LONDON, May 1 — Most of us forget where we even left our old phones. Ed Sheeran? He turned his back on his in 2015 — only to be reunited with it years later thanks to a court order.
What followed was less courtroom drama and more emotional deep dive, as the singer-songwriter discovered long-lost texts, forgotten photos, and even inspiration for a new track.
Sheeran described the experience as “such an emotional journey” that it led him to write “Old Phone”, a song set to drop today at 11pm Malaysian time.
In an April 29 Instagram post tagging @teddysoldphone, Sheeran shared a carousel of never-before-seen moments pulled straight from the dusty archives of his old mobile.
Among them: a cute photo of him and now-wife Cherry Seaborn back when they were dating, a wefie with Taylor Swift, and even a shot with former US President Bill Clinton.
Sheeran explained that he shut down the phone in December 2015 and went full email-only for communication.
But during his copyright case over “Thinking Out Loud” — he was accused of copying Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” — a judge ordered him to hand the device over. That moment cracked open a time capsule.
“In the process, I switched on my old phone,” he wrote. “The first message was from my friend (English deejay) Jamal Edwards, who had recently passed away (in 2022).
“The second was from my ex-girlfriend, whom I hadn’t been in contact with for years.
“The third was a family member I haven’t spoken to in a decade. And so on. It felt like a time capsule, a time of life that I was in, and living at that time in 2015.”
It only got more intense from there.
“Turning it on really spun me out,” Sheeran said. “I found myself scrolling through messages and conversations with people who are no longer here.
“I found myself crying at messages to friends who are now dead, whom I won’t get to speak to again.
“I found old photos of me with people I was so close to then, but we’ve lost touch since.”
Some of those memories are now public, thanks to the Instagram account he tagged. Though @teddysoldphone has been quietly uploading pictures since March, it only caught fire after Sheeran linked it from his main account.
Fans were treated to behind-the-scenes snaps, including a 2015 Billboard Music Awards photo featuring Sheeran, Taylor Swift, her then-boyfriend Calvin Harris, and One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.
“Dribbly drunk,” Sheeran admitted.
Other standout moments? Swift munching on pizza. Harry Styles chauffeuring Sheeran around. A pool-playing night out with the late rapper Mac Miller. “Mac took me round Pittsburgh in 2015, we played a lot of pool and had a really really fun night. Miss him,” Sheeran shared.
And yes, there’s even a shot of Sheeran with Bruno Mars and one with Ellie Goulding — with whom he was once rumoured to have had a fling. That old gossip? Still alive, especially among fans who suspect his 2014 track “Don’t” was about her alleged fling with Horan.
As for that poker game with Bill Clinton? That’s on there too.
One thing’s for sure: Sheeran’s old phone didn’t just carry contacts. It carried a whole era — and now, it’s inspired a brand-new tune.
