How to Use PhlipFone

PhlipFone turns your iPhone into a calmer, retro-inspired flip phone experience. It is designed to make everyday phone use feel simpler, warmer, and more intentional.

Getting Started

When you open PhlipFone, you will see either:

• the closed phone view, which shows the external display, or

• the open phone view, which shows the full flip-phone interface

Open the phone

On the closed screen, swipe up on the notch to open PhlipFone.

Close the phone

On the open screen, swipe down to close the phone.

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Main Features

Dialer

The Dialer is the basic phone screen.

From here you can:

• enter a phone number using the keypad

• tap CALL to place a call

• tap MENU to access the rest of the app

To delete digits:

• tap # to backspace

• use the delete key on screen when available

To exit the PhlipFone interface:

• hold * and then # for 3 seconds

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Menu

The Menu gives access to the main features:

• Camera

• 8Ball

• Dial

• Phonebook

• Text

• Calculator

• Alarm Clock

• Settings

• Credits

To move through menu items:

• press 2 to move up

• press 8 to move down

• press 5 to select

• press # to go back

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Text

PhlipFone includes a retro-style text composition interface.

Entering a phone number

In the first TEXT screen:

• use the keypad to enter the recipient’s phone number

• press 5 or NEXT to continue

• press # to backspace

• press CANCEL to leave text mode

Writing a message

PhlipFone uses a classic multi-tap keypad style for text entry.

Examples:

• key 2 cycles through A, B, C

• key 3 cycles through D, E, F

• and so on

Helpful text controls:

• tap a number key to cycle letters

• long-press a number key to enter the number itself

• 0 inserts a space

• # deletes the last character

• * changes capitalization mode

Capitalization modes cycle through:

• lowercase

• sentence case

• uppercase

When your message is ready:

• press SEND

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Phonebook

PhlipFone can store a small set of favorite contacts for a simpler phonebook experience.

You can:

• import contacts from your iPhone

• scroll through saved entries

• dial a selected contact

• delete saved entries

Controls:

• 2 / 8 navigate

• 5 dials the selected entry

• * deletes the selected entry

• IMPORT opens the contact picker

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Camera

PhlipFone includes a retro camera mode with a deliberately old-school feel.

From Camera mode, you can:

• take a photo

• retake a photo

• save the photo

• send the photo by text message

Controls:

• SHOT takes a photo

• RETAKE clears the current photo

• SAVE saves it to Photos

• SEND starts the picture-message flow

• BACK returns to the menu

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Calculator

PhlipFone includes a simple calculator with number entry on the keypad.

Basic use:

• press number keys to enter digits

• long-press certain keys for math operations

• press CLEAR to reset

• press DONE to return

Calculator operator shortcuts:

• hold 2 for +

• hold 8 for −

• hold 4 for ×

• hold 6 for ÷

• hold 5 for =

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Alarm Clock

PhlipFone includes an alarm screen with a retro-style setup flow.

You can:

• turn the alarm on or off

• set hour, minute, and AM/PM

• stop a ringing alarm

Controls:

• 4 / 6 move between fields

• 2 / 8 adjust values

• 5 toggles the alarm on/off

• if the alarm is ringing, 5 stops it

• # goes back

If notification permissions are denied, alarm notification behavior may be limited.

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8Ball

The 8Ball feature is a playful built-in extra.

To use it:

• open 8Ball from the menu

• ask a question

• turn the phone upside down or shake it

• receive an answer

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Reward System

PhlipFone includes a gentle reward system designed to make staying in the app feel encouraging.

On the closed screen, you may see:

• a smiley companion

• a points odometer

• visual reward changes as you spend time in PhlipFone

The reward system is meant to be warm and playful, not stressful or competitive.

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Settings

PhlipFone includes several settings you can change from the Settings menu.

Sounds

You can choose how keypad tones behave.

Options include:

• CLICK

• DTMF

You can also turn the boot fanfare on or off.

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Wake Into PF

This setting controls whether the app prefers to return to its closed PhlipFone state when active again.

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Reward System

You can control reward features, including:

• Reward System on/off

• Closed Screen rewards on/off

• Milestones on/off

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Case Color

You can choose the visual case color for the phone shell.

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Permissions

Depending on which features you use, PhlipFone may request access to:

• Camera for taking photos

• Photos for saving images

• Contacts for importing phonebook entries

• Notifications for alarm behavior

PhlipFone only uses these permissions for the related feature.

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Tips

• Use the closed phone view when you want the simpler, calmer feel of the external display

• Use MENU to quickly switch features

• The reward system is easiest to notice on the closed screen

• If something feels stuck, close and reopen the phone view

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Troubleshooting

The alarm does not behave as expected

Make sure Notifications are allowed for PhlipFone in iPhone Settings.

I cannot import contacts

Make sure Contacts access is allowed for PhlipFone in iPhone Settings.

I cannot save photos

Make sure Photos access is allowed for PhlipFone in iPhone Settings.

The app feels different from a normal iPhone app

That is intentional. PhlipFone is designed to feel slower, simpler, and more like an old flip phone.