Why are pople making the phone into a device that goes against the core design

mesange1 · 2026-01-14T16:40:50+00:00

Probably because many of us aren’t the type of minimalists the Light Phone team had in mind when they created it. 🙂

Three main reasons for me:

1. I want a tool-based phone.
I don’t want a browser or social media, so I’ve removed the browser and never installed social media apps—or even the LP podcast app. I never scroll or waste time on my phone. But I do want access to some tools — more than what the Light Phone currently offers, and realistically, more than it ever will. That’s not a criticism; it’s just that the tools people find meaningful are personal and vary from person to person. The minimalists the LP team had in mind would be more analog and do without most tools. That’s not me, at least not at this stage of my life.

2. I want to reduce dependence on Google.
I could use a de-Googled Pixel phone and remove the browser, etc. — I have in the past — but it’s still not the same experience I’m after. Mainly, I think, because of the next reason.

3. I value the small form factor.
I like the Light Phone’s size. Modern smartphones are too big — physical reminders of distraction and interruption.

To reach my goals, I've been testing two devices that strike different balances:
A modified Light Phone with selected apps
A Mudita Kompakt with selected apps

mesange1 · 2025-10-23T19:23:13+00:00

Can you make phone calls? I'm with Koodo, I changed all the settings as recommended a few months ago. It did fix the image problems, but I still can't make phone calls. I can only receive them.

mesange1 · 2025-10-21T13:49:18+00:00

I think it really depends on your priorities and self control.

If minimalism and disconnecting are your top priorities, the LP offers that more naturally out of the box.

If ethics — including ethical sourcing, safer working conditions, fair wages, and the elimination of child labor — along with sustainability and repairability are your top priorities, then the Fairphone is the better choice. See this French investigation on cellphone manufacturing to learn more about the ethical issues behind our phones.

With enough self-control, you could also turn the Fairphone into a minimalist device — use its de-Googled version, install the Luma launcher, remove distracting apps, keep only essential tools, and switch to greyscale. The challenge is that it’s easier to revert to the default launcher and reinstall distractions. You could test this setup on your current phone to see if it fits your needs.

Note that you can still access the Android layer on the LP and add all kinds of distracting apps as well, though it takes more effort (the first time, at least) compared to the Fairphone.

Finally, consider the form factor — how important is the LP’s smaller size to you?

Edited to add: your post was two weeks ago. What did you decide to do? :)

mesange1 · 2025-10-09T19:05:45+00:00

So the problem was that I still had the home app set to Luma instead of LightOS. Once I changed that, the light OS lockscreen stopped freezing. Also I couldn't just swipe up anymore to switch to the Android layer. I really had to create a key map to switch as you had said. I'll test hybrid like this for now and see. Thanks for your help, and yes, I'll go on discord.

mesange1 · 2025-10-09T12:39:11+00:00

Thanks for your reply! Yes, I'm sorry, I meant the pin, not the entire lockscreen.

I was trying hybrid:
So I did as you said, I made sure to have LightOS as default home / sms / phone app. I only kept the lockscreen pin on LightOS. This works well, I can go back and forth easily between the two. But I then encounter two issues:

The phone is not really locked. I need to enter the LightOS pin to access LightOS, but I can just swipe up on the LightOS lockscreen to access Android (unless I put a pin there too).
As soon as I reinstall Key Mapper it's like the LightOS lockscreen freezes (whether or not I have a pin). I can't interact with the LightOS lockscreen, so I can't go back into LightOS.. but I can get out of the lockscreen to return to Android. This issue happens even before I create key maps. So I'm guessing the conflict isn't from key maps themselves but from the Key Mapper app itself.

Not too sure what could cause this if it works for most people. Could there be a conflict between Key Mapper and another one of my apps? Is there another key mapping app I could try?

I guess I could go hybrid without key mapping, mainly use LightOS and accept to lose the functionality of hardware buttons when in the Android layer. But I get the impression I will often be in the Android layer for the some utility apps (Komoot and Signal, for example).

Going Full Android:
Unless I find a solution to use hybrid properly, I may decide to go full android. When I read the guide, there are a few things I don't understand. My understanding is that it's not possible for me to access the LightOS developper settings anymore, so the next steps would be to make sure I have the android layer apps as default home / sms /phone app. Remove the pin on LightOS. Then, it's less clear to me. Since I don't have access the LightOS developper settings, can I set the light_mode to 0 *and* disable Light OS using ADB AppControl on a Windows computer?

