11 Phone Habits from the ’90s That Make No Sense Today
These phone habits were normal in the ’90s but feel completely strange today.
- Daisy Montero
- 3 min read
Phones in the ’90s were a lot different. Most people carried bulky models and had to top them up at corner stores. Texting was slow, photos were blurry, and Snake was the only game in town. Here are 11 things we used to do with phones that no longer make sense.
1. Carrying the Brick
rfdigitalwpg on Wikimedia Commons
Phones in the ’90s were huge and heavy. People called them “bricks” because of their size and weight. You needed a big pocket just to carry one.
2. Buying Top-Up Cards
Espomi Galtski on Wikimedia Commons
You could not just load credit online. People had to buy top-up cards from stores to add minutes or texts. Losing that tiny paper meant no more calls.
3. Playing Snake for Hours
Toteemipaalu on Wikimedia Commons
Snake was the only game on most phones. It looked super basic but was weirdly addictive. Everyone tried to beat their high score.
4. Green Screens Only
smial (talk) on Wikimedia Commons
Phone screens had no colors, just green and black. Text and menus looked blocky and plain. Watching videos or scrolling wasn’t even an option.
5. Pulling Out the Antenna
Piecesofuk on Wikimedia Commons
Many phones had antennas that you pulled out for a better signal. Sometimes, you even had to extend it before making a call. It was easy to forget and snap it off.
6. Very Few Contacts
TheWikiGuardian on Wikimedia Commons
Phones back then held only a few numbers. If you knew a lot of people, you had to write the rest down. Some even kept paper phone books in their wallets.
7. Tapping Letters One by One
Marcosleal on Wikimedia Commons
Each number key had three letters on it. You had to tap the same button many times just to type one word. Texting was slow but felt like a skill.
8. The Flip Phone Snap
Ahunt on Wikimedia Commons
Flipping a phone open felt cool. Closing it with a snap after a call felt even better. People did it for fun even when no one was calling.
9. Blurry Phone Photos
Maurizio Pesce from Milan, Italia on Wikimedia Commons
Early phone cameras had very low quality. Photos came out grainy and often disappeared when you changed phones. People still thought it was amazing.
10. Calls That Always Dropped
Jaime Sabe on Wikimedia Commons
Calls cut out all the time. People had to move around just to get a better signal. “Can you hear me now?” was said daily.
11. Trips to the Corner Store for Credit
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You had to walk to the store to buy prepaid cards. They came with codes you scratched off and typed into your phone. There was no app, no auto-pay, just paper and luck.