Google is known for constantly creating new apps. Some of them are simply useful tools to make your digital life easier. Others are more artsy and creative.
This time, Google has released a rather specific batch of new apps. They are experimental and their main purpose is to cure your digital addiction.
If you decide to test all of Google’s experimental apps yourself after reading about them, be sure to check out one of these free digital eye reduction tools. All the extra time you spend staring at the bright screen will not benefit your eyes or your sleep.
Morph
Our verdict: the best choice if you really want to get rid of your smartphone addiction.
First, this is a productivity app called Morph Definitely worth a try if you find it difficult to be distracted by social media and entertainment apps at work.
Morph is an experimental Google app that transforms your home screen based on what you should be doing at specific times of the day. You can set different home screens for different time periods. When the clock strikes that hour, you won’t be able to access any apps other than the ones you choose to keep.
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You can customize multiple versions of the home screen with different sets of applications. Choose carefully, however, as you won’t receive notifications from any of the apps you haven’t selected during this set period of time.
Another great feature of Morph is the connection to your location. For example, you can set a GPS location for your workout routine and it will automatically turn it on as soon as you get to the gym.
Mailbox
Our verdict: the most promising.
Even if you choose not to touch your phone for the next few hours, you can easily be seduced by the notification sound. They are highly distracting and play an important role in your digital addiction.
With Post Box, you can turn off instant notifications and set up delivery in batches. You can choose up to four different time slots per day and all of your notifications will be delivered at the same time.
One of the downsides is that at the moment you cannot customize the delivery time of notifications and must adhere to the four options available in the app.
A mailbox can be a good way to lead your social life in a more organized way. If this sounds like something you’re struggling with, you can also try one of the free calendar apps for Android
Unlock the watch
Our verdict: your perfect wrist slap.
Unlock Clock is essentially a live wallpaper that shows how many times you have unlocked your smartphone during the day. After installation, set it as wallpaper. Then you’ll see a giant number on your home screen that will remind you how much you rely on your smartphone for almost everything.
The giant number on your screen can serve as a wake-up call for anyone who doesn’t know how much time they spent looking at their phone screen. The number is reset every day. You can set a goal to minimize smartphone use and then see how many days it will take you to reach it.
Use Unlock Clock as a social experiment with friends at a party. See how many times each of you unlocks your gadgets and maybe even turn it into a competition. Have the “loser” take the bill at the end of the night. This should teach them!
Flip
Our Verdict: A fun little game to play with your friends.
Proven scientific fact: if you want to start exercising, it’s best to take a friend to the gym with you (or you can use one of the free fitness apps to motivate you). So why not get your friends to digital detox with you? We Flip will help you have fun and maybe even turn it into a competition.
An experimental Google app works like this: In a group of people, you connect your phones together. When you “flip the switch,†a new session begins. Then, if / when someone unlocks their phone, the session ends and you get statistics on how you worked in the group.
You can raise the bet by turning it into a bet – whoever caused the session to end must buy the next round. Or lose your phone privileges for the night (a hardcore option for the daredevils among us).
Desert Island
Our verdict: Recommended for fans of the team building game of the same name.
Do you know what is most important to you? While this question is tricky to answer from a life perspective, it shouldn’t be so hard to pick a few apps that you can’t live without all day.
In Desert Island, you can choose in your smartphone absolutely essential tools (like messages, Gmail, camera, etc.), while the rest will disappear within the next 24 hours. See how long you can stick to the limits you set. Will this be a real challenge for you, or will it be an ordinary day?
Paper phone
Our Verdict: Weirdest Wellness App.
In an attempt to answer the question of how to combat your digital addiction, Google has created what is arguably the strangest mobile wellness app to date. Paper Phone invites you to ditch your smartphone entirely for the day. But not entirely true.
You can choose the options and tools you need throughout the day, such as calendar, maps, or contacts, and then print your paper phone for the whole day. Comes with folding instructions and even a credit card slot inside.
Try one of these apps if you feel like your life now revolves around your smartphone. And if you think you’ve dived too deep into the Google ecosystem, the radical way to combat your digital addiction is to delete your Google account data and all apps except those you use professionally.
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