Battery Save Mode Quirks
One of the most situations I originally experienced Cat S22 Flip was caused by its battery save mode. Since I wasn’t using this phone for much, I elected to have this mode on 24/7. While this helps preserve battery life, it comes with a notable quirk: the GPU gets disabled when the phone is flipped shut. This means if you’re using Google Maps for navigation and close your phone, you’ll hear that dreaded “GPS lost” announcement. For those who rely on turn-by-turn navigation, you’ll want to keep battery saving mode off during your drives to maintain GPS connectivity when the phone is flipped shut.
Text Message Syncing Solutions
Coming from a full Android phone, you might be disappointed to learn that the Cat S22 Flip, running Android Go, doesn’t support Google Messages’ multi-device syncing. This means you can’t automatically sync your texts between your phone, computer, and tablet like you might be used to.
While the third party application Pulse SMS might seem like an obvious alternative, its interface unfortunately doesn’t play nice with the Cat S22 Flip’s unique form factor. After testing various options, I’ve found Join by joaoapps to be the most viable solution. Not only does it handle text message syncing across devices, but it throws in some bonus features like clipboard syncing. This means you can copy text on your computer and paste it directly into a text message on your flip phone – a surprisingly useful feature when you’re juggling multiple devices.
Minimizing Digital Distractions
One of the most powerful ways to transform your Cat S22 Flip into a focus-friendly device is to disable or uninstall potentially distracting apps. I’ve taken a somewhat radical approach by disabling Chrome, YouTube, and similar attention-grabbing applications. This leaves me with a device that excels at its core functions: communication, navigation, smart home control, fitness tracking, and basic entertainment through music and audiobooks.
This stripped-down approach helps maintain the “flip phone spirit” while still keeping essential modern conveniences.
Text Entry Options
While many might assume text entry on a flip phone would be limited to T9 or hunt-and-peck typing, the Cat S22 Flip’s touchscreen offers surprisingly modern input methods. The phone’s small touchscreen supports Swype-style gesture typing, which works well for short writing.
Voice input stands out as another excellent option for longer texts or emails. The phone’s voice-to-text functionality is powered by Google’s speech recognition, meaning it’s just as accurate as what you’d find on a full Android phone. This feature is particularly useful if the small keyboard feels too cramped for extended typing sessions.
Between these two options, I rarely find myself missing a full-sized smartphone keyboard. The combination of gesture typing for quick messages and voice input for longer communications provides a surprisingly complete text entry experience that defies the “flip phone” stereotype.
Conclusion
The Cat S22 Flip, while not perfect, becomes significantly more useful when you understand its quirks and optimize its setup. By being aware of the battery save mode’s effect on GPS, finding the right messaging solution, using the right way to enter text, and thoughtfully curating your apps, you can create a balanced experience that maintains the benefits of a flip phone while keeping necessary modern functionality.