I have been using the Kompakt for about five days now and have side loaded WhatsApp, which I use to connect with overseas family. I mostly use WhatsApp on my computer, but now and then it is useful to have on a phone for sharing pics.
I have not figured out how to disable the sound notification on WhatsApp. Beyond that, it is somewhat clunky to use on the MK, and I’m wondering if it’s better to just keep WhatsApp on my old iPhone and just power the iPhone on when I want to send a picture since it isn’t that often, perhaps a handful a month.
This applies to GPS navigation as well. Have not found a good solution for the MK, and for me it is about once a week that I may need the GPS, and perhaps just using the iPhone for that might be better rather than dealing with the frustration that comes with trying to make it work on the Kompakt.
I have also side loaded Spotify, but again since the user experience isn’t that great, I’m on the fence about keeping it on there vs just using the Music app.
None of these are dealbreakers, the Kompakt works well for what I wanted it for and I like the calming vibe, so different from the iPhone. But I am not sure I want to keep getting frustrated trying to make things work on it that it’s not designed to do, and might want to keep my MK as simple as possible, so I am curious what others do.
Re. GPS, I have unfortunately not been able to find a GPS app that works well that isn’t Google maps. So I still use my old Google Pixel for that. I don’t have a SIM card in it, so it uses wifi only, but I just downloaded all the local maps and it works fine.
For music, I have quit Spotify as they harvest data, don’t pay artists enough, and put a lot of money into military endeavors. I have found great joy in going back to a classic mp3 player and taking charge of procuring and organizing my own music files again. This was also part of my intention to split out my devices when I got the Kompakt. I don’t want to be distracted by messages or social media when I am listening to music, and keeping them on separate devices is perfect.
im in the exact same position. I use my iphone on wifi for occasional whatsapp messages, as they usually include pictures, I told everyone to sms me instead, so only get a handful, and check it every 2 to 3 days. and navigation by sharing the MK as a hot spot. I have resurrected my ipod claassic for music,and am enjoying buying cd’s again.
Itried using my preffered enccrypted messaging app signal, but found if I left the service running in the background, it was a drain on battery, and it was a pain to try and remember to manually stop it in settings, so I have removed it.
I tried installing whatsapp on the MK but found i couldnt have it on the Iphone as well, as the QR code wouldnt scan to set the iphone as a secondarry device, and it was pretty dismal on the MK anyway, so I have removed it also.
I’ve only had the Kompakt for three days but I’ve done the side loading and decided to remove all those apps. Eventually though, I am planning to side load the CalmCast app once the dev release the next build.
I installed Molly/Signal and HomeAssistant, but as previous comments mentioned, they are quite clunky on e-ink. They are usable of course, but you will notice the difference between the interface in the built-in apps and the side loaded apps - the shading for example makes the text less legible. Notifications don’t work which kind of defeats the purpose of not checking the app all the time. And they are also huge drain on battery especially since they require to run in the background with battery optimization turned off. I really wanted to have Signal installed because it is secure unlike SMS which can be tapped into, and also be able to message my family who are mostly using Apple products. I see a lot of threads about people not receiving their texts which may be a configuration issue or limitations with RCS or the ISP and what not, not the phone’s fault, but an huge concern nonetheless - I almost want to treat the phone as a landline at this point, for calls only.
This is also the reason I am very hopeful about the CalmCast app since the dev designed it specifically for this OS. My most used app currently is the Music app - it looks great and missing some minute UX you’d normally expect, but it plays music and I can create playlists, and I can shuffle - that’s all I needed mostly!
I have since accepted the limitations set upon by Mudita - whether intentional or not. I needed a phone I could take with me on my dog walks without worrying about distraction from apps - I just needed the security of being able to call emergency if needed. And it doubles as an iPod replacement! And if you think about it, the Kompakt almost costs the same as the original iPods - but it can make calls and texts, with SD card support and USB-C. And the company listens to their users. I am very grateful this phone exists.
I would like to eventually quit Spotify. I’ve been attempting to acquire music and have found that exercise somehow more difficult than I imagined. Also my kids really like the convenience of Spotify-- they use it more than I do and it takes time and energy to go find their music (made more difficult because they cannot freely go on the internet…)
I went into the WhatsApp settings on MK and turned off every notification button. It seemed I still got notifications for while after (sound, but not on Home Screen) but then stopped completely.
I took my iPhone yesterday with me to the store because I wanted to take a picture so had to go through powering it back on, etc. It really made me question how much I really wanted to take that picture to share on WhatsApp. I suppose I could have taken the picture with the MK but as of now I cannot reliably connect to Mudita Center every time so there is the process of getting the picture from the phone to send thru WhatsApp on the computer. At this point it’s the same as having a separate digital camera. The whole exercise is helping me reevaluate needs and refine priorities.
I also learned about not being to have WhatsApp on two phones. That, and with the battery drain and having to remember to close the app every time led to my decision to delete WhatsApp on the MK and keep on the iPhone.
I tried the same (turning all notifications off within the WhatsApp settings) but they are still coming through. Hopeful that over time I’ll have the same outcome l!
I love the Calmcast app. I actually was not planning to side load a podcast app since I mostly listen to them at home and can use my laptop. That the Calmcast app is designed for this OS makes a huge difference in user experience-- it’s pleasing rather than frustrating. So I was happy to just use the MK and avoid my laptop altogether, since it can also be a pretty big source of distraction.
I’ve been watching the CalmCast Beta thread since I joined the forum, and I cannot wait to try it. I only follow a couple of Podcasts which releases every week, but it is nice not having to download the mp3 and transfer to the MK manually. I am grateful for devs who spend all the time and effort to create apps such as these simply because they are dedicated and passionate about it.
Check out Tidal and Deezer! I haven’t used them myself but have heard great things and according to local bands I follow they pay out to the artists better than Spotify.
I believe so (the phone is usually not on person and so I can’t fully be sure it’s not vibrating). Have you found a fix for this? If so, please do share!
@stevenjc123 Currently there is no options to silence third party apps completely. However, I think @gezimos shared a command prompt on how to do this in the command window.
