I am a 50 year old baal teshuva, recently married, now living a Torah life for 4 years and living in Jerusalem (B"H). I am trying to transition from my iPhone to a more kosher phone. If we need a label for my hashkafa, I daven in a chareidi shul and consider myself chareidi.

It has been suggested to me to get a kosher smartphone with a few kosher apps installed (like apps for studying shas and looking up psukim, etc.).

I still have an unfiltered iPhone and for the most part, I am using it in an acceptable way, BUT my issue right now is that when I feel "weak" (once every few months), I will go to YouTube and look at inappropriate content. I do not feel happy about this.

I do like watching YouTube videos by rabbis and also about health, science, and politics. But I know that according to Torah, if there is bad stuff in YouTube, it is better to reject it and I am okay with that, though I will miss some of the content.

So, I think my next step would be to get a kosher smartphone here in Israel. Because I still need WhatsApp and apps to help me with my Torah studies (like an Aramaic dictionary; and TorahAnytime), I am looking at smartphone options rather than a simple kosher phone with no apps.

If there is anyone who has advice for me (either general or very practical about which phone and apps to get), please let me know or just say hi.

Thank you and may we all be blessed to learn more Torah, do more mitzvot, and to keep ourselves pure to bring Mashiach tkidkenu soon BE"H.

Hi Meir,

    Welcome. As long as the phone doesn't have an internet browser or youtube, that should keep you safe. check out zolphone.co.il for phones to order. Good luck

Many rabbonim advise that for communication purposes to get a kosher "flip" phone, which simply cannot access the Internet. Then if one needs another device for the purposes you mentioned in your post, they purchase a laptop or iPad etc. that are completely filterable (TAG can advise which models). Obviously this device is not with you 24/6 and is not with you in secluded places; this minimzes the nisayon to try and beat the filter even on that device. An additional strategy is to install Webchaver and have reports sent to someone that you would not want should receive an inappropriate report/screenshot. Hatzlocha.