Do you have a compulsive urge to check your smartphone every time it beeps? And then every once in a while if it hasn’t beeped in a long time? Do those notification pop-ups compel you to leave everything else and attend to that text message or email first? Congratulations! Yes, we’re being sarcastic. You are pretty much the definition of a smartphone addict. Like any other addiction, even obsessive reliance on smartphone devices will not stand you in good stead. Have you ever thought of a smartphone detox? We have for you three app that’ll put you on the path to recovery from smartphone addiction. Paradoxical? Ah well, such is life. Think of it as beating the system from within.
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#1. BreakFree
BreakFree app has been touted as a rehab app that aims at improving the users’ digital lifestyle. The app begins work by analyzing the way you spend your time online and runs in the background even as you go about with your usual smartphone usage. It then draws up a usage pattern and finally announces your addiction score. If the app thinks you are really addicted, it will put corrective measures in place. If you spend too much time on email or messaging, it’ll prompt you keep down your phone from time to time. The app also has the option to temporarily disable internet, disconnect calls and sent automated text messages. Makers of this app say it is most suitable for parents who want to track and cut down on their children’s smartphones usage.
Also Read: Parents Alert: Social Media and Kids
#2. Flipd
This Android-based app doesn’t just monitor and send out reminders; it takes over your phone completely and puts a lock down in place. As part of the Flipd lockdown, the phone’s screen is replaced with a fairly basic alternative that doesn’t provide access to apps on the homescreen. The app also sends auto text messages and allows users to create a customized emergency contact list can be reached in case you have to make an urgent call during the lockdown period. The Flipd app can keep your phone in this lockdown mode for up to 12 hours a day. The app can also be used to temporarily make other people’s phones inaccessible. The iOS version of the app is likely to be rolled out soon.
Also Read: How Social Media Anxiety Disorder Is Growing Inside You
#3. Offtime
Not all of us are hopeless addicts who cannot even manage to look up from their phone screens even as precious moments pass us by. More often than not, the complaint is that smartphones turn out to be a distraction when you really need to concentrate on other things, be it at work, at home or with the kids. Offtime app helps your filter the unwanted time on apps instead of disconnecting your completely. Using this app, you can restrict the use of certain app or block unwanted callers for a predefined duration. The app also keeps a track of all the notifications you missed out on during the restriction period, so that you can get to them later. The app also maintains clear logs of your online activity alongside and presents the data in uncomplicated charts and diagrams. The app is currently available for only Android users.
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