The Fake Phone That’s Making People Rethink Screen Time

A video of a woman scrolling through what looks like a completely transparent smartphone while queueing at a bubble tea shop in San Francisco has racked up over 50 million views on TikTok — but no, it’s not a futuristic Nokia prototype. It’s not even a phone. It’s something called a Methaphone.

TikTok user CatGPT posted the viral clip and later clarified in a follow-up video: “It is exactly what it looks like — a clear piece of acrylic shaped like an iPhone. My friend is actually the inventor and creator of these.”

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At first glance, the Methaphone looks like it belongs in a Black Mirror episode: sleek, weighty, and eerily familiar. But it does absolutely nothing. And that’s the point. Designed as a minimalist, screen-free tool to help curb phone addiction, the Methaphone offers the tactile satisfaction of scrolling without the dopamine hit of notifications or news feeds.

“Have I used my phone less in the past week that I’ve been carrying this around with me? Probably not,” Cat admits. “But just the idea that I could have something in my life, something I can touch and hold, and the conversation that this little guy is sparking online, that’s what really matters.”

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The $20 acrylic block mimics the shape, size, and weight of a real smartphone. Users are encouraged to reach for it instead of their actual devices when they feel the urge to scroll, helping them become more conscious of their habits and potentially easing compulsive screen-checking tendencies.

Whether it’s just a clever party trick or a genuine wellness tool, the Methaphone taps into a growing cultural discomfort with our devices. “If we’re so addicted to our phones, could you reduce that dependency by giving someone something that feels like a phone — just without the tech?” Cat asks.

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The idea follows a string of attempts to reimagine or replace the smartphone. Most recently, the much-hyped Humane AI Pin promised a screen-free future — but flopped hard, with users complaining it was underwhelming and overpriced. The project was shut down earlier this year.

Image @askcatgpt via Instagram

Still, the appetite for digital detox tools is real. The Methaphone may not track your steps, play music or send texts, but it does one thing brilliantly: it makes us pause and rethink our relationship with our phones.

As Cat puts it: “It’s sparked conversations, and that’s what really matters.”