Are House Phones and Flip Phones common?

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Yes, they have these “new-fangled” smart phones that somehow fold in half. Those are the only “flip phones” I’ve seen for a few years at least! As for home phones: maybe the elderly still have them? I call people as a small part of my job and I did encounter a landline about 10 years ago (I could tell because it just continued to ring and ring, only landlines do that as far as I know) but I believe that people who live in rehab homes/SNF (old folks homes and disabled people’s homes, basically) can have their own room phone, right? So there must be landlines in use (or has that changed too?). But, most able bodies adults (and children of any age really) have a mobile phone of some kind, and it’s always a smart one.

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BusyBeinBorn@reddit

Our neighborhood was built in 2018-2021 and never got wired for POTS.

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PeanutterButter101@reddit

Yes, they have these “new-fangled” smart phones that somehow fold in half.

They're not even a new concept, they've had concept art of those since the 2000's.

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Efficient_Advice_380@reddit

I have a few coworkers who have Z-folds and Z-flips

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ALoungerAtTheClubs@reddit

Yes, I'm on my second Z Flip and love 'em. There's just something really satisfying to me about snapping the phone closed. And having a second screen on the front is kind of cool.

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brzantium@reddit

Everyone I've met that has one loves them, but I haven't met many of people that have them.

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famousanonamos@reddit

It really is satisfying, but the best part is my phone fits in my small women's pockets and small bags.

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oh_such_rhetoric@reddit

This sounds really nice, but I think the perpetual crease in the middle where it folds would drive me absolutely bonkers.

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Pemminpro@reddit

Don't even notice it on mine unless im actively looking for it. They did a really good job in engineering the phone in a way where your eye is drawn away from it.

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exoticsamsquanch@reddit

NYC/ NJ area old school flip phones are used heavily by certain population.

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PeanutterButter101@reddit

certain population

You can just say it man.

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Buckabuckaw@reddit

House phones and flip phones are most commonly used by the elderly and cognitively impaired, because "smart phones" offer too many choices and too many separate skill sets for a person whose cognition is narrowing.

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DiscontentDonut@reddit

I think we all associate non-smart flip phones with drug dealers. House phones...I think it's incredibly rare, but they're still out there.

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NCErin@reddit

No to both.

My brother (b. 1980, m. 2005) still has a landline but I’ve not called it since his kids got cell phones.

My parents dropped their landline about 10 years ago.

I (b. 1984) had a landline in my first college apartment (circa 2003-2005) but I’ve not had one since.

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Dizzy_Description812@reddit

I can think of one person with a house phone and nobody with flip phone.

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HighFiveKoala@reddit

From my own experience, house phones and flip phones aren't common in 2026. Very few people have a landline phone and I've only seen flip phones (non-smartphone) with some older people and/or living in rural areas.

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GreenBeanTM@reddit

My family still has a home phone, but I don’t know anyone else who does, and I don’t know anyone with a flip phone (I did have one college roommate who got one of the android smart flip phones, but I have no idea if she still has it)

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Reasonable_Cat_4550@reddit

We have a home phone (not a true landline) through our internet provider. It worked when cell service went out during a city-wide flood emergency. My kids are learning to use a regular phone and might need to at their jobs one day (I have one at my desk at work). It prevents my kids from needing a cell phone while still having access to a phone in emergencies at home. Also, when taken off the internet provider plan it didn’t seem to lower the cost so I left it. It is rare though.

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Scarlet-Fire_77@reddit

Only younger person I know with a flip phone is a high-school girl I work with. She's the only one ever not distracted on their phone during the day.

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Olliecat27@reddit

I have a house phone but it's only connected to my apartment building callbox (80s building that's never been updated). Doesn't have actual service anymore.

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ZonicExplorer@reddit

There are rural areas of the country where cell phone service is still spotty and house phones are required. Statistically, these are small populations, but they are concentrated pockets where house phones are normal. Otherwise, there are still seniors here and there that prefer house phones. Most others have made the transition to cell phones.

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Yeegis@reddit

OP are you from 2002?

