How to turn a smartphone into a flip phone

Another year. Another new version of iOS, that, like previous versions, promises to do more. Some of it is interesting, some of it isn’t, but few expect Apple’s iOS10 to significantly impact the majority of its users’ day to day lives.

May I humbly propose that iOS11 do less.

I recently came across this TEDxTeen talk with over 200k views:

Canada represent!

In her talk, Ann Makosinski (inventor of the hand-powered flashlight and phone-charging mug) describes why she only uses a flip phone, and has no interest in getting a smartphone. She argues that since we are constantly distracted by notifications and addictively checking our smartphones, why not remove the distraction?

This video struck a chord with me, not because I have any plans to get rid of my smartphone, but because it got me imagining what it would be like to have a flip phone again.

It felt liberating.

So an idea sparked: what if I could occasionally, and easily, turn my iPhone into a device with the capability of Ann’s phone?

In other words — how do I turn a smartphone into a flip phone?

I love productivity tools that help me focus, like the Pomodoro Technique, Evernote, and Bullet Journal. Yet, I have never found a good app to help cut down on distractions. There are loads available, but they all have one fatal flaw: they are incredibly easy to disable.

(As an aside, the best solution I’ve found is Forest, which helps you focus by using guilt. Closing the app murders an innocent digital tree, which I sadly have no qualms about.)

The ease at which you can close these apps means that their effectiveness is dependent on your willpower. Trying to focus with a smartphone nearby is like trying to diet with chocolate nearby; you may not give in right away, but you’ll always be conscious of it.

Introducing Focus Modes

Focus Modes allows you to create customized home screens featuring a limited number of apps. When you enter that ‘mode’, you are only able to use and receive notifications from those apps. Whenever you choose to exit, there is a 1–10 minute delay before returning to your original home screen. It’s like parental control on yourself.

To create a Focus Mode:

1. Name your Focus Mode.
2. Set an impulse control countdown of 1–10 minutes. This will prevent you from being overcome with the desire to quickly check your {insert social media here}. We both know it’s never quick.
3. Optionally set a timer to automatically exit and a background image.
4. Select only the apps you want to access in this mode.

Then enter your new Focus Mode.

That’s it. No account sign up, no premium features, no ads, no extra permissions you have to approve.

Here’s the app after creating a new mode, and the mode itself:

It is important that app placement starts from the centre, not the top left. Otherwise the screen just looks empty, as if it were saying, “Come on…fill me up! Look at all this rooooooom! It’s bad Feng Shui!”

Workout mode:

Sweaty Instagram mirror selfies are generally accepted as an important part of any balanced workout.

Reading mode:

Have you ever tried focusing on a book that can ALSO tell you what all your friends are up to right now?

Driving Mode:

Apple Maps is actually pretty good now. Almost as good as not dying due to a distracting dank meme.

Now, if you’re looking this over and thinking,“I need this! Why doesn’t it exist yet?” Well, that’s why I wrote this article.

The (nearly) Impossible App

Neither Apple nor Google provide software developers with the operating system privileges required to both suppress notifications from other apps and limit the home screen. While understandable, this means that the app can only exist if built by Apple or Google.

So how do we provide them with the motivation to do so? While the cost of new projects is always a concern, Focus Modes is not an expensive endeavour. As there is no database that needs to be built to manage user information, costs would be minimal. There would be a) the fixed cost of 1–3 people required to build it, and b) the variable cost of fixing bugs and occasionally making it prettier.

Then there is competitive advantage. One of the most amazing things about smartphones today is that they rarely amaze us anymore. They are incredible pieces of technology that for many of us, have become addictive tools we take for granted. If you learned that the competitor’s tool would allow you to better manage that addiction, would you switch?

Focus Modes would simply nudge the love-hate relationship I have with my smartphone towards love. So if you feel the same, please share your love.

And by your love, I mean this article.