Do you ever turn your mobile off ...

My only phone is my mobile and it stays in my living room or, lately, I have started taking it with me when I go out in my car. It is purely and simply a tool, not attached to me

I switch sound off at night time I can't stand the irritating notifications.

Marydoll

Mine is on all the time, because of my health issues, either to receive medical updates or if I need to call for help if I'm unwell.

Same here.

Redhead56

I switch sound off at night time I can't stand the irritating notifications.

You may know this already, but you can easily switch off notifications other than those you really need. I am just notified of texts, calendar events that I have asked to be reminded of and incoming calls - everything else has to wait until I decide to check.

We have a perfectly satisfactory landline at home, so I am never cut off from the phone.

I dislike mobile phones at a practical level, their shape and size make them very uncomfortable to hold for any period, and the screen size is too small, the icons and letters too small to use with any comfort.

I have dyspraxia, this means my fine motor control is not good and I have sequencing problems. My mind says key in 123, my fingers enter 312. Transfer this type of error to instructions and hitting icons and it causes endless problems.

Add to this that the tips of my fingers on my right hand are numb and you can understand why I do not use a mobile phone when I can use a landline phone which is a shape that is comfortable to hold and has depressable keys, albeit quite small, that I can cope with.

I have a mobile phone and I use it - I rang DH from the hair dresser this morning because I forgot to put lunch in the oven before I left the house, but give me a landline phone everytime, comfortable to hold and easy to use.

I have family members who have mental health problems, so I like to be available at all times to take a call. I also like it to hand as I live alone, in case I get into difficulties as I age. All my clothes have pockets, sometimes deliberately enlarged, for carrying my phone, and it is on my bedside cabinet at night. Even when I am in the bath every morning I have the phone within reach.
DD1 texts me each morning to check on me, which tells me that she is OK, and I reply to show that I am all right.

We're just back from a lovely picturesque local pub which recently re opened. To our amazement it was completely empty. At Friday lunchtime. All became clear though. It has a no digital policy. Mobile phones or tablets are simply not allowed. It's their policy and is enforced by staff. That was fine by us but, obviously, others were voting with their feet. Younger people just expect to be able to check their phones, photograph each other and their meals and send texts. Sadly, I suspect the shutters might be back up at that lovely pub.

I turn it off if I’m in church and put in on aeroplane mode if I’m on a plane.

I never turn my phone off.

I have cancelled most notifications, and at night have a Do Not Disturb list that only allows one person through - I promised them in a very low point of their lives that my phone would always be on for them. In church, theatres etc, I have it meticulously on silent.

BT has kindly informed me that they are going digital in my area (Manchester) so if the broadband goes off then so does the landline. So far have made do with 2 PAYG mobiles - an old dumb one and a nickynoname smart one. I am now going to have to buy an EE "bundle" for the smartphone but have no idea which one to get. My nephew is going to research them and advise me.

I hate having to rely on a mobile but there it is.

I seldom turn mine off, as I have difficulty remembering the code I have to tap in to start it again!

I always turn the ringing sound off in waiting rooms etc. and formerly never walked around with my phone on me unless I was waiting for someone to phone me.

Now, that my husband is seriously ill, I have to have it turned on and near me, so his consultants etc. can reach me.

I don't need to be contacted urgently or check on others like lots of people do. But when I check my emails more than once a day I think of someone who said its like contantly opening the front door to see if someone is there!!

That's interesting Aveline. I wonder what will happen. I'm not sure what I think about that one, really. I don't like being out with people who are always on their phones and as I've said I have mine switched to silent when I'm with friends, but I don't like being told what to do either, so I might resent the dictatorial nature of it.

Another phone-related issue is people checking on everything that's said. It drives me mad . It's difficult to have a conversation nowadays without someone googling - either to check the accuracy or to add information that takes the conversation in another direction. A friend of mine is dreadful for this. The tiniest detail is cross-checked and any minor inaccuracies are corrected. You could say something like 'I remember when that happened - it must have been about 1978' and five minutes of close phone scrutiny later she will interrupt the new flow of the conversation to say 'Actually, it was 1979 - it says here that. . .'.

Even on the phone you can tell she's checking every detail on her iPad, so if you say 'Oh, X is moving house', she's googling the Estate Agent to find her old one to see how much it's up for, and the new one so she can comment on the carpets. Am I the only one to find this infuriating?

It's next to me at the moment because I'm in a group chat but usually it's somewhere in the kitchen, in a handbag and by the time I get to it, any caller has given up.

