As technology becomes a bigger part of our lives, more people are also thinking about ways to take digital detoxes.
Now Google is recommending three new ways to try and take a break from your phone as part of its Digitial Wellbeing Experiments.
They’re a collection of ideas and tools that help people find a better balance with technology.
Envelope
Courtesy: Google
Google designed a couple of paper envelopes that transform how your smartphone works.
One envelope turns your phone into a device that can only make and receive calls. Another turns your phone into a photo and video camera with no screen.
Printed buttons light up, letting you dial numbers and take photographs. You can also push a button to display the time. You won’t be able to view any of the photos you’ve taken until you remove the phone from the envelope at the end of the day.
Courtesy: Google
You can download a document and print it out to make your own envelope.
For now, only the Google Pixel 3a is supported for these envelopes.
You can download the companion app on the Google Play Store.
Screen Stopwatch
The Screen Stopwatch tells you how long you spend on your phone each day. Each time you unlock your phone, the stopwatch starts to count.
The idea is to make you realize how much time you spend looking at your phone.
The app is only available on the Google Play Store.
Courtesy: Google
Activity Bubbles
Activity Bubbles helps you discover what your phone usage looks like in a day. Every time you unlock your phone it creates a new bubble. The longer you stay on your phone the bigger the bubble grows.
You can download the app on the Google Play Store.
Courtesy: Google
Google hopes these ideas will inspire developers and designers to consider digital wellbeing in everything they design and make.
People are invited to test out the Digital Wellbeing Experiments and create new ones.