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only_because_I_can@reddit

My daughter has a landline in her home. Her kids are occasionally home alone and don't have their own cell phones yet, so they have a landline for emergency calls.

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ratchetcoutoure@reddit

Totally not common. I feel like only some businesses and some boomers still using landline, my aunt in law who live in Maryland still have it. And using it as her main communication means, she doesn't have any cellphone at all ever.

As for flip phone, it's the smart phone flip style that's I saw every now and then, but still not too common, since most Americans don't use Android phones. Maybe when Apple released their own flip phone, then it will become more common? We'll see.

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dowagermeow@reddit

My dad refuses to get a cell phone (this is gonna be really convenient when we go to the World Cup in a few weeks and he will literally have to be glued to my side at all times) and still relies on a landline. The landline is connected to the cable/internet, though, so if the power or internet goes out, you can’t reach him at all.

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marksman81991@reddit

You can also get a home phone that is Internet based. We had that at our apartment for a year or two.

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marksman81991@reddit

My parents finally gave up their home phone about 5 years ago. I still remember it to this day

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CountChoculasGhost@reddit

I don’t know anyone with a home phone anymore. I don’t have one. My parents don’t. My wife’s parents don’t. They still exist, but are uncommon.

Flip phones still exist, but again, pretty rare. I feel like they may be somewhat common among younger people (as in children) and older people. Both groups that don’t “need” smartphone features.

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steveofthejungle@reddit

My 91 year old grandpa did, but he died a year ago, so now I don’t know anyone with a home phone. I’d imagine it’s mostly old people

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mitchdwx@reddit

My 94 year old grandpa still has one too. It’s his only connection to the outside world as he still lives without a cell phone and internet.

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Scav-STALKER@reddit

I do, but only because the Internet provider in the area will only give you internet with a phone line as well

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Dragosal@reddit

It's been almost 10years since my parents got rid of the house phone. The company that provided it literally told them to get rid of it because it was a waste. The only calls we got were spam

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Ok_Jackfruit2612@reddit

I have not had a land line in 19 years. I don't think I've had a flip phone for 17 years.

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Zappagrrl02@reddit

Some old people still have landlines, but it’s not very common anymore.

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whitedogz@reddit

House phones are often called land-lines and are rare. Non-smart flip phones are rare as well. Smart flip phones are trending 😃

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claudiatiedemann@reddit

I don’t have a house phone anymore but I would get one if I moved back to Florida. When I lived there the cell phone towers went out several times when there were hurricanes. Few people have flip phones these days but I know some religious Jews who have them because they limit their internet usage.

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brzantium@reddit

My parents still have their home phone...and an answering machine. They are the only people I know that do. Flip phones are pretty niche, but I know the r/dumbphones was one the fastest growing subs here not too long ago.

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Head_Razzmatazz7174@reddit

Some older people might still have house phones. I haven't seen a flip phone in years, but I have seen ads from a phone company that is trying to bring them back.

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Kittalia@reddit

I know a lot of people with elementary aged kids who either have a home phone or a household non smart phone that functions as a home phone. If you ever want to leave your kids home alone it's good for them to have a way to contact you and a dumb phone is one solution. (Other solutions—kids smart watch, certain smart home devices, giving your kid an iPhone at age 8, being a helicopter parent who doesn't let them have any independence.)

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DoublePostedBroski@reddit

House phones are pretty much non-existent now. Actually, new homes are built without the wiring for them.

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Weary-Barracuda-1228@reddit

I haven’t had a house phone since I was a kid

No I’m not that old, I’m 21, my parents were just “old-fashioned” and preferred to have a Landline house phone.

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Jub1982@reddit

The number of each is decreasing rapidly. I do know a few people that refuse to move past their flip phones though.

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Responsible_Web_7578@reddit

What is their reasoning for not moving past their flip phones? Just curious.

In a way, I commend that. These smart phones have taken over everything including a large portion of your time from mindless doom scrolling. My phone is my entertainment, wallet, house key, car key, updates me on school/work related stuff…it’s amazing but you can’t get away from it🥴

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Jub1982@reddit

The flip phone is pretty technologically advanced already for them

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PeanutterButter101@reddit

You think so? My dad was in his late 60's when he switched to a smart phone and adapted quickly to it, and he didn't have a tech background.

