Okay but how do the Love Island phones actually work? Here’s everything we know

Turns out there’s way more than just ‘I’ve got a text!’

3 years ago | UPDATED 1 year ago

“I’VE GOT A TEEEEEXT!!!” is the very foundation of Love Island – the show simply wouldn’t be what it is without Islanders jumping out and reading convoluted hashtags from their phones four times an episode. But how to the Love Island phones actually work, what are the rules and what can the contestants actually do on them?

Love Island cast members have their real phones taken off them before going in to the villa, but anyone who’s ever watched an episode knows the Islanders are on their phones constantly throughout the show.

So how do the Love Island phones work, really? Here’s everything you need to know:

They’re ‘completely cut off’ from the outside world

Liana, who was on Love Island 2016, told The Sun “you’re completely cut off”.

She said: “They give you these basic little phones where you can text each other but nobody really uses them, they’re only really there for the whole ‘I’ve got a text’ aspect.”

But they can text each other, not just the producers

They may not be able to text the outside world, but Islanders can use the phones to talk to each other. Harley, who was on Love Island 2017, told Ok: “‘We have an island chat where we can talk amongst the Islanders and then Love Island can contact you so any big event in the villa you receive by text.”

According to Ok there’s WiFi in the villa, but producers say contestants don’t have access to it.

Islanders use them to have secret conversations

Because Islanders can message each other, they can use them to have secret conversations we never see. Speaking to Ok, Adam Collard of Love Island 2018 fame said he and Zara McDermott used to message each other under the covers in bed, so people couldn’t overhear their conversations.

He said: “We used to write messages to each other when we were in bed so other people couldn’t hear what we were saying.

“We deleted our messages but the producers told me that they still have them all.”

Contestants are encouraged to use them to take pics

Liana said producers encourage the Islanders to take photos of everything happening inside the Love Island villa, to get a view the filming cameras might not.

We saw this in Love Island 2021, the girls sent a selfie to the boys while they were having boozy brunch, and the boys then replied with a snap announcing the arrival of new bombshells Millie and Lucinda. And on Love Island 2023, Jessie keeps reminding the girls to take pics for the mems – cute!

Love Island 2023 continues on ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm tonight. For all the latest Love Island news and gossip and for the best memes and quizzes, like The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook.