Google launches five new experimental apps to promote digital wellbeing

These experimental apps have been developed to help users understand their tech habits and better manage their tech use.

What you need to know

• Google today launched five new "experimental" digital wellbeing apps
• All the five apps are now available for download on the Play Store.
• The apps are designed to help users find a better balance with technology.

Google recently made it mandatory for Android OEMs to preload its Digital Wellbeing and Family Link apps or an equivalent custom solution on new devices. To further bolster its Digital Wellbeing efforts, the company has now introduced five new experimental digital wellbeing apps.

As noted by Android Police, all five new apps are compatible with most phones and tablets running Android 8.0 Oreo or newer versions. They don't require the Digital Wellbeing app to be present on your device either.

Unlock Clock

The Unlock Clock app shows you the number of times you unlock your phone in a day. It can help you understand and manage how you use your phone.

Post Box

Post Box has been developed to help users minimize distractions with scheduled notifications. It can bundle all your notifications and deliver them to you at scheduled times, up to four times each day.

Desert Island

The Desert Island app helps users find focus by challenging them to go a day with only the most essential apps. You will be allowed to choose up to 7 essential apps before starting the challenge.

Morph

Similar to Desert Island, Morph is also designed to help users stay focused. It adapts your phone based on what you are doing. The app offers four modes: Creativity, Home, Work, and Holiday. You will need to choose the apps that are important to you in each mode, so that the phone can automatically adapt based on the time or place and give you the right apps at the right time.

We Flip

While the other four apps are aimed at helping individuals reduce the amount of time they spend on their phones, We Flip lets people switch off from technology and spend time together as a group. To get started, all you will need to do is wait for everyone to join and flip the switch together to begin a session.

Digital Wellbeing and parental controls are now required on all Google-certified Android phones