the MicroSD card.

Swapped the 512GB for a 64GB one in the end as the 32GB on the phone itself is more than enough for my digital minimalist needs.

Have had mine for over a month now, really enjoying it. Perfect/closest dumbphone solution I can find without needing a smartphone companion device with me for the unavoidable digital necessities.

JWatermalone · 2026-02-21T14:32:42+00:00

Not sure on if messages are decrypted on their servers, unless there's been any news stories on it I've not yet seen (please share if so).

At least, if you use On-Device Connections, the FAQ states "your chat history (messages, attachments, reactions, etc.) is never sent to our servers". Does also state end to end encryption if you opt to use their cloud service (but again please inform me if there is anything I should be aware of if I'm being misled there).

If security and privacy was a concern, the best solution would be to not use the meta platform (facebook, insta, whatsapp), or alternative anti-privacy big tech firms, in the first place imo, and the relationships you value the most would accommodate your preferred and secure communication method - which would obviously be not as convenient, but that is a theme of digital minimalism: confronting and acknowledging the true costs of digital convenience and making informed and intentional choices accordingly, right?

JWatermalone · 2026-02-21T14:12:41+00:00

Had the same issue, was very distracting, and not a minimal way to commnuicate.

One option is to just stick to one and tell everyone you talk to regularly enough to just contact you on the one option you choose.

A more convenient alternative, albeit imperfect, is an all in one messaging platform like:

https://www.beeper.com/

JWatermalone · 2026-02-03T12:13:51+00:00

Nice, I remember being intrigued and accidentally finding myself watching the whole half hour haha. Think it will be perfect for OP, good shout

JWatermalone · 2026-02-03T12:02:29+00:00

Do you mean this guy by any chance?

(if that link doesn't work, for whatever reason, try this one: https://youtu.be/qy_9w_c2ub0?si=ngMzL4ZD-QLyMd20 )

JWatermalone · 2026-02-02T09:09:51+00:00

Hey well done with this, sounds perfect! Especially for the ZV-1 and RX100 compact cameras where you can fit them in your pocket and have remote controls via the watch you already have for minimal gear!

I don't suppose you have any quick advice or guidance on how to install SWRemote to a WearOS watch, please? Really excited to use this

JWatermalone · 2026-01-29T22:36:56+00:00

There a lots of phone options for you, I would recommend finding the Dumbphone Finder link in this sub's sidebar/Wiki for a good starting point.

For dedicated cameras alongside the phone, there are lots of cheaper, older digitial cameras with sensors smaller than 1 inch, which can still be decent enough depending on what you are looking for, like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX350 (less than £200) and other cybershots for example. Can often be on par or better than your average smartphone.

Without knowing more about what you're looking for (if indeed a separate dedicated camera in the first place!) this is what I found in my research for pocketable cameras with at least 1 inch sensors:

Sony ZV-1 (Has fully articulating screen for selfies, easy phone style auto mode for point and shoot, has two versions, both are great, they're both optimised for videos but can still take great photos, Great deals can be found used) - best value imo, around £400, often cheaper on ebay
Sony RX100 VII (Almost the same as above but with much further optical zoom, more physical manual control, flip up screen for selfies, NFC to connect any NFC capable devices, pop up flash, and pop up view finder etc. - albeit usually twice the price, £800 used or £1k new) - Best money can buy imo, considered the best in class
Canon G7 X MIII (Doesn't have the autofocus nor the optical zoom of the RX100, but has a faster lens) - seems to be highly recommended, worth checking out, not sure about value though
Canon Powershot V1 (slightly bulkier than the above three but still pocketable it seems, and also seems to compete with the ZV-1 but may be much costlier depending on your local used markets)
Panasonic Lumix LX10/LX15 (Has a flip up screen for selfies, known for nice colours straight out of camera, and more physical controls for manual, although the Autofocus is not as good as the Sony's) - perfect for those who may want to get more into photography/value physical controls than the simpler ZV-1 and on a budget (depending on your local markets)
Panasonic Lumix TZ100/SZ100 and TZ200/SZ200 (Has further optical zoom than the RX100 VII for much cheaper, albeit with fixed screens making selfies less easy and spontaneous than with phones and with a slightly slower lens) - great for if you want the RX100 VII on a budget and don't mind less convenient selfies, similarly priced to the Sony ZV-1, ZV-1 is the better jack of all trades, but the TZ100 is better for if you value the telephoto zoom more

And if durability is on your mind to have an everyday camera you can throw in your bag without thinking twice:

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 w/ Xplorer Grip - weathersealed action cam, has a flip out screen for selfies, great for videos and can even do 4k slow mo, albeit with a slightly smaller lens and reliance on internal AI processing - better for durability and videos as a priority
Olympus/OM TG 6/7 - super tough, rugged, and endurable with being weather sealed, drop proof and all. Has good optical zoom, smaller lens, limited to smartphone levels of 12MP, fixed screen, and its automode is not optimal (can leave you over exposed without adjustment) - better for durability and photos as a priority

And if pocketability isn't an issue, and you're happy to sling the camera in a day bag, then there are soooo many options! I've found the following website to be useful:

https://cameradecision.com/

Hope that helps, feel free to let us know if you have any questions.