We still use a landline mostly for calls.

I know someone like that as well Doodledog and it's annoying. Any small question is met

I hardly use mine except when away from home on a trip. Recently, I asked DS to change the SIM card for one I'd been given to try out as my usually provider was discontinuing 3G and my fingers are very arthritic. He managed to lose not only the original Sim but also the packaging for the new one in a matter of seconds! What neither of us had registered was that this would mean I would lose my original number. Someone advised me to phone my original provider and explain the situ as well as that I don't have an on-line contract and always buy vouchers.... She wanted my password for my on line account, which I don't have! She then sent me a code which of course did not arrive as I no longer have the original Sim..... so she cut me off!!! Anyway I don't miss the mobile that much....and used often to have to turn the house upside down to find it. Might not bother to pursue the matter any further...

Sorry accidentally pressed post. Met with I'll just ask Google, grrr

I never had a mobile until my husband died in 2004. Since then whatever phone I have has never been turned off. I needed my parents and mother in law to always beable to contact me. And my children insisted I always had it on me. I was born disabled but still live a full lift but all my life I have fallen. I have used a walking stick since I was 29. And to go out as a family when the children were very young I went in a wheelchair.

Until 3 years ago I had limb jerks and seizures but thanks to my new neurologist I don't have either anymore after 32 years of suffering.

I have my phone on even to go too my bin..I have a landline but I don't use it but it's back up incase anything happens to my mobile.

My phone is a safety net for me. I have a rare hereditary neurological condition, hole in my heart and PAF. I always answer my phone night or day incase my daughter needs me or one of my friends.

I live alone my phone makes me feel safe. As I know I can get help when I need it. I really don't care if it rings when I am with others as these does to . Depends on who it is whether I talk to them start away or not.

I do everything on my Smartphone.

HelterSkelter1

I don't need to be contacted urgently or check on others like lots of people do. But when I check my emails more than once a day I think of someone who said its like contantly opening the front door to see if someone is there!!

That made me laugh HelterSkelter! 😁

My phone is on silent for texts. Why beep? They are non urgent messages and I will check now and again during the day. My phone (not a smartphone) is switched on constantly though for calls day & night. in case I’m needed. My stepfather for instance is 91y and lives alone.

Same as Jax. I’ve had various mobiles from the mid 80’s and my mobile goes everywhere with me - it was invaluable when DD2 was hospitalized and following her part-time return to school. I also had a role where I had to be on call for 24hours too.
Now, I live alone, so mine is for my security or should (God forbid) sudden illness or incident. I’ve called for help with a car breakdown, when witnessing a car accident and once found an injured man, whilst out dog waking years ago.
I also have DDs and friends who might need to contact me at strange hours too.
Added to that my step counter is on my phone.
I don’t check it constantly and have it on silent mode where necessary and switched off at funerals and weddings.

biglouis

Or deliberately leave it in another room?

I never have a phone in the bedroom unless Im expecting a very important call as I dont like to be woken up. There is a cordless phone in my upstairs office next door if I need to make a call.

I would never walk around the house with a phone in my hand as some folks do. Nothing is that interesting or imortant.

I guess it depends what's important to you....for me my 87 year old mum is very important and I need her to know she can call me 24/7 and I will respond soon as .....I switch my data off at night so no emails or WhatsApp come thru but would never switch my phone off

I don’t have a landline so my mobile is always on. It’s on silent from 10pm to 8am apart from my children. I always carry it with me in the garden or walking after an horrific experience of my mil falling and breaking her hip outside and no one hearing her calls for help. It’s usually within earshot as one daughter will text or ring most days just to check all is well as I live alone.

One of my greatest joys in life is going out without my mobile. It is turned off if i am at home.

I take my phone when I go out in case I’m run over by a bus. I rarely ever use it, I’d have to change my glasses and it’s too small and fiddly. I do use my iPad a great deal at home.

I like to have mine with me most of the time, but I only have notifications sounding for WhatsApp not email or adverts. At night it sits in a charging stand next to the bed. I find these days, I struggle to get myself out of bed before 9 ish so it's handy to have the phone there to check for delivery slots (Hello Fresh is a pain for turning up at 8 a.m. but not letting me know the slot before I go to bed!) or to check if I am required for emergency GC minding.

I don't take it in the garden though. I'm terrible at putting gardening tools down and forgetting them. I've spent quite a while this week searching for my favourite gardening knife with no luck. I know the minute I replace it, the original will turn up but I daren't risk leaving a phone outside!