Pete Holmes, the star of HBO’s Crashing and the special Silly Silly Fun Boy, has adopted a unique approach to phone usage, spending minimal time on his iPhone. In a recent interview with WIRED, he shared insights into his digital habits and the impact of technology on modern life.
Pete Holmes' Phone Habits and Preferences
Holmes keeps his phone in grayscale and prominently displays a screen-time widget on his home screen. He expresses a disdain for the “tedium” of responding to messages, stating, “somehow all of life feels like we work in an office.” Despite his limited phone use, he identifies as an AI optimist and appreciates tools like FaceTime.
He owns the iPhone Air from 2025, a model he loves for its uniqueness, saying, “I like having a phone nobody else has.” He contrasts it with the more popular models, emphasizing that the iPhone Air has a design reminiscent of Steve Jobs’ vision.
Screen Time and Digital Detox
Holmes monitors his screen time closely, aiming for under 1 hour daily. He reported an average of 1 hour and 15 minutes for the week, which he still considers excessive. “I still feel stressed out by my phone,” he admits, adding that watching movies can inflate his usage. He suggests that keeping the screen-time widget visible acts as a motivational hack to reduce phone dependency.
He avoids social media on his phone, preferring to disconnect, especially in situations like airport security. He has 80 unread texts, often marking them as unread instead of responding. “If my wife texts me, it’s different, but a lot of times I feel like people are just bugging you,” he remarks.
The Burden of Unread Emails
Holmes has an astounding 55,426 unread emails, a number he finds both alarming and liberating. He suggests that many emails are unnecessary, stating, “If anybody could just snap you out of it, you’d be like, ‘That email didn’t need to exist.’” He believes modern life is filled with manufactured urgency that people should learn to ignore.
Despite the overwhelming number of unread messages, Holmes emphasizes that it is possible to live a fulfilling life without succumbing to digital pressures. He encourages a return to more personal interactions, suggesting that technology may lead people to “slowly walk away” from constant connectivity.
- Phone Model: iPhone Air (2025)
- Average Daily Screen Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Unread Texts: 80
- Unread Emails: 55,426
- Music Apps: Spotify, Apple Music
- Computer Model: 2022 MacBook Air
🤖 This article was rewritten by Feed and Figures' editorial AI from a report originally published by Wired. Facts and quotes are preserved from the original; the rewrite focuses on clarity and structure. For the unedited original, see the source link below.
