User:Nika Kotláriková/Minimalist phone (app)

minimalist phone is a Munich-based phone app with a custom home screen for Android phones that replaces the default home screen. The app was developed by a Slovak software engineer living in Germany, Martin Morávek, in 2020. The app adjusts the user interface of the smartphone's screen so that the user spends less time on the smartphone. The aim is to help users to reduce "digital addiction" and improve their mental health. The first version of the app was released on Google Play on December 28, 2020.

Features and functionalities
The app is programmed in the Kotlin language for the Android operating system (version 6.0 or later ). After installation, the smartphone's default user interface will change. In the basic version, the screen is either black or white, in the advanced version there are color themes available. The app does not display the traditional depiction of other application icons. Basic icons and features on the home screen include calling, taking photos, and showing the clock. The app strips pictograms of their bright colors and displays them as text links (e. g. Calendar, News, etc.).

The app has several features that allow the user to lower the time spent on the smartphone. In-app time reminders ask users how much time they want to spend in an addictive app before they open it. At the same time, it will remind the user when the time limit expires.

minimalist phone allows you to block other applications or hide them from the screen, i. e. users have to take multiple redundant steps to access them. The lengthy process is meant to discourage users from opening social networks or similar app mindlessly. Monochrome mode removes color from the smartphone screen and renders all visuals in black and white instead. This psychological effect is intended to make the visual content less attractive for the user to view.

Feedback
As of July 30, 2022, the app had over 100,000 downloads on Google Play. According to the MôjAndroid.sk portal, the application met with a very positive response, while according to "[the] survey showed that 93 % of the users surveyed managed to reduce the time spent on the phone after only three days, which had a positive effect on their mental health."