This app is one of those rare ideas that’s so simple, yet so incredibly effective that you can’t believe no one thought of it sooner.In a world where every app is fighting for your attention, 1999 does the exact opposite. One tap and your smartphone becomes… well… a phone again. Calls and texts still work, but all the endless scrolling, social media rabbit holes, and mindless distractions disappear until your timer ends. It’s refreshingly ruthless in the best possible way.But the absolute stroke of genius? Snake.Whoever decided to include the classic Snake game deserves a standing ovation. Instead of leaving you with absolutely nothing to do, they brought back one of the most iconic games ever created. It perfectly captures the nostalgia of carrying around a brick phone in the late ‘90s. Five minutes of Snake somehow feels more satisfying than an hour of doomscrolling. It’s a reminder that entertainment doesn’t have to be infinite to be enjoyable.A huge shoutout to the Backward Thinking developers. In an industry obsessed with adding more features, more notifications, and more distractions, they had the courage to move in the opposite direction. That kind of restraint is surprisingly innovative.This isn’t just another productivity app—it’s a reset button for your attention span. The fact that it blocks distractions at the OS level while letting you keep the essentials makes it feel intentional rather than restrictive.If you’ve ever caught yourself picking up your phone without even knowing why, do yourself a favor and download this. And when you’re done being productive, fire up a game of Snake. You’ll be amazed at how quickly it transports you back to 1999.

I didn’t expect to like 1999 as much as I did, but honestly it’s amazing. The whole idea is that it basically bricks your phone in the best way possible. you can still get calls and messages, but all the usual distractions disappear.After using it, I realized how often I pick up my phone for absolutely no reason. This app made it way easier to be present, get things done, and actually disconnect without feeling completely unreachable. It’s very simple to use, effective, and weirdly refreshing. Its extremely well designed. I think everyone should try it at least once, even if just to see how addicted we all are to our phones. Really cool concept and very well executed.

I didn’t have the best willpower especially when it came to my phone. I’d set a two hour timer and override it before the notification even finished loading. Every time. This 1999 app removes the option entirely. There’s no override. No “remind me in 15 minutes.” The apps that were wasting my time are just gone until the timer ends. Since calls and messages still work, I feel like nothing major or urgent is missed. Love it, and will be using it all the time! Thank you !!

This is the perfect simple and easy to use tool for you to disconnect on demand. I’ve considered buying an old flip phone to be more present in the moment while being able to stay connected for the family and emergencies. 1999 does just that while allowing me to keep my phone on me and block all the distractions. Phone detox at its best and super easy to use. The snake feature is a great bonus to take your mind off the timer ;)