Android Authority: Apps Can Make Android Phones Calm Without a $500 Dumbphone

The article's first step is cutting the attention pull from notifications. It says it turns off notifications for most apps or restricts them to the most important updates, using Android's notification channels. For blocking apps, the article relies on Switchly, a free, open-source app blocker it describes as highly customizable. Switchly supports NFC tags and QR codes, which the article presents as a way to get functionality similar to the $59 Brick without paying for it. The article also says Switchly can block only addictive parts of social media apps, so Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are always blocked. 'One tap and there's peace,' the article says.

The article also recommends BlockAds, a VPN-based global ad-blocker. According to the article, it works well and blocks full-screen ads that appear in free Android apps, which the writer calls a major upgrade to the Android experience.

For apps, the article argues that minimalist, ad-free alternatives can replace mainstream Android apps. It points to the Fossify suite, which offers ad-free basic versions of Gallery, File Manager, Calendar, Music Player, Messages, and a replacement for the Phone app. The writer says the default Phone and Messages apps are fine, but Photos, Files, and Calendar feel clunky, so Fossify's minimalist versions help.

Other recommended replacements include Breezy Weather, an open-source and customizable weather app; NewPipe for watching YouTube without ads and downloading videos for offline use; FUTO Keyboard instead of Gboard; and Fennec, an open-source fork of Mozilla Firefox without telemetry or Mozilla's extra features. The article says Fennec can use the uBlock Origin extension for desktop-class ad blocking. With NewPipe, the writer keeps a curated subscription list and disables the live feed and comments.

The article also describes changes to the home screen and lock screen. After customizing multiple pages and widgets on the Pixel 9a, the writer found the setup led to decision fatigue and compulsive scrolling. The writer now mostly uses Pixel Launcher but has disabled the At a Glance widget and removed the Discover feed page. All widgets are deleted, and the usual setup is a single page with themed icons; apps launch with the swipe-up gesture. When wanting a more minimal setup, the writer switches to Niagara Launcher with a minimal theme, pinning a few useful apps and perhaps one widget at the top.

Some apps cannot be replaced, the article says, citing Chrome. Although the writer uses Fennec, Chrome is still needed occasionally. The article says Chrome is set up for an 'adrenaline junkie' by default, with a home page showing shortcuts and feeds and websites asking to send notifications. The writer customized the Chrome home page to remove almost every element except the search bar and disabled the notifications popup.

The article describes the changes as working for the writer, who used free or open-source software on a Pixel 9a. It presents the calmer setup as an alternative to buying a dedicated minimalist phone.