This App Will Help You Curb Your Smartphone Addiction
We are all probably a little more dependent on our phones than we would like. I know I instinctively pull mine every time there is a break in the day, whether it’s on the train, between appointments, or even while waiting for a meal in a restaurant. It’s easy to grab your phone and immerse yourself in what’s happening on Facebook or Instagram.
A new app called Siempo is trying to make smartphones less distracting, well, making them less distracting.
Currently available exclusively for Android, the app acts as a launcher and replaces the home screen on your device with a simplified black and white version that doesn’t display all those colorful and often distracting icons alongside your apps.
In addition to this less distracting plan, Siempo also separates tools from time-wasting applications. These time-consuming apps can be randomized, making them harder to find on your phone and less likely to open them spontaneously.
The app also allows you to troubleshoot disruptions with bursting notifications. So, instead of being notified every time you receive a new email or someone comments on your new Facebook profile picture, you can set it up so that instead you receive these notifications once every 30 minutes, hour, or even several times a day.
You can also customize your lock screen to say something like “Stay away from your phone!” When you open it.
Yes, you can certainly do whatever you could on your phone, so for some people it might just make using the phone more annoying rather than less distracting, although perhaps if you are annoyed by your phone that might work like a deterrent to keep you out of it.
The idea is that by removing “Oooh shining!” aspects of the device, you’ll be less addicted and end up being less distracted by your smartphone in general.
If you like this idea but aren’t quite ready to go for a minimalistic home screen, you can also make your phone a little less distracting by simply switching it to grayscale .
Siempo is free to download while in beta .