Get a Minimalist Phone
A second, simpler phone for when you're out, or one that replaces your iPhone.
For outings, or instead of your iPhone
For outings
Keep your iPhone at home
Getting a separate, minimalist phone for when you're out of the house is the simplest way to test run things. You get to choose when you're disconnected from your phone.
Figure out what essentials you need when you're on the go, and find the phone that has them. For most, this is: texting, maps, Uber, music, tickets, notes.
Stays home
Goes with you
Important texts can reach you through Decaf or a forwarding app, or you can check in when you're home.
- Your number
- Stays on your iPhone. The second phone gets its own number, about $3–15 a month.
- Fallback
- Your iPhone at home, for banking, sign-in codes and photos.
Instead of your iPhone
Your number moves to the new phone
Moving to a minimalist phone as your primary device is the biggest lifestyle choice. Higher gain, higher friction.
Figure out which apps and features are most important to you, and which may cause you to want to switch back to a smartphone. Choose the solution that addresses most of these, and consider how you'll address anything left.
Your old iPhone
Goes with you
Every text arrives as a regular text. Turn off iMessage first.
- Your number
- Moves to the new phone. Before you switch, turn off iMessage and remove your number from Apple's iMessage list.
- Fallback
- None, unless you keep iMessage on a Mac or iPad, signed in with your Apple Account email.
Most of the phones below work either way. Where it makes a difference, the answer says so.
Keeping iMessage
Losing iMessage + iMessage group chats is one of the bigger hurdles people face in switching to a minimalist phone. We attempted to address this by designing an app that filters for time-sensitive iMessages on your Mac, and forwards only those to your minimalist phone. Lets you get the minimalist phone benefit of unplugging from the constant stream of texts, while keeping iMessage for when you have the space to reply.
Decaf
Made by us, the people behind this guide.
Decaf is a Mac app that filters your iMessages for what's important, and forwards only those to your Light Phone / dumb phone.
- What
- A Mac app that relays important texts from your Mac at home to your second phone.
- Reply
- Reply from your second phone, and your replies go out from your own number.
- Cost
- $20 once
- Needs
- A Mac that stays awake and online, your iPhone at home with Text Message Forwarding on, and a second line for the other phone.
Other ways to keep iMessage
Check in when you're home
Free. Your texts wait on your iPhone until you're back.
A forwarding app on your iPhone
These run on the iPhone you leave at home and forward your texts to your second phone, one way. You can't reply from the other phone, and the iPhone has to stay on. Fwrd is free for 15 texts a month, then $4.99 a month, needs iOS 26, and can filter by words or hours. PhoneLeash starts at $8.99 a month; forwarding to a phone is new for it.
A phone with iMessage built in
A $20 flip from dumb.co that signs in to iMessage itself, on its $20.99 or $25.99 monthly plans (4-month minimum). iMessages arrive even with your iPhone off; green texts and sign-in codes still need it on. It shows up to Apple as a Mac, so there's some risk Apple breaks it.
iMessage on an Android-based phone
For phones like the Minimal Phone 2 or Mudita Kompakt. BlueBubbles is free but needs a Mac that's always on. OpenBubbles needs a Mac once to set up; using your phone number takes an old iPhone left online, or its $16.99 a month hosted plan, which is currently full. Sunbird needs no Apple hardware and costs $2.99 a month, but your messages pass through its servers. All three can stop working if Apple changes things.
A cellular Apple Watch
If you want to leave the iPhone at home but don't need a different phone. Messages and calls come to your own number; regular texts need the iPhone on somewhere.
Moving your number for good
Turn iMessage off, then keep it on a Mac or iPad with your Apple Account email. Free. Group chats need to add you again by your email.
Checked October 2026.
The phones
Pick a phone to see its answers. Every phone answers the same questions, in the order people who've switched say they miss things most: maps, texting, WhatsApp, typing, the camera, work, banking, music.
All phones
Light Phone III · Touchscreen · Light's own tools, no app store
A thoughtfully designed phone with just the essentials: calls, texts, maps, music and a camera. No app store, no browser.
- Cost
- $899 unlocked, or $59/mo for 24 months (SIM-locked to Light)
- Availability
- Ships late Dec 2026
- iMessage
- Not on the phone. Light asks you to turn iMessage off.
- Group chats
- Supports group texts; no RCS. Some owners report missed group texts (reported).
- Maps
- Directions for driving, walking, cycling and some transit; needs data. The first GPS fix can take up to 30 minutes.
- WhatsApp & Signal
- No. Light's Signal tool is in development.
- Typing
- On-screen keyboard; voice-to-text needs data.
- Camera & photos
- 12 MP camera with photo, video and selfie modes. Photos sent by text are compressed.
- Banking & payments
- No bank apps or tap to pay. Carry a contactless card.
- Music & podcasts
- Your own music files (20 GB, one playlist) and a podcasts tool. No Spotify.
- Tickets & QR codes
- No. Print tickets or use the box office.
- Uber / rideshare
- Rideshare tool for Uber or Lyft through Tremp, which adds a fee of about 10%.
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Codes by text, plus a built-in authenticator since July 2026. Banks that require their own app won't work.
- Voice notes
- Audio messages since February 2026.
- Video calls
- No.
- Work apps & email
- No. Light says email and a browser will never be added.
- Hotspot
- Yes, if your plan allows it; it drains the battery.
- Battery
- 1–3 days, says Light.
- Carriers
- Light, AT&T, T-Mobile, Mint, US Mobile; Verizon in progress.
- Returns
- Defects only, within a year; refund if unshipped or still sealed.
Checked October 2026
Sunbeam F1 Pro · Flip · offline maps
A flip with offline maps, physical keys, and a hotspot on some models.
- Cost
- $359 unlocked (some colors $389). Optional Premium plan, $3.50/mo
- Availability
- In stock
- iMessage
- No.
- Group chats
- Sunbeam says group texts work with iPhone and Android on the Pro models; no RCS.
- Maps
- Waze or HERE offline maps; search and traffic need Premium ($3.50/mo).
- WhatsApp & Signal
- No WhatsApp. The Walnut and Poplar models will message Signal users.
- Typing
- Physical keypad.
- Camera & photos
- A basic camera; picture messaging on most models.
- Banking & payments
- No bank apps or tap to pay. Carry a contactless card.
- Music & podcasts
- Not documented.
- Tickets & QR codes
- No. Print tickets or use the box office.
- Uber / rideshare
- By phone call or text: Uber's Call to Ride line, Tremp or GoGoGrandparent.
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Codes by text.
- Voice notes
- Not documented.
- Video calls
- No.
- Work apps & email
- Email on some models, such as Juniper and Spruce. No Slack.
- Hotspot
- On some models, such as Aspen, Cypress, Maple, Juniper and Walnut.
- Battery
- Not documented.
- Carriers
- Unlocked. Not Visible, Spectrum or US Cellular; on AT&T, no hotspot.
- Returns
- 30 days from receipt, $30 restocking fee.
Checked October 2026
TCL Flip 3 · Flip · Verizon
A cheap way to try a flip, if you're on Verizon.
- Cost
- $99.99 at Verizon; a $40 activation fee may apply
- Availability
- In stock
- iMessage
- No.
- Group chats
- The seller says group messaging isn't supported; some owners say it works (reported).
- Maps
- Google Maps from its app store (reported).
- WhatsApp & Signal
- No. WhatsApp left these phones in 2025.
- Typing
- Physical keypad.
- Camera & photos
- Not documented.
- Banking & payments
- No bank apps or tap to pay. Carry a contactless card.
- Music & podcasts
- Not documented.
- Tickets & QR codes
- No. Print tickets or use the box office.
- Uber / rideshare
- By phone call or text.
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Codes by text.
- Voice notes
- Not documented.
- Video calls
- No.
- Work apps & email
- No.
- Hotspot
- Not documented.
- Battery
- Not documented.
- Carriers
- Verizon.
- Returns
- Verizon's policy.
Checked October 2026
Dumbphone 2 · Flip · from dumb.co, plan required
A $20 flip with iMessage, maps and rideshare on its plans, if you're fine paying monthly.
- Cost
- $20 phone + a dumb.co plan, $15.99–25.99/mo, 4-month minimum
- Availability
- In stock
- iMessage
- Yes, on the $20.99 and $25.99 plans, through a third-party app (maker's claim). Green texts only while your iPhone is on.
- Group chats
- A setting in its texting app; owners report mixed results (reported).
- Maps
- Included on all plans.
- WhatsApp & Signal
- Synced on its plans (reported); dumb.co's pages disagree on whether Signal comes with every plan.
- Typing
- Physical keypad.
- Camera & photos
- Not documented.
- Banking & payments
- No wallet or bank apps. dumb.co suggests sign-in codes by text for banks.
- Music & podcasts
- Not documented.
- Tickets & QR codes
- Not documented.
- Uber / rideshare
- Rideshare on all plans.
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Codes by text.
- Voice notes
- Not documented.
- Video calls
- Not documented.
- Work apps & email
- Not documented.
- Hotspot
- Not documented.
- Battery
- Not documented.
- Carriers
- Its own SIM only, on T-Mobile.
- Returns
- Defects replaced; billing runs to the 4-month minimum.
Checked October 2026
Mudita Kompakt · E Ink touchscreen · offline tools
E Ink, offline maps, up to 6 days of battery, and a switch that cuts the microphones and radio.
