Dumb Phone (dp‪)‬ 4+

This app is exactly what I need

Unfortunately, actual “dumb phones” have to sacrifice all the quality apps people still need with their homegrown operating systems. The Dumb Phone (dp) app lets you shut out the distractions while keeping easy access to your most important apps.

While Apple doesn’t make it easy to customize your aesthetic, this app totally breaks the mold and gives you the closest thing to a minimal phone possible. I’ve nearly removed all app icons in replacement of lists. I’m not longer searching my pages for something to do. It’s brilliant. Yes, it takes some getting used to. Yes, you’ll learn how to set new apps up. Yes, it’s not at all like how you organize traditionally. But isn’t that the point. Put in a little effort to protect your mind and you’ll reap the benefits of not being tied to your phone. Lots of customization available still. And you can always create a page of apps if you need to on top of the text-based app links.

If you’re looking for a minimal skin for your iPhone, this is it. Developer is awesome and super responsive to adding new apps and making improvements as well.

Helps beat phone addiction (and great data privacy)

I am a phone addict. Dumb Phone is helping me break my addiction. I can use all the apps I need, but the phone doesn't own me. It isn't selling my private data. And it looks slick.

Dumb Phone looks great but doesn't grab attention with visual noise. It is like taking a deep breath. It lets me use my prefrontal brain to decide what I want to do on my phone, instead of my ADHD ooh-shiny brain.

I knew that my phone had been a problem for awhile, and tried some manual hacks that helped enough that I looked for more. (Set color filter to black/white, no appealing friends of loved ones, I deleted social media apps - I can use browser if needed). A Reddit channel (nosurf) recommended an app, but its data privacy was terrible (the data the app owner gathers about you from your phone, which can be sold to big tech). I found Dumb Phone, which has unusually good data privacy, and looks so good.

Clunky and difficult to set up

DO NOT x out of those tips/add sections, or you will not be able to get them back! Had to delete and reinstall the app. Also not very intuitive how to reorganize and edit the list of apps. You gotta tap on a blank space within the widget inside of the app, without accidentally hitting one of the names/shortcuts because that will launch the app. What’s up with the lowercase app names? Without giving us control over formatting?? You should respect the name given and allow people to decide for themselves how they’d like the formatting done. And what the heck with the lame degree symbols/small o letters at the top and bottom of the widget on the home screen? How is that minimal? Super distracting. If you want me to pay for this, you’re going to have to improve all of these things, as I’m deleting this for now. it’s the second best one of the ones I’ve tried (2 of the 4 were total garbage). The one I’m going with allows for a LOT of formatting/tweaking/customization of the app titles, AND how many display in each widget pane. I hope you improve this app and make it better than the other one! For now, I’ll have to stick with what looks and works best.

Developer Response ,

Thank you for the review! To address your feedback;
✅ Apps can be changed by tapping the + button
✅ Apps can be reordered by drag and drop (mentioned in the tip)
✅ App title casing is adjustable via the Style screen
✅ Total apps shown per page is adjustable via the Style screen
✅ Widget titles can be hidden by long-pressing the Home Screen -> Edit -> Customize -> tap Large

Some of these don't have particular tips added, so i'll consider adding them and making a proper guide for each in the FAQ so they're not easy to miss.

Hope you give Dumb Phone another shot someday soon, and thanks again!