If you were important, or wanted to feel important, during the 80s, 90s and early noughties then you had to have a pager. Also known as a bleeper, it ensured you were connected at all times and never missed a vital - or not so vital - message. These once ubiquitous devices, often found clipped to the owner's belt, gradually faded from public life due to the rise of mobile phones and texting. But you'll often spot them on medical dramas, even today, as their reliability means they are still used in some hospitals.placeholder image
If you were important, or wanted to feel important, during the 80s, 90s and early noughties then you had to have a pager. Also known as a bleeper, it ensured you were connected at all times and never missed a vital - or not so vital - message. These once ubiquitous devices, often found clipped to the owner's belt, gradually faded from public life due to the rise of mobile phones and texting. But you'll often spot them on medical dramas, even today, as their reliability means they are still used in some hospitals. | DAVID VAN DER VEEN/AFP via Getty Images

9 ways we kept in touch during the 80s, 90s and noughties, which you'll only understand if you were around

Robert Cumber
By Robert Cumber

Property and retro writer

Published 9th Jun 2025, 13:16 BST

The way we communicate has changed hugely in recent years, rapidly rendering once-ubiquitous technology obsolete.

The rise of the mobile phone and social media mean you’re always connected, making it almost impossible to get away from it all.

But you don’t have to go back to the days of smoke signals to find a time when life was much simpler and nobody needed a digital detox.

As recently as the 80s, 90s and noughties, it was still easy to cut yourself off and escape - even for just a moment - from the pressures of daily life.

Of course back then we didn’t know how good we had it, and we were all desperate for the latest technology to ensure we didn’t miss a thing.

Below are just some of the ways we used to stay in touch, many of which you’ll only truly understand if you remember the 80s, 90s and noughties.

How many of these do you remember using and would you happily go back to the days before we were all connected at the touch of a screen?

Do you have retro pictures or nostalgic memories to share with us? Send them online via YourWorld at www.yourworld.net/submit. It's free to use and, once checked, your story or picture will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.

There was a time during the noughties when no self-respecting business person left the office without their BlackBerry phone. They may seem a bit chunky by today's standards, but these devices played a crucial role in unchaining workers from their desks and enabling them to send and receive emails on the go. The QWERTY keyboard and secure messaging were among its big selling points, and its appeal became more mainstream when Oprah Winfrey declared herself a fan in 2005. Its popularity was a big inspiration for the launch of the first iPhone in 2007 and it easily outsold its new rival at first, albeit not for long.

5. BlackBerry phones

There was a time during the noughties when no self-respecting business person left the office without their BlackBerry phone. They may seem a bit chunky by today's standards, but these devices played a crucial role in unchaining workers from their desks and enabling them to send and receive emails on the go. The QWERTY keyboard and secure messaging were among its big selling points, and its appeal became more mainstream when Oprah Winfrey declared herself a fan in 2005. Its popularity was a big inspiration for the launch of the first iPhone in 2007 and it easily outsold its new rival at first, albeit not for long. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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BBC Ceefax and other teletext services were a text-based source of primarily news, sport and weather on your TV, long before the internet was commonplace. But there were pages too where you could leave messages, like birthday wishes, for loved ones. Ceefax was launched in 1974 and ran until 2012, when it was replaced by the red button services. Billed as providing 'the world at your fingertips', it was used by millions of people during the 80s and 90s.

6. Teletext

BBC Ceefax and other teletext services were a text-based source of primarily news, sport and weather on your TV, long before the internet was commonplace. But there were pages too where you could leave messages, like birthday wishes, for loved ones. Ceefax was launched in 1974 and ran until 2012, when it was replaced by the red button services. Billed as providing 'the world at your fingertips', it was used by millions of people during the 80s and 90s. | AFP via Getty Images Photo: AFP via Getty Images

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The push button telephone began to replace rotary dial phones during the 1970s and remained popular throughout the 80s, 90s and noughties, before most people had mobile phones. Users were freed up to roam, around their homes at least, when cordless phones became more common from the 1980s onwards.

7. Push button phones

The push button telephone began to replace rotary dial phones during the 1970s and remained popular throughout the 80s, 90s and noughties, before most people had mobile phones. Users were freed up to roam, around their homes at least, when cordless phones became more common from the 1980s onwards. | Fox Photos/Getty Images Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images

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The phone box first appeared on UK streets in the 1920s but remained a vital means of staying in touch while out and about until most people had mobile phones. The number of phone boxes across the country reportedly peaked in 1990 at around 100,000 but payphone use dropped dramatically from around 800 million minutes in 2002 to just 7 million by 2020. While some remain in use in areas with poor mobile coverage, others have been removed or converted to house everything from libraries to life-saving defibrillators.

8. Phone boxes

The phone box first appeared on UK streets in the 1920s but remained a vital means of staying in touch while out and about until most people had mobile phones. The number of phone boxes across the country reportedly peaked in 1990 at around 100,000 but payphone use dropped dramatically from around 800 million minutes in 2002 to just 7 million by 2020. While some remain in use in areas with poor mobile coverage, others have been removed or converted to house everything from libraries to life-saving defibrillators. | Devon News Service/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Photo: Devon News Service/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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