If you can't just switch off your phone,
trust these apps to keep you away from it
We're all addicted to those little gizmos that
sit in our pockets and bags (and on the dinner table too). But that doesn't
mean you have to give in to the temptation without a fight. There are apps for
iOS and Android that can help ease the pain, turning off your phone's most
distracting features.Of course, nothing works like turning off your phone.But
we are humans afterall.Acknowledging that, and the irony of these apps, here
are five of the favourites:
Flipd
Instead of manipulating an
individual feature or two, Flipd completely takes over your smartphone. It
replaces you r lock screen with something more basic, offers easy auto replies
for text messages, and lets you build a list of emergency contacts in case you
really need to make that call. The whole system can be turned on in spurts up
to 12 hours long. You can even lock other people's phones to keep your kids in
check (or your screen-addicted significant other). Right now it's Android only,
but an iOS version is on the way.Available for free
Moment
Taking a slightly more
kidglove approach is Moment, wh ich t r ack s how much you are using your phone
and tablet, creating a pastel timeline of your daily screen-gazing.You can
monitor how many minutes you spend staring at each device, how many times you
pick it up, and whether or not you're meeting your goals. You can even have
Moment deter usage after you enter the red zone by giving you constant alerts
that make checking e-mail so tedious you'll give up.Available from $5
AppDetox
It's time to get specific.
Really specific. AppDetox
lets you tailor your mobile us age to keep you on t ask when you need to fo cus
and to let you roam free when it's time to chill out.You can restrict Facebook
during business hours while leaving Outlook totally untouched. Conversely, you
could always turn your work e-mail off for the weekend -dare to dream. Settings
are flexible, letting you manage the number of times an app can be opened, what
times it can be used and how much time you can sink into it.Available for free
Offtime
Sometimes you want to
filter out the unnecessary, rather t h a n c ut t i n g you r c on ne c tion
altogether.Offtime lets you block out contacts you want to ignore and restrict
the apps that are cutting into your productivity, all the while displaying your
results in easy-to-read charts and tiles. It also keeps track of notifications
you're missing due to restrictions, so you can address them later.The only
downside is that the app is so beautiful you may want to stare at it for way
too long, defeating the purpose altogether.Free with paid options
Screen
Time Control
Screen Time Control might
be a parental control app, but you can use it to keep yourself in line too. It
limits your overall time us ing the device and gives granu lar readouts of what
apps you're using most, what you're opening constantly, and how your behaviour
changes over time. The interface is colourful and makes it easy to turn the
controls on and off as you need them. You might have the passwords, but no
cheating ! Available for free .
Source | Economic Times | 5 June 2015
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Khaitan
& Co
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