For all its benefits, the modern digital world can be quite a grind. Endless notifications, subscription everything, devices that always need recharging — it can be a lot. What if you could go back to a simpler time? Or at least a time that seemed simpler. Nostalgia for analog has become quite popular, from the resurgence of vinyl and cassettes, to film and instant cameras and the surprising success of used book stores.
But how do you do it? How do you go analog in the digital world of 2026? Depending on how committed you are to ditching digital, it might be pretty easy. I’ve arranged the categories from easiest to most difficult based not only on how simple the transition is, but also on how much the switch will affect your day-to-day life.
Photos
One of the easiest ways you can go analog is to get a real film camera instead of using your phone or digital camera. While you can get a new film camera fairly cheaply, and there are countless used ones, if you don’t know anything about cameras, that switch can be daunting (and film processing can get pricey).
Consider one of Fujifilm’s Instax cameras instead. These instant cameras print out the photo you just took, just like the Polaroids of old (or Polaroids of now). This keepsake of a special moment can be something you put on a wall or in a photo album, or you can give them away to friends and family so they can remember the moment, too. They also make great fridge decorations.
Books
Reading for pleasure has become sort of a lost art, but if you’re going analog, this is a great way to entertain yourself that doesn’t require a TV, subscription or charging a device. There are a lot of great books out there, ahem, in whatever genre you’re interested in. Best of all, you can enjoy books for free. Your local library would love to meet you. They often have lots of other things you can check out for free as well, including music.
One of the more surprising trends I’ve seen recently is the rise of independent book stores. You might be surprised to learn there’s one in your area now.
I love the smell of new and old books, but sometimes carrying a stack of paperbacks isn’t convenient. An e-reader offers a happy medium. If you don’t want to give Bezos any more money, we recommend several Kobo models. While e-readers are certainly not analog, your library card allows you to “check out” e-books for free. So that’s money saved, no subscription and you’re supporting your local library.
Music (headphones, vinyl and cassettes)
The tactile and hyperfocused joy of listening to vinyl has been lauded by many, especially CNET alum and popular audio Youtuber Steve “the Audiophiliac” Guttenberg. Records are challenging to listen to during a commute, but fortunately, audio cassettes are finally old enough to get their own nostalgia wave, including new models. So you don’t need to scour eBay for a questionable and heavily used Walkman that’s old enough to need Lipitor.
Ideally, you’ll be able to find a used record shop nearby so you can support a local business. After all, it’s hard to be proud of going analog if you’re buying everything online.
If you’re not sure if you want to go all-in on tapes, and as someone who grew up with them, that’s understandable. A good middle ground is a solid old MP3. While they’re definitely not analog, they’re yours: You don’t need a subscription to play them, and there are lots of media players — aka MP3 players — for listening to your music on the go. Some record players even have a USB output so you can easily digitize your record collection.
As far as headphones go, the switch is super easy. There are lots of inexpensive (and expensive) wired headphones on the market.
Offline entertainment
If you want some offline entertainment that’s not reading (perhaps after you’ve got a record spinning), there are countless board games to entertain you during your analog hours. Some you can play on your own, but most are best for two or more players. Some are designed for adults, others for the whole family. Don’t risk a family feud over Monopoly when there are plenty more to learn and (hopefully) enjoy. Two of my favorites are Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, which is on the list linked above, and Star Wars: Outer Rim which isn’t. I’m also a huge fan of Carcassonne, which takes its name from an incredible castle I toured a few years ago.
Or hey, why not start some family drama and get Catan?
Writing
Going analog for my job would be a challenge, to put it mildly, but I can’t deny there’s something wonderfully tactile about the scrape of a pen on paper. There is zero chance I’d be able to read what I wrote a day later, but if your handwriting is any step above “distracted doctor,” then it’s worth upping your pen game.
If you’re not quite ready to leave all your musings and ponderings on paper, check out the Nuwa Pen. It works just like any other pen, but can save what you’ve written digitally, turning your written words into searchable text in iOS and Android.
Then there are typewriters, something Tom Hanks is famously a fan of and that someone at CNET declared dead over 30 years ago. Though interestingly, that story was about Smith Corona’s first of two bankruptcies, and they continued making typewriters for another decade and are still in business. While we don’t have any typewriter recommendations, this guy tested 300 and picked the best 10.
TV
This is a bit more challenging than the other analog options so far. All modern TVs are digital, and that’s been the case, broadly speaking, for over 15 years. Even then, CRT “tube” TVs were very niche. CRTs are extremely heavy, with the larger models weighing hundreds of pounds. So you can find used CRTs, but if they’re not local, the shipping costs will be brutal.
A better question is: What specifically do you want an analog TV for? If it’s just to “go analog,” that’s fine, but without a stockpile of VHS tapes, laserdiscs or some old-school gaming consoles, you’re not going to be able to watch much on it.
If what you’re really after is to ditch the subscription costs of streaming or cable/satellite, all you might need is a cheap antenna and a TV tuner. You can get HD programming over the air just about everywhere in the US, and in many places, NextGen TV offers even more stations and programming. You might be surprised how much free content is just flying through the air right now.
You can also buy used DVDs and Blu-rays, probably at that same record store you pinpointed to buy vinyl and cassettes. Sure, these are digital, too — it’s literally in the name with Digital Video Discs — but it does let you cut out another subscription fee. As long as you have a player, you’ll be able to watch your DVDs, though that’s not necessarily the case with Blu-ray. Don’t want to own discs? Check your local library’s collection. This is also a great way to watch old movies and shows that never made it to streaming services.
As far as VHS, laserdisc and game consoles go, you can get a converter to go from composite, S-Video or component to the HDMI that your current TV has. But I’ll warn you: It’s all going to look like trash on a big, modern TV. That’s because all that old content was standard definition, 480p at best and often less than 240p in many cases. There’s only so much a modern HD or 4K TV can do with that low-resolution signal.
Road tripping (old-school style)
You’ve already got the music covered. Maybe your car is old enough to have a tape deck. The biggest issue will be maps, assuming your car doesn’t have built-in GPS. We’ve all gotten used to the convenience of Google/Apple Maps and Waze. I’m sure many of you have totally forgotten how to use a sextant. For shame! Fortunately, there’s an option called “maps.” I’m told they’re made of paper and very easy to fold. If you have a AAA membership, they’ll give you maps for your next trip at no charge.
Lastly, your phone
Is it possible to make your phone analog? Nope. All phones are digital now. You can, however, minimize your digital footprint. You can also just delete apps that distract you, install app blockers and more. I’m a fan of the Brick, which lets you quickly and easily make your smartphone dumb. If you’re using a real camera, listening to your Walkman and reading a paperback, you probably won’t need to look at your phone much at all. And isn’t that the real goal?
About the author: In addition to covering audio and display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips and more.
Also, check out Budget Travel for Dummies, his travel book, and his bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
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