GoKawiilKhamosh Pathak / Android Authority
Add Android Authority on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover
I really like the idea of a “dumbphone”, or a minimalist phone. It’s just the essentials. The phone, maps, calendar — only the useful bits. None of the time-sucky, doom-scrolly distractions.
But I don’t like the idea of spending $500 on a Light Phone or a Wisephone. Instead, I’ve been on a quest to turn my Pixel 9a into a calmer device. And the good news is, it works.
Here’s how I did it, and the apps that made it possible.
Would you rather de-clutter your existing phone, or just buy a dedicated dumbphone? 56 votes I'd rather fix the phone I have. 45 % I'd just buy a dumbphone. 5 % I'd buy a dumbphone, but not one that costs $500. 9 % My phone's fine as is. 41 %
Stopping the constant attention pull
Khamosh Pathak / Android Authority
The first thing I do is to make sure that notifications for most apps are off, or at least restricted to the most important updates (Android’s notification channels feature really helps here). But that’s table stakes at this point.
To keep my own attention from wandering, I rely on Switchly. It’s a free, open-source app blocker that is incredibly customizable and supports NFC tags and QR codes. Instead of paying for something like the $59 Brick, I can get the same functionality with a printed QR code. Switchly also has a neat feature that lets you block just the addictive parts of social media apps, so I’ve set it up to always block Reels on Instagram and Shorts on YouTube. In general, I have a profile setup that automatically blocks distracting apps and websites. One tap and there’s peace.
... continue reading