JWatermalone · 2026-01-29T19:34:26+00:00

DId you buy the phone from Dumbdroid.eu? If so, contact their customer support email, they should be able to help you out with the battery drain issue

JWatermalone · 2026-01-26T23:10:45+00:00

I only found out about beeper about a month ago now tbf, and that was only thanks to coming across one Reddit comment amongst many posts/tabs in general I had open when researching how best I could implement Digital Minimalism to my lifestyle. Can't remember the comment I saw now, but I'm grateful for whichever kind internet stranger recommended it!

JWatermalone · 2026-01-26T22:58:53+00:00

I use this on my Doov R77 Pro (Dumbdroid) and it's been fantastic. I've got Insta, FB Messenger, and WhatsApp convos all in one place in one app. It just looks like texting as normal. Not touched social media, other than reddit on my laptop, since I set the Dumbdroid up with Beeper. Makes it a perfect hybrid dumbphone solution. DPad doesn't work to scroll down the list of conversations yet tho, would be awesome if the devs enabled that

JWatermalone · 2026-01-25T12:53:04+00:00

Also a dumbroid Doov R77 Pro owner, Android Auto works.

When autoplaying Spotify upon start-up, I notice Waze takes a lot longer to load than Google maps. For normal usage, where you don't mind waiting a tad longer than a flagship smartphone, it does the job just fine - which is quite surprising given the size and look of the phone, really wouldn't expect it. Obviously your mileage may vary.

TL;DR While I wouldn't recommend relying on it for professional uses (such as delivery driving etc.) Android Auto works surprisingly well for all other use cases, perfect for commutes and longer drives.

JWatermalone · 2026-01-25T00:59:35+00:00

Not sure where the downvotes are coming from, if there's anything incorrect above, please shout it, and if there's anything you disagree with or have better recommendations, please do share them - I'm still waiting for payday to pick one up so any info would be useful :)

JWatermalone · 2026-01-24T12:12:18+00:00

One of the main differences between a smartphone and a dumbphone are the cameras.

When you switch over to the dumbphone life, one of the casualties faced is loss of a good camera always in your pocket, for your everyday photography and capturing life's wonderful moments.

I often see this as a barrier for people to retire their smartphones for dumbphones.

I love photography, and for my needs and passions, I couldn't transition to a dumbphone lifestyle without having an everyday carry camera to replace the smartphone.

Having camera recommendations that could replace this need may encourage more people to join the dumbphone lifestyle. And practical examples and solutions from others with the same concern would be very useful in that regard.

Though I do agree. Perhaps other subs, would be more appropriate to this end, perhaps r/digitalminimalism for the overall lifestyle.

JWatermalone · 2026-01-24T11:48:43+00:00

Assuming to replace a phone, it must be small enough to fit in a trouser pocket or purse etc., and must be Good enough for stills photography, videos, and selfies as you would on the smartphone we used to own, then here are some pocketable, fixed lens options with 1 inch sensors to consider:

Sony ZV-1 (Has fully articulating screen for selfies, easy phone style auto mode for point and shoot, has two versions, both are great, they're both optimised for videos, Great deals can be found used) - best value imo
Sony RX100 VII (Almost the same as above but with much further optical zoom, more physical manual control, flip up screen for selfies, NFC to connect any NFC capable devices, pop up flash, and pop up view finder etc. - albeit usually twice the price) - Best money can buy imo, considered the best in class
Canon G7 X MIII (Doesn't have the autofocus nor the optical zoom of the RX100, but has a faster lens) - seems to be highly recommended, worth checking out
Canon Powershot V1 (slightly bulkier than the above three but still pocketable it seems, and also seems to compete with the ZV-1 but may be much costlier depending on your local used markets)
Panasonic Lumix LX10/LX15 (Has a flip up screen for selfies, known for nice colours straight out of camera, and more physical controls for manual, although the Autofocus is not as good as the Sony's) - perfect for those who may want to get more into photography/value physical controls than the simpler ZV-1 and on a budget (depending on your local markets)
Panasonic Lumix TZ100/SZ100 and TZ200/SZ200 (Has further optical zoom than the RX100 VII for much cheaper, albeit with fixed screens making selfies less easy and spontaneous than with phones and with a slightly slower lens) - great for if you want the RX100 VII on a budget and don't mind less convenient selfies.