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Jub1982@reddit

These people have zero interest in getting more technology advanced. It’s not an age thing, it’s desire.

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LivingGhost371@reddit

If you just want to make phone calls with your phone a flip phone is objectively better with a smaller size and longer battery life.

Personally I do have a smart phone, but only use it for phone calls, texting, and maps. I don't see how it's better to use your phone to pay instead of your credit card, or ordering a cheesburger with your phone instead of telling the drive-thru speaker what you want.

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OkayDay21@reddit

You didn’t ask me but I have a friend who says he just doesn’t see the need for a smart phone. He’s 75 and has no interest in upgrading. He says he doesn’t want to be a zombie, which I used to roll my eyes at but now I’m kinda like… maybe Paddy isn’t the crazy one.

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Just_curious4567@reddit

We have a free landline through Google. No one I know has a flip phone

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LunarVolcano@reddit

Both are rare now, but were very common 15 years ago

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millenz@reddit

There is a bit of a resurgence, particularly in households with children whom you may not want to have smartphones yet.

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Soggy-Attempt@reddit

Only people with a land line are over 70. Flip phones are a never specific niche so you don’t see them.

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hopopo@reddit

I still have a "land line" however, not it is a VoIP because land lines were disconnected by phone companies.

Jewish sects are known for using flip phones.

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MomRaccoon@reddit

Some of us need land lines. Cell reception can be very spotty in rural areas.

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CaptainAwesome06@reddit

I only see old people with either.

My in-laws pay more for their flip phones than they would for a smart phone.

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CraftFamiliar5243@reddit

In my circle landlines are mostly still owned by older people out of habit. I'm not sure why they still pay for it because when I visit they completely ignore incoming calls on it and admit that they only get spam calls on it. They have cellphones and use them for all phone calls. I guess they keep it in case the cell network goes down.

In my valley the landlines are all VOIP thru the fiber cable provider and after Helene everything went down, including the fiber and cell signal, so the landlines weren't even helpful in a real emergency. I suppose in some areas the landline is still connected to a dedicated phone line.

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Remarkable_Table_279@reddit

I know two friends who have/had home phones. One was just because of her security system requiring it so she made it one that you had to pay to call out. She’s moved and I doubt she still has it. The other couple uses it (or did we don’t meet as often since Covid) & even have a physical answering machine

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Duque_de_Osuna@reddit

Not too much.

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BigDougSp@reddit

I still have my house phones... but i never use them.

Haven't had a flip phone in over a decade.

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GreyHorse_BlueDragon@reddit

Not anymore. They used to be, but they’re pretty rare now.

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MetroBS@reddit

Where are you from OP?

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Grombrindal18@reddit

The only reason why my parents still have a house phone is because my mom is hearing impaired, and she gets captions on a special phone.

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kukooforkoko@reddit

My parents (in their 80’s) still have a landline. And thank god, cause it’s the only phone number I still have memorized lol.

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Spirited-Way2406@reddit

I kept an old push-button phone plugged into our house line for many, many years because you may be able to recharge a cell phone somewhere if disaster strikes, but you will have house line service on an old phone as soon as the phone company gets their generator running and for as long as they can run it. Had to shut it off five years ago when our finances went to Hell.

My teenager has requested a flip phone that only does calls and texts because he is having trouble staying off his phone at bedtime. I have to talk to my provider about compatibility.

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FireHammer09@reddit

No, except for the elderly who have Obama-phones

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dobbydisneyfan@reddit

The only people I know with house phones are those in remote areas, older people, or occasionally families with young kids who aren’t old enough for phones yet.

Occasionally, flip phones are given to kids before they’re ready for smartphones. A residential house I used to work at would also have flip phones for teens who earned that privilege. We also used a flip phone when we were on outings with the kids. They also had landlines lol.

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OhThrowed@reddit

I know a few folks with a house phone, but, it's tied in with their cell phone/number.

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HerdingCatsAllDay@reddit

We have this, our house has its own number but it is part of our cell plan.