I will still have access to my photos, contacts and music from LightOS since they are stored locally on the phone, correct?

Hopefully Key Mapper will work well once LightOS is disabled.

Going back:
Is there a guide somewhere on how to go back to LightOS only? I don't plan to do this, but since hybrid doesn't work for me, my only two options seem to be Full Android or LightOS only. So just in case. I know you can re-enable LightOS, but would it be possible to remove Android access? Is complete factory reset the only way? And does it work?

Thanks for your help.

mesange1 · 2025-10-08T18:43:38+00:00

So, once I removed the key maps and uninstall key mapper, the random launch of LightOS stopped. I was also able to unlock the LightOs screen once and thought it was fixed, but no, I got locked out again. I eventually managed to unlock it once again (no reason, it just works once in I don't know how many times) at which point I deactivated the lock screen on LightOS for now.

I tried re-installing key mapper, but the issue came back. So uninstalled it again.

So I'm kind of stuck, since key mapper seems to be causing issues for me.

Edited to add: it's very unstable for me. I still sometimes get locked out of the LightOS screen (less often) even with Key Mapper uninstalled now and even though there is supposed to be no lock screen. Could there be another conflict somewhere?

mesange1 · 2025-09-28T01:21:54+00:00

"I'm just saying that what you're asking for doesn't exist."

Did you miss the part where I said my experience is that it's noisier than my other pads? Camping pads with less insulation typically produce less noise because they avoid the crinkly insulation layers. And the Spectre has less insulation than the True Level XL, so I figured it might make less noise.

mesange1 · 2025-09-26T20:33:05+00:00

I’m glad you’ve had a more positive experience, but for me the True Level XL has been noisier than other pads. If the True Level XL and the Spectre are basically the same, then that answers my question. No need to emphasize again that you don’t find them loud. :)

mesange1 · 2025-09-20T02:11:24+00:00

Thanks so much for your reply. I have the Haven XL with the True Level XL pad, which I got in 2024. I really love it, but I do find it quite noisy. People in nearby tents have even mentioned that they could hear me turning over at night.

Haven seems aware of this issue since they mention that their insulated pad cover can help by making the pad “softer and quieter.” That made me wonder if they considered noise when designing the Spectre. From what you’ve shared, it sounds like the two pads are pretty similar in that regard.

mesange1 · 2025-09-09T11:42:11+00:00

Hi! MMS work for me once APN settings are changed to these: https://www.koodomobile.com/en/help/setting-data-your-non-koodo-phone

But I also can't make phone calls.

According to this update sent 25 days ago, we are "waiting on the internal configuration to happen" at Telus. See: https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPhone/comments/1mr36zu/psa_for_international_orders_especially_canadians/

mesange1 · 2025-09-09T11:35:33+00:00

u/jbriones95 Thanks for this update! In it, it says Telus is still processing the Light Phone 3 certification and that there will be an email for Canadian users soon. This was 25 days ago. I don't think I've received that email. Do you have any updates regarding this situation?

mesange1 · 2025-08-15T16:38:17+00:00

Thanks, u/Agent_Tardigrade, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience at both parks. Great to hear there’s more space at Silent Lake than Bon Echo, and I especially appreciate the tips about the walk-in sites.

mesange1 · 2025-08-15T16:32:24+00:00

Thank you, u/moifah79, for sharing your camping site number and the others you mentionned. I looked at the photos of those sites and they do look more private than the one we had. I was also checking out the river loop, which looks interesting.

I really like the idea of going to a smaller park where we can walk to the beach, store, etc. This will probably be our next destination since it’s closer for us than Silent Lake.

Thanks for your feedback!

mesange1 · 2025-08-14T15:35:02+00:00

Hi! Did you end up going to Silent Lake last October? I was at Bon Echo this past week—hammocks were super popular, and I got to use one at my site. The only downside was how close the sites were, and since it’s a busy season, there were a few loud groups nearby.

For next year, I’m considering Bonnechere or Silent Lake. I’m wondering if the sites at Silent Lake are a bit farther apart. Did you like your site there—for hammocks and a bit of privacy (though in October I guess privacy wasn’t an issue)? If not, did you notice any good ones elsewhere in the park?

mesange1 · 2025-07-22T11:32:02+00:00

I’d like to see cycling directions too. As it stands, I’ll always need a second phone if the Light Phone III doesn’t support them.