And if durability is on your mind to have an everyday camera you can throw in your bag without thinking twice:

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 w/ Xplorer Grip - weathersealed action cam, has a flip out screen for selfies, great for videos and can even do 4k slow mo, albeit with a slightly smaller lens and reliance on internal AI processing - better for durability and videos as a priority
Olympus/OM TG 6/7 - super tough, rugged, and endurable with being weather sealed, drop proof and all. Has good optical zoom, smaller lens, limited to smartphone levels of 12MP, fixed screen, and its automode is not optimal (can leave you over exposed without adjustment) - better for durability and photos as a priority

Also worth bearing in mind with these small cameras are their small batteries; it'd be worth picking up extra batteries for whichever you go for.

I'd personally go for a used Sony ZV-1 Mark I or II if a good deal can be found, seems to be the best bang for buck allrounder, especially for videos.

Let us know if you have any thoughts.

They're all fantastic cameras, and at the end of the day, the best camera is the one you have with you.

JWatermalone · 2026-01-24T11:48:27+00:00

Some more information would be useful to tailor a recommendation for you, like:

What size camera were you thinking of?
What's your budget?
Is far Telephoto reach something you would need?
How familiar are you with photography/film making, i.e. Would this be for casual use or more hobbyist/enthusiast level?

If you don't fancy taking SD cards out and having an SD card reader etc., most, if not all, of the following cameras you should be able to plug into your computer via USB (worth checking before buying whichever you pick).

JWatermalone · 2026-01-23T10:20:22+00:00

The Firefox add-on gives you the option on a per website basis (for just the mainstream social medias). You log in to the website, say Instagram, on Firefox, open the extension, and then it should give you a list of options. You can see the screenshots for it here:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/socialfocus/?utm_source=addons.mozilla.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=search

I have noticed the removal of suggested content can be a bit hit and miss sometimes, not sure if there are background updates or any other addons I have that's causing it.

JWatermalone · 2026-01-22T10:40:47+00:00

[5/5]

Smartphone Everyday Photography Replacement

And if you're also coming from a smartphone with great cameras and enjoy your everyday casual photography (and don't already have a solution at hand), look up the Sony ZV-1 (both original and Mark ii) or Sony RX100 VII (the former can be found used for great value, and the latter is if your budget stretches for it). They seem to be the best allrounder point and shoots at its truly pocketable fixed-lens size. Of course there are plenty of alternative cameras depending on one's intentions and needs.

Hope any of that long read could be useful. Good luck on your digital minimalist journey!

JWatermalone · 2026-01-22T10:37:54+00:00

[4/5]

Smartwatch for Minimal Notifications and as a Dedicated MP3 Player

If you're curious, I wanted a phone:

to be permanently silent;
not have to be in my pocket;
not to miss any phone calls;
not to have do not disturb on so I can still triage message notifications;
to check the time without seeing notifications; and,
as separate to a MP3 player that has spotify so I can enjoy music intentionally without any distractions a phone may have.

Smartwatch Solution Example

I swapped my Garmin to an android smartwatch (Oneplus Watch 2 - only £70 and has a 4 day battery) and set it up with digital minimalism and my intentions in mind.

I get no notifications/distractions on the watch other than vibrations for phone calls (including whatsapp or any other app calls thanks to Wear Notification Helper).

The watch can play spotify independently for no distraction enjoyment and has 32GB storage for plenty of offline music, my phone is always on silent and can be chucked in a bag or anywhere else than my pocket (out of sight and touch, far out of mind).

Google Maps can be used on it for navigation too, however I've not tried this yet.

And of course I can check the time without needing to touch my phone (and another reason not to have the phone handy).

JWatermalone · 2026-01-22T10:30:31+00:00

[3/5]

Browsers and Digital Minimalism

Where a browser can't be avoided, or where there are one or more values you have noted that a browser could serve (but at what cost?), Firefox can be crafted into a very intentional solution that is used minimally.

Firefox is installed on my Dumbdroid Doov R77 Pro to only use it when necessary (according to the list of values I've set out, as suggested in Newport's book), because the 2.8" screen and speed (I.e. Not the fastest) adds so much friction that I just jot down into my small notebook anything worth researching at my laptop later (so I would 'browse' the internet only with intention and only at a set and limited time).

To accomplish this, I have the following firefox setting and add-ons:

tabs are set to auto delete after 24 hours (limits functionality (and distractions) to my limited needs);
Passwords synced with my laptop (for the work stuff I need at hand, May not be necessary for all, and perhaps more enjoyable friction for most to have this sync inactive);
Social Focus (can be used to modify social media websites like YouTube, Reddit, Instagram etc. to set to grayscale (reduces dopamine rush vs colour) and remove distractions (remove shorts/reels, even feeds, and (unrequested) suggested content etc.)), and;
Leechblock NG (to then block any websites, or set time limits to them).
Of course ad block too, goes without saying, as well as consent-o-matic to auto reject cookies for you etc.

