A live wallpaper that counts the number of times a person unlocks their smartphone is among a host of experimental apps launched by Google in a bid to help people detach from devices.
Unlock Clock keeps a tally of unlocks made in a day, displaying the count on the handset’s wallpaper or lock screen.
The launch of digital wellbeing experiments on Android comes at a time of increased debate around screen time and our ability to switch off from gadgets.
“As technology becomes more and more integral to everything we do, it can sometimes distract us from the things that matter most to us,” Google said.
“We are committed to helping everyone with the tools they need to develop their own sense of digital wellbeing.
“So that life, not the technology in it, stays front and centre.”
For those who feel bogged down by constant notifications, Google has released Post Box, which holds notifications back until a time that suits the user.
Morph is a launcher for Android that displays different apps based on the time of day or location, designed to focus minds, so at work only Gmail and calendar apps will appear instead of potential distractions from social apps like Snapchat or Facebook, for example.
Desert Island takes this approach a step further, challenging people to go 24 hours with only seven essential apps.
Finally, We Flip encourages groups to stay off their phones and instead spend quality time together.
If everyone in the group has the app installed, they have to flip a switch on their own smartphone to begin a tech-free session, and will know who caved in as soon as someone unlocks their handset.
“We hope this platform will inspire developers and designers to create experiments and put Digital Wellbeing at the centre of what they build in the future,” the tech giant added.
