Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Feb 24, 2026

Google Unveils Six New Apps to Cure Your Phone Addiction

Clever tools for improving your digital wellbeing. If you want to curb your smartphone usage, Google has released six free Android apps designed just for that. They are rather clever, playing on different principles to make you less dependent and anxious about your digital life - in other words, to help you actually live.

Google and Apple have been focusing on digital wellbeing, adding screen time statistics and limits so you can set some boundaries for yourself and if you have them your kids. But Google believes this isn’t good enough and it is taking the next step with these six smart pieces of software.


We Flip

We Flip is pretty neat if you're constantly trying to get your kids or spouse to put their phone down at dinner time or if your friends spend more time staring at their screens than you when you're out. It works on the same principle of the game that makes the first person to pick their phone at the dinner table to pay the tab for everyone sitting down. Everyone at the table needs to install the app, all the phones connect through Bluetooth and the moment someone falls for the temptation of looking into his or her phone, everyone will automatically know.


Unlock Clock

This works on the principle of just shaming yourself. The Unlock Clock is a live wallpaper that updates itself with the number of times you have unlocked the phone through the day. Every time you pick up your phone to check something up, boom, it goes up. It will surprise you how many times you do this through the day. A more useful thing, however, would be to actually display the time you have spent in the phone.


Post Box

Post Box is more aggressive than the self-shaming Unlock Clock reminder. Instead of being a passive reminder, you can use this app to collect all your notifications in one place, silencing your phone until a specific time of your choosing. When that time comes, Post Box will present you the notifications arranged in a neat way so can go through them quickly.


Morph

Here's another rather useful app that will make your phone look different according to profiles you set. It’s very simple: you set up different modes (work, personal, play, etc.) and choose which apps are needed for each. Then you set a time or a place for each of these modes to activate. For example, when you get to your office, your phone will “morph” into work mode, hiding all the apps except the ones needed in that environment.


Desert Island

If someone has ever asked you which movie, book or album would you take to a desert island, you already can imagine how Desert Island works. This app allows you to select the apps you truly find essential to go through the day and hides the rest for 24 hours. It’s one step removed from quitting your phone cold turkey style.


Paper Phone

Which brings us to Paper Phone, which actually gets rid of your phone altogether. It works by allowing you to choose your favorite contacts, maps, meetings, and whatever other info you need to go through the next day, organizing it in a small booklet that you can actually print and put in your pocket. The idea is that you leave the phone at home and go 100% analog so you are more focused.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
GCC Secretary-General Holds Talks with EU Ambassador in Riyadh
Gulf States’ AI Investment Drive Seen as Strategic Bet on Technology and U.S. Security Ties
African Union Commission Chair Meets Saudi Vice Foreign Minister to Deepen Strategic Cooperation
President El-Sisi Holds Strategic Talks with Saudi Crown Prince in Riyadh
Lucid Unveils Up to $12,000 Incentive for Air and Gravity Models in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Enters Global AI Partnership, Expanding Its Role in International Technology Governance
Saudi Arabia’s Landmark U.S. LNG Agreement Signals Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Gaming Push with Billion-Dollar Deals and Expanded PIF Mandate
Saudi Arabia Reports $25.28 Billion Budget Deficit in Fourth Quarter of 2025
Alvarez & Marsal Tax Establishes Dedicated Pillar Two and Transfer Pricing Team in Saudi Arabia
United States Approves Over Fifteen Billion Dollars in Major Arms Sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia
Pre-Iftar Walks Gain Momentum as Ramadan Wellness Trend Spreads
Middle East Jackup Rig Fleet Contracts Further After Saudi Drilling Suspensions
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Prepare to Sign Five Gigawatt Renewable Energy Deal at COP31
King Mohammed VI Congratulates Saudi Leadership on Founding Day, Reaffirming Strategic Ties
US Envoy Huckabee Clarifies Remarks on Israel After Expansionism Controversy
Saudi Arabia Introduces Limited Exceptions to Regional Headquarters Requirement for Foreign Firms
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, Elevating Its Role in Shaping AI Governance
Saudi Arabia and Arab States Mobilise Diplomatically After U.S. Envoy’s Israel Remarks
Cristiano Ronaldo Reaffirms His Commitment to Saudi Arabia Amid Transfer Speculation
Proposed US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Questions Over Uranium Enrichment Provisions
Saudi Arabia Sends 81st Aid Flight to Gaza as Humanitarian Air Bridge Continues
Global Games Show Riyadh 2026 Positioned as Catalyst for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia Eases Procurement Rules, Allowing Foreign Firms Greater Access to Government Contracts
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Seal Two Billion Dollar Solar Energy Agreement
Saudi Crown Prince Reportedly Sends Letter to UAE Leader Over Yemen and Sudan Policies
Saudi Arabia Voices Concerns to UAE Over Sudan Conflict and Yemen Strategy
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Artificial Intelligence Alliance to Strengthen International Collaboration
Shura Island Positioned as Flagship of Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Red Sea Tourism Drive
Saudi Arabia Rebukes Mike Huckabee Over Remarks in Tucker Carlson Interview
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
Mongolian Mining Family’s HK$247 Million Stanley Home Purchase Highlights Resilient Luxury Market
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
×