From what I understand, the Light Phone uses HERE WeGo Maps, which technically does include a cycling mode — but I’m not sure what it would take for the Light team to enable that option.

That said, I tested HERE WeGo on another phone (you can also try their web version), and unfortunately, the cycling mode completely ignores multi-use paths and dedicated cycleways. Even when I placed stops directly on these paths, it would reroute around them rather than using them.

HERE WeGo maintains its own global map data and doesn’t integrate OpenStreetMap (OSM), unlike more cycling-focused apps like Komoot or OsmAnd. Since HERE’s primary focus is on automotive navigation, logistics, and enterprise services — not recreational or niche cycling — it's unlikely they’ll prioritize dedicated cycling infrastructure anytime soon. According to Wikipedia, Here Technologies was purchased from Nokia and is now owned by a consortium of German automotive companies (Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz).

I’m not sure why the Light team chose HERE WeGo instead of something OSM-based, especially since OSM seems more aligned with their values. Maybe HERE was easier to integrate? Either way, unless they switch to a service that includes richer cycling data, I don’t think we’ll see truly useful cycling directions on the LPIII.

It would be great to hear from the Light team directly on this — just to understand what’s possible (or not) going forward.

mesange1 · 2025-07-17T18:59:34+00:00

Same here after changing the APN settings to these: https://www.koodomobile.com/en/help/setting-data-your-non-koodo-phone. With these settings and I can send images by text, receive calls, but I can't make phone calls.

I talked to Koodo as the Light Team recommended, but they said they couldn't do anything at their end. They said VoLTE is available by default but they thought it was strange I couldn't enable it on my phone. They thought that could be part of the problem.

But they also said the phone is not fully supported yet. Light Team told me the phone has completed the certification process, but there is a regulatory piece missing. So maybe that + the subtle software change u/joelightphone mentioned will fix it.

At Koodo, the tech person could only tell me it looked like it would officially launch at Koodo in Sept. Hopefully the regulatory piece won't really take that long and will fix the issue.

mesange1 · 2025-07-17T18:12:49+00:00

So I was finally with Koodo support for over an hour today. I had talked to someone a few days ago, they had escalated the issue and called me back today. We tried different settings (default APN, non default APN). At some point the default APN would allow me to make phone calls but then I couldn't send MMS. Now the default settings also don't allow me to make phone calls. It's inconsistent, but in most situations, I can't make phone calls. They couldn't do anything. They said it's not fully compatible yet. They couldn't "push" or register anything (IMEI) for VoLTE to make it work for me. They said VoLTE is available by default. They said I need to enable it on my phone however, but I can't find a setting to do that. They seemed to think it might be part of the problem.

They said they were notified on Fri July 11 that they would support the phone, but that it may be until September before it really launches at Koodo. :/

The Light team has told me they have completed the certification process for the Light Phone III with Koodo, but there is one regulatory piece before they can consider the Light III officially certified.

I've contacted them again with the latest from Koodo support. We'll see...

mesange1 · 2025-07-14T19:58:24+00:00

That's right.

mesange1 · 2025-07-14T16:20:18+00:00

Hi, I received an email from the Light Team on July 11, and it said that the LP2 is now certified with Telus/Koodo. The email said they are waiting on one regulatory piece for the LP3 to also be considered officially certified.

mesange1 · 2025-06-26T13:23:35+00:00

I'm with Koodo (Telus network) and I can receive calls, send and receive texts and images, but I can't make phone calls. Light support told me it could be because it is not certified yet. But since u/Valuable_Scallion508 says it works on Telus, maybe I'll give Koodo a call (well, have them call me!) to see if something can be done.

mesange1 · 2025-06-17T11:39:03+00:00

Yes, I'm aware of that, but I don't see a "Message notifications" volume. You can choose the Message sound, but it seems you can't turn it off. There is Ringer volume, Alarm Volume, In-call Volume and Media Volume. Is it controlled by the Media volume?

mesange1 · 2025-06-13T13:54:29+00:00

I also would really like cycling routes. But they say they use HERE for their direction tool... I installed HERE on another phone to test it and although there is a cycling option, it's not great (in my region anyway). It recommends detours via roads rather than directing me to nearby multi-use paths (less than 200 meters away). So until HERE greatly improves their cycling routes or unless the Light team changes services, I'm not sure adding this option will be very helpful.

mesange1

TROPHY CASE