Light Phone Is Making Its Dumb Phone More Useful With Third-Party 'Tools'

""I cannot tell you how many people come back to us saying that, 'Hey, if only you had this thing for QR code scanning; if only you had this localized app,' that they'd be able to use the Light Phone more often," Kaiwei Tang, CEO and cofounder of Light Phone, tells WIRED."

"Light Phone is one of the more prominent companies in the niche minimal phone market, which saw many new players in 2025, like the Minimal Phone or the Mudita Kompakt."

"The first Light Phone could only make and receive phone calls, and the second added perks like turn-by-turn directions. The latest iteration, the Light Phone III, greatly modernized the hardware while staying true to its bare-bones nature."

"The Light Phone community has already been modding and hacking the company's hardware. While Light only offers a handful of first-party Tools, such as a Calculator, Alarm, Calendar, and Podcasts, community members have made their own, including a Spotify client."

Light Phone is responding to user requests for additional features on its minimalist phones by launching a developer program for LightOS. This initiative will enable users to create custom 'Tools' for the Light Phone III. The company has been producing utility-focused devices since 2014, catering to those seeking to reduce their reliance on technology. While the Light Phone offers limited first-party Tools, the community has already begun creating their own applications, enhancing the phone's functionality.

Read at WIRED