Did Jack White live without a cellphone until now? Singer shares how he survived amid his 50th birthday gift from wife Olivia Jean

Jack White has announced on Instagram that he received his first cellphone on his 50th birthday, which was on June 9, 2025. The musician uploaded pictures holding his new phone and wrote in the caption that his wife, Olivia Jean, a fellow artist, gifted him the phone.

Jack White stated that he lived 50 years without a cellphone. He recently started wondering how long he could go without a phone, as he couldn't listen to music while driving and couldn't park his car because of QR codes.

"I am now the reluctant owner of a cellular telephone for the first time in my life! A lovely 50th birthday present courtesy of my gorgeous and thoughtful wife Mrs. Olivia Jean (who took these photos as well.) I've been saying that my days were numbered for years, can't listen to my music in my car, can't park at a parking lot by myself because of QR codes, etc," he wrote.

The musician stated that he was proud of himself for not depending on a cellphone for 50 years. He then jokingly wrote that his wife had put him and all their close people out of their "misery," and that his phone number is the "square root of all of our combined social interaction times Pi."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jack White (@officialjackwhite)

Jack White has banned phones at his concerts

Jack White first announced his phone-free concert rule in January 2018. His team released a statement, noting that the musician himself had requested that concert-goers not use their phones at the venue.

In an interview with Channel 4 News on June 19, 2029, White shared that the audience's response was good, and while he was expecting initial backlash, his fans were supposedly happy with the rule. He noted that it was "sad" how people had to be told to put their phones down before they would listen and enjoy things.

Jack White told the interviewer that when he's outside, he feels like an "anomaly" for not having a phone. The musician then said that others look "silly" when they're engrossed in their devices.

"For someone like me, who is one of the few who doesn't own a cell phone, it is pretty funny to walk down the street and see everyone doing this. I've never owned one. So when I'm out there, I'm an anomaly and I'm looking at everybody, and to me everyone sort of looks silly, and then you're like, whatever, that's their lives," he said.

Jack White has previously slammed concert-goers in a May 2014 interview with Rolling Stone. He told the media outlet that most people carried a drink and their phone, and wouldn't even clap. He said that while some musicians didn't care about such things, he interacts with his crowd throughout his gig.

"People can't clap any more, because they've got a f**king texting thing in their f**king hand, and probably a drink, too!" White said.

Jack White's last album, No Name, was released on July 19, 2024. It was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.