Phone-Free Events in Toronto: The Team Behind DisConnect, as Seen in The Globe and Mail
By Max Ward, co-founder of DisConnect · · Updated
As seen in The Globe and Mail
On August 25, 2026, The Globe and Mail ran "Want a unique nightlife experience? Try going somewhere without your phone" by Paniz Vedavarz, a look at the rise of phone-free nights in Toronto and the company behind a lot of them: Before The Internet. We've also talked about it on CBC Radio. Go read the Globe piece. It's better than anything we'd write about ourselves.
What is a phone-free event?
You walk in, your phone goes into a small lockable pouch, and you keep it with you. It stays locked until you leave. No filming the DJ, no checking the group chat, no standing at the edge of the dance floor refreshing something. If you genuinely need your phone, you step out to an unlock station.
It sounds strict. It feels like the opposite. People talk to strangers. They dance badly. They remember the night.
How Before The Internet started
At 23, Max Ward went on a fishing trip with no reception. Day one was twitchy. By day three he felt like a person again. Back home, the time was there. What to do with it wasn't.
In 2025 he started Before The Internet with his brother Mich Ward and their friend Christian Leon-Williamson. The first nights were small Toronto parties. Since then the team has run phone-free shows alongside artists and brands including Charli XCX, Miley Cyrus, Billboard, Warner Music Group and Heineken, and hosted offline sessions at SXSW with Billboard House.
Why phone-free nights work
They remove the decision. You don't have to resist checking your phone 40 times. You made one choice at the door and the rest of the night takes care of itself. That's the whole insight, and it's the one most screen time apps miss: people don't need more willpower. They need fewer decisions and a better room to be in.
From the party to your pocket
Phone-free nights are great, but they happen a few times a month. Your phone is with you every other night. DisConnect is how we bring the idea home:
- The card is the pouch. Tap it to your phone and the apps you picked lock until you tap again.
- The app is the room. When you've been scrolling a while, it shows you three things happening within 10 minutes of you.
- The door is the check-in. Tap your card at partner spots and earn points toward free rounds, cover and early entry.
Read how DisConnect compares with Opal, Brick and the rest in our 2026 screen time app ranking.
Want a phone-free night at your venue or event?
Before The Internet rents and sells phone pouches for concerts, weddings, schools, comedy shows and corporate events. Visit beforetheinternet.com.
Join the founding 500. DisConnect Membership includes the card and rewards at partner spots, $49.99 for the first year at the founding rate.
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Questions people ask
What is Before The Internet?
A Toronto company founded in 2025 by Max Ward, Mich Ward and Christian Leon-Williamson that runs phone-free events and rents phone pouches. It has been featured in The Globe and Mail and on CBC Radio. The same team makes DisConnect.
How do phone-free events work?
Guests put their phones in lockable pouches at the door and keep them for the night. Pouches are unlocked on the way out or at an unlock station if someone needs their phone.
Did The Globe and Mail write about phone-free events in Toronto?
Yes. On August 25, 2026, The Globe and Mail published 'Want a unique nightlife experience? Try going somewhere without your phone' by Paniz Vedavarz, featuring Before The Internet.