- Cost
- $399, no subscription
- Availability
- In stock
- iMessage
- Only through OpenBubbles, installed unofficially; several owners report it working (reported).
- Group chats
- Group texts since a November 2025 update; no RCS. Owners report missed group texts after switching (reported).
- Maps
- Built-in offline maps.
- WhatsApp & Signal
- Only by installing apps from outside a store. Mudita warns apps that need Google services may not work well.
- Typing
- On-screen keyboard on a 4.3-inch E Ink screen.
- Camera & photos
- Has a camera.
- Banking & payments
- Bank apps only by installing them from outside a store, and they may not work. Carry a contactless card.
- Music & podcasts
- Not documented.
- Tickets & QR codes
- Not documented.
- Uber / rideshare
- Only by installing apps from outside a store; reliability unverified.
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Codes by text. Authenticator apps have to be installed from outside a store.
- Voice notes
- Not documented.
- Video calls
- Not documented.
- Work apps & email
- Only by installing apps from outside a store.
- Hotspot
- Not documented.
- Battery
- Up to 6 days. A switch cuts the microphones and cellular radio.
- Carriers
- Tested on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon (maker's claim).
- Returns
- 14 days.
Checked October 2026
Wisephone II · Touchscreen · curated apps, subscription
The closest to a smartphone here, with Uber, Spotify and bank apps, but you can't add apps yourself.
- Cost
- $399 + $39 activation, plus a required WiseOS subscription, $14.99/mo
- Availability
- In stock
- iMessage
- No; you can't install apps yourself.
- Group chats
- Group and picture texts over RCS. Its maker says texts with iPhones can slip back to plain SMS.
- Maps
- Google Maps and Waze.
- WhatsApp & Signal
- Both, in the Wisephone app drawer.
- Typing
- On-screen keyboard.
- Camera & photos
- Has a camera; picture texts, yes.
- Banking & payments
- Venmo, Cash App and bank apps (reported); Google Wallet (reported).
- Music & podcasts
- Spotify, with thumbnails hidden and video podcasts off.
- Tickets & QR codes
- Depends on the app.
- Uber / rideshare
- Uber (Lyft reported).
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- A built-in two-factor tool, plus codes by text.
- Voice notes
- Not documented.
- Video calls
- Not documented.
- Work apps & email
- Not documented.
- Hotspot
- On Techless's Pro plan only.
- Battery
- Not documented.
- Carriers
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Ting, Tello, US Mobile.
- Returns
- 14 days; restocking $25 sealed, $55 opened. If the subscription goes unpaid for 90 days, the phone is wiped.
Checked October 2026
Meadow · Small touchscreen · its own number, plan required
Small, with Spotify and Uber, and a number of its own, so your main number stays on your iPhone.
- Cost
- $449 + a required plan, $15–35/mo
- Availability
- For outings only
- iMessage
- No. It has its own number; texts to your iPhone number never reach it.
- Group chats
- Not stated by the maker; you may miss group chats (reported).
- Maps
- Yes.
- WhatsApp & Signal
- Not listed; there's no app store.
- Typing
- Small touchscreen keyboard.
- Camera & photos
- Has a camera.
- Banking & payments
- Not listed; there's no app store.
- Music & podcasts
- Spotify and Apple Music.
- Tickets & QR codes
- Not documented.
- Uber / rideshare
- Uber (no Lyft, reported).
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Only codes sent to its own number.
- Voice notes
- Not documented.
- Video calls
- Not documented.
- Work apps & email
- Not listed; there's no app store.
- Hotspot
- Not documented.
- Battery
- Not documented.
- Carriers
- Its own number on T-Mobile; US only.
- Returns
- 14 days from delivery, must pass inspection.
Checked October 2026
An app-free iPhone · An old iPhone, stripped down
If you already have an old iPhone, all it costs to try is a second line.
- Cost
- A used iPhone SE, about $98–144, plus a second line
- Availability
- Buy used, works on any carrier
- iMessage
- Yes. Signed in to your main Apple Account, it gets every iMessage, the full stream.
- Group chats
- Full iMessage groups, if it uses your main Apple Account.
- Maps
- Apple Maps or Google Maps.
- WhatsApp & Signal
- Yes, if you choose to keep them.
- Typing
- The full iPhone keyboard.
- Camera & photos
- A full iPhone camera.
- Banking & payments
- Bank apps and Apple Pay, if you keep them.
- Music & podcasts
- Any app you keep.
- Tickets & QR codes
- Apple Wallet and the camera.
- Uber / rideshare
- The Uber and Lyft apps, if you keep them.
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Authenticator apps work. Codes sent to your main number stay on the iPhone at home.
- Voice notes
- Yes.
- Video calls
- FaceTime.
- Work apps & email
- Any you choose to keep.
