New program challenges smartphone addiction with souped-up flip phones
The Story
A single-source report from The Guardian describes a program called Month Offline (MO) that challenged 28 New York residents to use a modified flip phone for the entire month of March. The program is run by dumb.co, a tech startup that sells “dumbphones” and aims to reduce reliance on smartphones.
Key Facts
- Participants paid $75 to participate in MO and another $25 to dumb.co for the device.
- The MO cohort used a discontinued TCL Flip 2 phone that was upgraded with apps including WhatsApp, iMessage, Google Maps, Uber, and Microsoft 2FA.
- Danny Hogenkamp, 31, is CEO and co-founder of dumb.co. He previously founded Grassroots Analytics, a data and technology firm specializing in fundraising for progressive causes.
- Hogenkamp received a flip phone as a joke from his roommate in 2023.
- MO began in early 2025. By December 2025, Hogenkamp retired from Grassroots to focus on dumb.co.
- More than 1,000 people are active dumbphone users, paying $20 for the device and as low as $15 per month for a text, call and data plan.
- 300 people have signed up for MO in the past year.
- Women make up about three-quarters of dumbphone users, with an average age of 24, mostly residing in Washington DC and New York.
- The company’s “dumb OS” was updated on 1 May with a weather app, music streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts), and a version of the messaging app Yik Yak.
- Dumb.co operates MO at a loss, and does not advertise on social media.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
No open questions identified in the source article.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Danny Hogenkamp – CEO and co-founder of dumb.co
- Grant Besner – former MO participant, left dumb.co in April
- Danielle Hirshberg – early investor and chair of dumb.co’s board
- Lydia Peabody – chief dumb organizer (chief marketing officer)
- Jack Nugent – software engineer, designed dumb OS
- Tali deGroot – Hogenkamp’s partner, political strategist
Sources: The Guardian
