Need a digital detox? This free app lets you turn your iPhone into a dumbphone
The Boring Mode app comes from an unlikely developer
· TechRadarNews By Jamie Richards published 23 October 2024
Dutch beverage company Heineken has entered the app market with The Boring Mode, a new app that lets users try out the dumbphone experience without committing to a new device.
The app blocks notifications, social media and other apps, and the camera for a set period of time with the aim of helping users enjoy real-life events.
Available for free on the App Store and Google Play Store, Heineken launched the app during a DJ performance by Scottish music producer Barry Can’t Swim at the Amsterdam Dance Event opening party, where infrared displays behind the decks displayed messages to catch out those filming the set and promote installing the app.
Heineken says it wants to “encourage people around the world to stay in the present and live their social lives to the fullest no matter where they are”, with The Boring Mode designed to push this ethos forwards.
The app is a spiritual successor to the company’s previous hardware collaboration with fashion brand Bodega and phone maker HMD, The Boring Phone, a limited-run flip phone with only essential functions.
Can you really simulate a dumbphone?
In recent years, phone makers have placed a renewed emphasis on digital balance – the process of finding a happy medium between the connection smart devices provide and becoming overwhelmed by on-screen activities.
While iPhones and Android phones come with a suite of software tools like app timers, reminders, and profile modes, there’s clearly some demand for something a bit more permanent.
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