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BreadfruitTasty@reddit

Well if you’re over 70, yes! But otherwise no.

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msh0082@reddit

Landlines are becoming less and less common. I haven't had one for the last 15+ years and my Boomer parents are getting rid of theirs soon.

If you're referring to flip phones as in mobile phones; yes they were popular in the pre-smartphone era but not anymore. You are seeing some flip smartphones these days with foldable screens.

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MinuteContest128@reddit

My dad has a land line, it’s one of those those for DHH folks which we only use when we both need to be on a call (for insurance, medical, etc). He also has a cell phone that feeds right into his hearing aids. Now that I think of it, I know quite a few people with landlines. We live in a small town with a lot of countryside which doesn’t have good/any cell service though.

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da_chicken@reddit

Flip phones went out of fashion as soon as the iPhone dropped. House phones have been going out of fashion for 25 years. Except for business lines, they're gone. Even the boomers dropped them.

Although, with the current response to screen time, I they might get a little more common. Dumb mobile phones for kids and teenagers might get more popular, as smartphones for teens have proven to be a dumb idea.

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IzzybearThebestdog@reddit

People here are discounting the elderly. Not super common. But I’ve seen and know a decent amount who still use dumb phones and have landlines.

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Working_Elephant5344@reddit

Home phones are rare except for among middle aged and older Americans. You’ll occasionally see flip phones like the Z Flip and Z Fold, but the majority of Americans just have regular smartphones.

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Joel_feila@reddit

There is a recent uptick in in lamd lines. Spefically for families wanting to cut bak on screem time. that said they are rare.

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Unlikely-Low-8132@reddit

I have a landline - I got a letter from ATT that it will be gone 6/27 - and my mom has a flip phone -it's supposed to be a smart phone she just uses it for calls- I want to keep the landline because it works when the power is out and cell towers are out.

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MISProf@reddit

I know a few people who live outside cell coverage: land lines are the only option (other than satellite phones).

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blazedancer1997@reddit

The only person I know with a home phone is my grandma and she only uses it to call her other elderly friends. We call her on WhatsApp.

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Norwester77@reddit

My parents still have a land-line phone, but few people do anymore.

We got our 12-year-old a flip phone so he can contact us in an emergency, but he can’t surf the web on it.

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manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit

My household still has a landline. I don't think that's common though.

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klovervibe@reddit

My mom does, I think. It's the only number I know by heart. I like to imagine if I ever get in trouble, I can at least call her and ask her to get a hold of who I need on Facebook.

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DarthBrooks69420@reddit

No.

My workplace has a 'landline' but if the internet goes down the phones go down. I bet old people who insist on a landline probably has it going through their internet, which they might have just for the landline.

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holymacaroley@reddit

Things of the past

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JellyfishFit3871@reddit

Even my mom (76) no longer has a house phone. And I went on an absolute journey to find a flip phone for my dad when he went to the nursing home a couple of years ago - he was blind, but could manage to flip open to answer, or navigate the numbers I programmed for him to call. ("That center button has the raised dot. That's 5. Mama is immediately above that, I'm #4, your son is #6, your bestie is #8, etc.")

It was a real challenge to me to remember how to program a flip phone!

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DuelJ@reddit

Not anymore, 10ish years ago yes.

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kawherp@reddit

I have a landline still, with an answering machine. So does my mother. We have cell phones, too. Landlines are bundled with our internet services and for my mom, cable TV.

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Gloomy-Tie-6559@reddit

I still have a house phone. When we built the house 17 years ago, we needed it in order to have a way to fax expenses to my husband's company ( they wouldn't accept them through email) By the time we didn't need it, we were getting the line free with tv and internet so we kept it. My Brother in law had a flip phone until a couple of years ago. He got a smartphone when it finally died

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GlobalTapeHead@reddit

I know a few people with house (land line) phones. They are all over the age of 80.

Actually I only got rid of my own house phone about 5 years ago.

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Travelsat150@reddit

I had a director in Beverly Hills with a landline. He didn’t get cell service up on his part of the hill. Even my 94 year old MIL doesn’t have one. I tried to get one through AT&T a few years ago but they couldn’t get it installed. It’s very helpful if you’re in an earthquake and towers have gone down.