- Hotspot
- Yes.
- Battery
- Not documented.
- Carriers
- Any.
- Returns
- Depends on where you buy it.
- Locking it down
- Assistive Access, Apple's simplified big-button mode. Only as strong as its passcode, so have someone else set and keep it.
Checked October 2026
Light Flip · Flip · Light's tools
Light's tools on a flip, with a physical keypad and a replaceable battery.
- Cost
- $349 unlocked, or $39/mo for 24 months (SIM-locked to Light)
- Availability
- Ships May 2027
- iMessage
- Not on the phone. Light asks you to turn iMessage off.
- Group chats
- Not documented yet; the phone is still a prototype.
- Maps
- Directions are listed among its tools.
- WhatsApp & Signal
- No.
- Typing
- Physical keypad with predictive text.
- Camera & photos
- 12 MP rear camera; picture texting not yet documented.
- Banking & payments
- No bank apps or tap to pay. Carry a contactless card.
- Music & podcasts
- Music and podcasts tools are listed.
- Tickets & QR codes
- No. Print tickets or use the box office.
- Uber / rideshare
- Rideshare is listed among Light's tools.
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Codes by text, and an authenticator is listed.
- Voice notes
- Audio messaging is listed.
- Video calls
- No.
- Work apps & email
- No.
- Hotspot
- Listed among its tools.
- Battery
- About 1.5 days (estimate); the battery is replaceable.
- Carriers
- Same list as the Light Phone III.
- Returns
- Unlocked pre-order: full refund before shipping. Bundle pre-order: cancelling forfeits the first month.
Checked October 2026
Minimal Phone 2 · Keyboard · Android-based, 4-inch color screen
A physical keyboard and Android apps, for people who still need a few.
- Cost
- $599 (256 GB) or $699 (512 GB) on pre-order, no subscription
- Availability
- Ships Dec 2026
- iMessage
- Through OpenBubbles (reported). With the free setup, iMessage uses your Apple Account email, not your number.
- Group chats
- Not stated by the maker.
- Maps
- Through Play Store apps (maker's claim).
- WhatsApp & Signal
- Through the Play Store (maker's claim); not yet on Google's certified list.
- Typing
- A physical, backlit keyboard.
- Camera & photos
- 50 MP rear camera.
- Banking & payments
- Depends on the app; the maker says to ask before buying.
- Music & podcasts
- Through the apps you install.
- Tickets & QR codes
- Depends on the app.
- Uber / rideshare
- Through the Play Store (maker's claim).
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Codes by text; authenticator apps through the Play Store (maker's claim).
- Voice notes
- Through the apps you install.
- Video calls
- Through the apps you install.
- Work apps & email
- Through the Play Store (maker's claim).
- Hotspot
- Not documented.
- Battery
- 3,400 mAh.
- Carriers
- No list yet; check with the maker first.
- Returns
- 14 days from shipping, like new, 20% restocking fee.
Checked October 2026
Amoeba One · Keychain-sized touchscreen · Kickstarter
Keychain-sized, for leaving the house with as little as possible. It's on Kickstarter, so delivery isn't guaranteed.
- Cost
- $94–129 on Kickstarter (campaign ends Nov 27, 2026). Optional plan $15/mo
- Availability
- Estimated delivery Oct 2027
- iMessage
- Not mentioned by the maker.
- Group chats
- Not documented.
- Maps
- Built in (maker's claim).
- WhatsApp & Signal
- Apps come only from Amoeba's own library; WhatsApp not confirmed.
- Typing
- Not documented.
- Camera & photos
- A pop-out camera (maker's claim).
- Banking & payments
- Not documented.
- Music & podcasts
- Not documented.
- Tickets & QR codes
- Not documented.
- Uber / rideshare
- Built in (maker's claim).
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Not documented.
- Voice notes
- Not documented.
- Video calls
- Not documented.
- Work apps & email
- Not documented.
- Hotspot
- Not documented.
- Battery
- Not documented.
- Carriers
- No US band or carrier list yet; the creator says Mint works (maker's claim).
- Returns
- No return policy. Kickstarter says rewards aren't guaranteed.
Checked October 2026
Before you buy
Check your carrier
Not every phone works on every network. Light's phones don't work on Google Fi, Cricket, Metro or Spectrum. Sunbeam's don't work on Visible or Spectrum. Check the maker's compatibility page before you order.
Price a second line
For outings, the second phone needs its own number. A talk-and-text line costs about $3–15 a month: Tello from $5, US Mobile from $8, Mint $15. Light's own plan is $25.
Check the return policy
They vary a lot. Sunbeam gives you 30 days, with a $30 fee. Mudita, Wisephone and Meadow give you 14 days. Light only takes returns for defects, unless the box is still sealed. A cheap flip is the easiest way to try this first.