Making My Phone into a PDA
I recently got a new phone but didn’t install any social media apps. I even uninstalled YouTube. The phone I got is a Pixel 8a, replacing my old Samsung S10+, which was no longer receiving software updates. Its screen was also shattered in one corner—something that had happened to me before. Given the age of the phone, replacing the screen didn’t make sense.
With that out of the way, I decided to turn my phone into a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). I got the idea after watching a video by Ashtf titled Building My Dream Productivity Device, where he built his PDA using an ESP32 and a custom circuit board. This inspired me to research what exactly a PDA is. Although I had a vague understanding from watching LTT, I decided to ask ChatGPT. From my quick search, I learned that a PDA typically includes a calendar, contact list, task list, notes, basic internet and email browsing—essentially, it’s the predecessor to the smartphone.
Why turn my phone into a PDA? Well, smartphones are essentially fancy PDAs, but they’re also full of distractions. According to Exploding Topics, we spend about 3 hours and 30 minutes daily on our phones, and that time isn’t just for calls. Much of it is spent on social media and entertainment. I know I’m often on YouTube, and I wanted to stop wasting time and relying on my phone as a crutch.
So, I made some changes. I found the Pixel Launcher unsatisfactory, so I switched to the Niagara Launcher. I also uninstalled YouTube and YouTube Music. Instead, I installed.
- Libby: For library books.
- A local music app: To play music from local storage, avoiding cloud services.
- Notion: For taking notes.
- AnkiDroid: For flashcards.
- A to-do list app.
- A password manager: For securing my accounts.
One bonus is better battery life. Since I’m not frequently on my phone, the battery lasts longer. If I spend the day listening to music or an audiobook, the battery drops by only about 20%. For social media, I now prefer using my laptop or tablet. This way, I stay aware that I’m consciously choosing to go online, rather than mindlessly scrolling. Does this make me more productive? Yes and no. Yes, because I’m not idly watching content on my phone while doing other things. No, because I might still use other devices for that purpose. However, it’s still better than being distracted while walking between places.
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