Minimalist Phone App

 I came across a new app this weekend and decided to look into it. This app claims it helps with mental wellness and breaking the addiction to screens by allowing the user to have a minimalist experience on their handheld device. The app is called Minimalist Phone and currently supports Android devices. 


I downloaded the app and I have been playing around with it. One thing I noticed right away is its very plain design. The background on my phone is no longer visible, it is a black screen. The website states that this is to help with any visual distractions that usually cause us to waste time finding an app because our eyes get pulled in multiple directions. You can change your lock screen to be minimal as well, this is found in the settings of the app when  you set it up and later on if you want to change it. 
This is a screenshot of my phone this morning.

You can see that the app is only a list of the app titles on my phone. This is not a complete list, I had to add the apps I wanted access to on my favorites list. You can also block apps for a certain number of hours or days (a month!) or set time limits on other apps all in the app menu.

When you open your phone, this is what greets you. Once you find the title of the app you're looking for, you can open it and everything will operate as it normally does. But as soon as you close the app, you see the picture above.

Minimalist Phone takes over your phone in a way that keeps you focused on whats really important and gets rid of any outside noise or visual stimulation.

I will be using this app and will come back here after a week to update what I found from using it. I will include information about its screen time management and how user friendly it is for day to day use.

As of right now, upon having this app for just a handful of hours, I really like it. I feel like it keeps me focused and I haven't felt the need to turn on my podcast or scroll through Facebook (yet).

I signed up for a one month subscription for $5 after my 7 day free trial!

Minimalist Phone Website - Go check out their website to learn more

Blank Spaces App - this does the same thing for iPhone users!

Update 10/10/2024   
I've used it for about five days and decided to remove it from my phone. Here's why:

I found myself digging and trying to remember the app names I needed for my job or my day to day life. I had zero issues ignoring Facebook. It was nice that it wasn't even in my feed options! I had blocked it and hidden the title when I set up the app. 

My issues came when I was always reopening the same apps I needed for my day to day like my passwords app, my email, my messages, etc. I was also trying to remember names of apps I used for recipes at home or my workouts.

Overall, the app did its job. It kept my phone visual distractions down to nothing. It allowed me to pick times I wanted to block certain apps or set a time limit on social media (I did re-list Facebook to see what the timer was like), and it allowed me to still use my apps as needed but my interaction with the phone was different.

I believe this is a great app if you feel overwhelmed using your phone and need to de-clutter. I also recommend using it for breaks and vacation times where you need to focus on being with family. I didn't feel bad when I was using it because as soon as I closed out of an app, nothing was there to distract me so I immediately put my phone down and went on with life.

I removed the app because I found myself going to the same places over and over due to my job and felt that it would be easier if I didn't have to navigate the menu every single time. Take a look for yourself and see if this app is right for you!



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