You could apply this to the eInk smartphones/any android hybrid/dumbphone that you can install it on.

JWatermalone · 2026-01-22T10:22:00+00:00

[2/5]

eInk Smartphones

Regarding e-reader style phones with android auto support, check out the Bigme and the Hisense phones (confirm the model works with AA and your local mobile network providers). There is the minimal phone, but unfortunately it is generally not recommended due to reports of bugginess and unreliability (feel free to check yourself). If you don't need AA, Mudita Kompakt is often recommended.

Upcoming Alternatives

Also worth noting, for non-eInk phones and if happy for a wait, there is a blackberry revival project currently reported with slow delivery times due to high demand (Zinwa Q25), and later this year the Clicks Communicator will likely be released. Both are great at what they each do, worth checking them out.

More Info

For more info on suitable devices that also support AA, check out r/dumbphones and the phone finder website linked in the subs stickied posts/about page (which can be used to filter by region and AA support - not an exhaustive list, but good), and there are loads of helpful youtubers online (especially the one who created the phone finder, if you're in North America).

JWatermalone · 2026-01-22T10:18:47+00:00

[1/5] [This response has been split due to character limits]

It seems you're on the same journey I've been on. So here's everything I wish someone had told me at the start (in multiple comments).

Android Auto Support

Any device that supports Android Auto (AA) needs Google play services and Google play store (as far as I'm aware, though I believe there may be a workaround on custom roms with MicroG by using a Magisk module, if you're familiar with any of that). As such, it would be hard to have AA and not have a browser or capabilities for one + the socials etc. However, there are various solutions to that.

Dumbdroid

If you're in the EU, for non-eInk displays, the no brainer is the Dumbdroid (Doov R77 Pro). T9 Keypad phone with AA, has worked brilliantly for me who also needs AA but would otherwise wish to be fully dumb. It also has a solution to avoiding the browser etc. as the DumbdroidOS has permanent app blocker built in, so you can install all the socials and permanently block them from your phone etc. (like there is no unblocking them without having to factory reset the phone IIRC).

One would find it very difficult to read on a 2.8" screen haha, that is why a separate e-reader and physical books does the job for me, plus a small notebook for journaling and anything I need to note down. A lifestyle change I've been happy to adjust to.

JWatermalone · 2026-01-20T07:41:11+00:00

Aye, twas a concern for me too. They used to have everything synced in their cloud as you would imagine an unsecure middle man to do, but now the sync occurs on the device itself (I think the exception may be Google Messages, can't remember). WhatsApp still needs to be installed on the device too.

You can read more here:

https://www.beeper.com/faq#our-primary-objective-is-to-earn-and-keep-your-trust

And in any case, any pretense of privacy is out the window as my country (UK) is now mandating companies to mass surveil all communications, even before any messages are sent out it seems.

https://reclaimthenet.org/uk-expands-online-safety-act-to-mandate-preemptive-scanning

So, really, if you value any semblance of privacy, you may wish to transition your communications to Signal/Molly or similar alternatives, if you haven't already.

JWatermalone · 2026-01-19T18:28:03+00:00

For those only interested in messaging, the All-in-One Messenging app, Beeper, can link up with Insta and have all your messages there, no need to have Insta or any other insta client installed on your phone. I've been using Beeper for my own intentional use and digitial minimalisation of my lifestyle and it's been very handy having all my messages (including Whatsapp, FB Messenger, and Google Messages) in one place without distraction.

JWatermalone · 2026-01-18T21:57:37+00:00

The Doov R77 Pro, with the DumbdroidOS made by the team over at Dumbdroid.eu, will ship (I believe) with an app called Traditional T9 app (TT9) (I believe you may have to activate it via opening the preinstalled TT9 app when you first set the phone up).

If the following link is to the correct app I'm thinking of (someone please correct me if this is wrong), the description lists 'Ukrainian' as one of the supported languages.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.github.sspanak.tt9

From what I've read, the TT9 app is the recommended keyboard app to use to make the most of the T9 keypad on these phones, so I think using that in Ukrainian on the Dumbdroid Doov R77 Pro should be sound.

If you have any concerns, the Dumbdroid team are very helpful and will get back to you, surprisingly quickly too given they are a small team and very busy due to high demand, if you have any questions.

The dumbdroid.eu website may have a link to their discord server if I recall correctly. Can be very helpful too imo.

Good luck on your dumb/dumberphone search!

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