What do you use you Mobile phone for?

[Hom3r]

I saw a thing on BBC Breakfast this morning about a group of kids who tried not to use a smartphone and where given a Nokia dumb phone.

I'm current taking a break until August from Facebook and I thought what do I use mine for, and it surprised me.

So It would be hard for me to ditch the smartphone.

No order

1. Phone/Text (Primary for contacts for my dad's support)
2. Online banking (saves turning on PC, and I have various protections in place)
3. WhatsApp - Family
4. WhatsApp - Charity (3 groups)
5. Music/Audiobooks
6. Email - Personal
7. Email - Charity
8. Home Automation
9. Home Network management
10. Note App (Links with tablet)
11. Online shopping (Amazon)
12. News/Sport
13. Social media (Mainly Facebook, but when I go back I'm doing a major cull on the groups I follow)

[peanut]

For myself... In no order..

1. Calls
2, Whatsapp
3, (Live) Bus times
4. Controlling all home lights. TV, Fans, AV, Smart Plugs etc (Can do via iPad or Alexa).
5, Torch
6, Calculator
7, Asda App
8, Camera
9, iPod/music.
10, Browsing internet but very very rarely via the phone.

I would probably use about 200mb of data a month maximum. No social media etc either.

[SnoopZ]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

I saw a thing on BBC Breakfast this morning about a group of kids who tried not to use a smartphone and where given a Nokia dumb phone.

I'm current taking a break until August from Facebook and I thought what do I use mine for, and it surprised me.

So It would be hard for me to ditch the smartphone.

1. Phone/Text (Primary for contacts for my dad's support)
2. Online banking (saves turning on PC, and I have various protections in place)
3. WhatsApp - Family
4. WhatsApp - Charity (3 groups)
5. Music/Audiobooks
6. Email - Personal
7. Email - Charity
8. Home Automation
9. Home Network management
10. Note App (Links with tablet)
11. Online shopping (Amazon)
12. News/Sport
13. Social media (Mainly Facebook, but when I go back I'm doing a major cull on the groups I follow)

For me I very rarely make phone calls so my usage(not all daily) would be, in no order.

1.Android Auto with Waze Sat Nav and Tidal music streaming.
2.Online banking and Authentication of certain things for security etc.
3.Browsing when I'm away from home as I use a Samsung Tablet when at home.
4.Camera.
5.Email personal and works.
6.Chat apps, Teams(work), Viber and What's app and FB messenger, I'm not addicted to messaging so it's not constant luckily.
7.Tado smart thermostat.
8.Password manager.
9.Shopping app(Amazon).
10.Occasionally printing, saves turning on the PC which is now nearly retired from lack of use.
11. Notes like Microsoft 'To Do' and One note.
12. Calculator.
13. Torch.
14. Calls & Texts(rarely).

1. As a step counter
2. As a sat nav
3. Sending/receiving messages or calls whilst not sitting down.
4. Apple Pay

Everything else - social media, websites, banking, messaging whilst not on the move - is on my iPad.

[Halcyon]

Mine is mostly:


1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. Whatsapp
4. Camera and Photos
5. Music
6. Emails
7. Browing Youtube
8. Calls

[Jaymoss]

Calls/ Text 2 numbers
Whatsapp 2 accounts one on business whatsapp one normal
Streaming youtube music to ear buds on cycle and gym
Streaming Plex at the gym
emails
banking
Facebook messenger
Facebook Dating ( met someone nice on here and progressing nicely)
Smart home (Google, Alexa, Tapo, Nooie, Smart Life and Tuya)
Ring cameras
Google rewards ( earn enough to pay for my google one drive account)
Uber
NHS App
Asda shopping scanner and rewards
Pure Gym account
Scrolling Tik Tok when I am on my throne

[Mr K]

I use mine to find my other phone and vice versa. Fortunately haven't lost them both at the same time, yet....

[Tinky]

I bought mine mainly because it was costing a fortune on the land line waiting in the queue for the Doctors. My main use is for phone calls or searching for information. When we go out you can see people staring at their phones for ages, or couples who come into our Social Club spend their entire afternoon on their phones, hardly speaking or looking at each other. BTW Mr T refuses to even own one.

Making/Receiving Calls.
Receiving Texts (mostly for site logins).
I rarely send texts, other than to reply to someone.
Taking Photos (one of its main uses TBH).
Checking football scores on odd occasions.
Oh, and displaying discount codes / vouchers.

I have a tablet at home that I actually do more on.

[GrimUpNorth]

The usual things, plus streaming music in the car.

[Taf]

The basic Nokia (text and calls) is only used to receive One Time Passwords for banking. I send one text every 6 months to keep the ASDA contract active (£10 deposit has £9.20 left after 3 years).

The Samsung smartphone that my daughter bought me (No SIM) is only used for the Lidl shopping app via home WIFI.

The missus only uses her phone to listen to French commercial radio and the occasional Snapchat to her sister both via home WIFI.

The lad no longer has a phone since the battery died a couple of years ago.

But our daughter lives on her phone with VM's Unlimited tariff.

Incidentally, the latest home phone bill a few months back was £1.26 because our lad made a couple of calls to the dentist.

[joglynne]

I have one and have a love/hate relationship with it.

I get the occasional spam call but I only use it to phone someone when I'm out or when the home line dies as it has been doing this last couple of days. VM Digital downside effect.

I used to use it for WhatsApp and text messages but I now access them on my Chromebook. Used it to check my FB account this morning but without FB Purity it's a pain in the behind. (Sorry if anyone on here had a weird FB post from me earlier.)

I do find it great for taking photos and use Google wallet and Stocard but, as I'm always a tad dubious of them working, I use a phone case so that I can carry around a few of my store cards, my debit card and cash. As a result it weighs far more than a basic phone and is a little too big/heavy to fit in my back pocket

I no longer have a landline because Virgin Media removed it..So it's my iPhone or no phone.
Am currently considering ditching the iPhone for some generic mobile that my son prefers because of cost.Ridiculous prices to keep in touch with the universe.

If I can use my Windows PC instead I do..it doesn't run out of juice. My mobile is for when I'm upstairs or out of the house or the universe insists that it contact me directly.

[peanut]

Originally Posted by Maggy

I no longer have a landline because Virgin Media removed it..So it's my iPhone or no phone.
Am currently considering ditching the iPhone for some generic mobile that my son prefers because of cost.Ridiculous prices to keep in touch with the universe.

A while back I tried to get a cheaper deal with Virgin I asked if I could do away with the landline. They said it's part of the deal and if I wanted to lose the landline it would break the deal and will end up costing more.

I have no need for the landline anymore but it seems I just can't get rid of it. It just sits there doing nothing and it's annoying that I do have to pay for it one way or another including the line rental rip off fee.

They didn't ask me..They just did it.