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gdubh@reddit

No. No.

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Glittering-Rush-394@reddit

Former telco employee & my landline is very cheap. I never answer it or even really use it. Got a letter from my former company last week that they are discontinuing landlines for employees in 2027. Fine with me.
Don’t know anyone anymore with a flip phone unless it’s the new Samsung one.

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IanDOsmond@reddit

I still have a landline, but I'm over fifty and a minority in this. My parents have a landline; my wife's parents don't.

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AchtungCloud@reddit

Only can speak anecdotally:

I don’t see much of either of them any more.

The only two people I know who have house phones are both elderly (77 and 83).

I don’t know anyone who has a flip phone.

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perseidot@reddit

Yeah, my parents have a house phone. They find their cell phones’ touch screens a little hard to use.

They’re 86 and 91.

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JustWatchingthefun01@reddit

Very few still have land lines or house phones. My folks are in their 80s and gave up the land lines 2 years ago. Mom has a flip phone with large buttons. My dad has a cheap smart phone and loves it.

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Blue387@reddit

My parents still have their landline phone. I rarely see flip phones much, except in the hands of Hasidic Jews who have a more conservative lifestyle than modern folks

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Flimsy_Equal8841@reddit

Land lines are being phased out. Once a land line fails they are not being repaired here in central Indiana.

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Cobblestone-boner@reddit

I got my teenage child a flip phone for their first cellphone

I don't want them on social media at a young and impressionable age

Watching them furiously text with T9 keypad brings back fond memories and should be considered a right of passage

My parents still have a house phone, it's the same number but they ported it over to VoIP via Ooma, they never answer it and only respond to their cellphones lol

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Terrible-Image9368@reddit

I still have a home phone. A lot of people still have them

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JoshuaSuhaimi@reddit

depends what you mean by common, like probably thousands of people do, but that's a tiny percentage of the us population

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LaLechuzaVerde@reddit

We had a landline until about 2 years ago, because we lived in a place with poor cell reception.

It was mostly just there in case of emergency. Sometimes we used it if our cell calls had quality issues. Or if we needed to fax something (rare).

I know someone with a “dumb phone” because her religion prohibits the use of Internet. 🤷‍♀️

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honey_blossoms_@reddit

Nope, but I reallyyy hope they come back. They were so much more better than what we have now, in my opinion. Simpler times!

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boilerdawg31@reddit

I live in a rural area with poor cell reception. While I have Starlink for internet, I keep my landline in case of an emergency or extended power outage (my phone line is buried but my power lines are not).

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New_Willingness6453@reddit

Still have a landline.

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Bag_of_ambivalence@reddit

Mom still has a hardwired rotary phone hanging in her kitchen.

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nykiek@reddit

House are common in areas with bad cell service. They are trying to do away with landlines. Many of my neighbors have landlines because even though it's short walk to the nearest cell tower and they arecina valley. We are the only house on the road that's not in the valley. I lose service twice between my house and the expressway which is only 4.5 miles away.

Only old people have flip phones. And now kids in school might have one because that can carry those, but not smartphones.

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OkayDay21@reddit

No, even my grandparents disconnected their landline. It’s a relic on the wall that my kids only sort of understand is a phone.

Flip phones are also not common. I know one person who has one and he is 75.

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Tankieforever@reddit

My parents still use a house phone, but I don’t know very many others who do. My folks are 80 year old luddites and just not ready to move on from that level of phone.

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Living_Molasses4719@reddit

In my area, AT&T is actively trying to get out of the landline business by jacking up rates to an insane degree. A friend of mine had one (business) line and dropped it after they tripled the price

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Similar_Corner8081@reddit

I have a land line and a cell phone.

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mhoner@reddit

To be honest I have phone jacks but no clue which are even active. When we moved in half of them needed to be cut off because it was messing with the fiber signal.

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Affectionate_Call408@reddit

Some people still have landlines (My family included). They're still new flip phone models so people still us them (my family has them for emergency purposes)

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-hacks4pancakes-@reddit

Reddit is not going to be a good metric for this because particularly land lines are still very common, but in rural places with poor mobile and broadband coverage, and amongst the elderly and indigent because of free and cheap services.

None of those groups are super well represented on Reddit.

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Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit

Some senior citizens still have landline house phones (albeit, it's mostly VoIP).

Some senior citizens also have flip phones with large buttons, easy for dexterity and vision.

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AutomaticRepeat2922@reddit

House phones might be common for older people. Basically people that were making utility decisions before mobile phones maintain their landlines. Most millennials and below don’t.

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Secure-Ad9780@reddit

No one I know has a home phone. I got rid of mine 20 yrs ago.

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Prowindowlicker@reddit

Not anymore. They used to be but now they’re pretty much nonexistent

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Opening_Wall_9379@reddit

I still have a land line in my home, and my mother does as well. However it’s only my mother or my wife’s mother who calls the landline. My wife dropped the cordless land line in the tub one evening (the third one she has dropped), and we decided not to replace it. However her mother got too upset and we caved and purchased another a week or so later.

My next door neighbor is 79 years old and he uses a flip phone. He’s had it for years and I have no idea how the battery has lasted this long, but it has.

These two examples are the exception and not the normal. Heavily work doesn’t even have a landline anymore.

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myotheroneders@reddit

No to both. Not really since smartphones became widely used in the 2010s. Most people got rid of their house phones because nobody used them anymore since people could contact someone directly on their cell phone. And there's absolutely no reason to pay for 2 different phone bills. And flip phones slowly got replaced as people upgraded to smart phones. I haven't seen anybody use a flip phone in over a decade.

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TsundereLoliDragon@reddit

I haven't had a land line for like 8 years. I have a flip phone but it's a Samsung Flip, not like something out of the 2000s.

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FriendlyLawnmower@reddit

Neither are common.

Less than 20% of American households still have a house phone, most people just rely on their cellphones nowadays

Flip phones are even less. Like less than 10% of phone users. Some seniors still use them out of familiarity and not wanting to learn how to use a smart phone. Every year we hear about a young adult and teens

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normiepitbullmom@reddit

I don’t know anyone with a house phone. My dad and I got rid of ours in 2007 I think. I’m sure some elderly people still have them.

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Consistent_Damage885@reddit

We still have a land line but it is crappy compared the quality they used to be. My dad didn't want to let it go, didn't trust the new tech to be as reliable in an emergency.

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tiger0204@reddit

No to both.

We actually still have our "house phone", simply because we used it for so much over the years. But we don't have a physical phone in the house, we ported the number to a VOIP service that we can forward to our cell phones if needed or otherwise it just acts as a voicemail box.

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ThanosSnapsSlimJims@reddit

No, not at all.

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MadMadamMimsy@reddit

I'm old. I keep and landlines. It's my way of not using my phone, so I all my scam phone calls go to my landlines which are easier to screen

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Just-Raccoon-9382@reddit

House phones are probably really rare. However, there are places where cell service is very spotty or just a dead zone. I believe most people would have a landline then. My mother has a flip phone because the smart phone stressed her out (84 years old)

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Mudraphas@reddit

The only person I know who has a home phone is my nearly 80 year old aunt who lives in a cell signal dead zone. She also has a flip phone.

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damnim30now@reddit

I still have a house phone but idk anyone else that does. No to flip phone.

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Coldfyre_Dusty@reddit

My mother had a house phone till about 5 years ago when she upgraded the internet. It was supposed to come with a phone line, but even the technician couldn't figure out the mess of electrical wiring my dad had set up and gave up saying they'd send out a specialist. Mom just cancelled the appointment and went fully cell. Personally in my own household, I've never had one installed.

Flip phones are kinda coming back I guess? Some just retro users, and some using the new folding screen phones.

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MissingGrayMatter@reddit

The only people I know with flip phones are like 90 years old.

My mom kept her house phone until like 5 years ago, but it was a waste of money so she finally got rid of it.

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MsPennyP@reddit

The only people I know that still have a house phone are some relatives in the mtns of West Virginia (they don't get cell service).