Nuked Three new apps to help you use your phone less as part of its digital wellbeing initiative, including one that actually has you seal up your phone in a phone-sized paper envelope. It sounds similar to the pouches some artists require fans to put their phones into at home – but it’s something you make at home.
If you have a pixel 3A, you download a play store app for the envelope, then print out the downloaded and cut out the template, and follow the instructions to construct it. Google’s envelope technique only works with a pixel 3 right now – and we ca n’t think of a reason that’s the case.
Once your phone is sealed in the envelope, you’ll be able to dial phone numbers on the phone, use speed dial, or have the phone tell you the time by flashing the number pad numbers. When you’re ready for a break from your phone, open up the envelope app, slide your pixel 3A into the envelope and seal the envelope shut.
In the video, Google shows off a version of the envelope that only lets you take photos and videos. But I have n’t found a copy of the video.
The idea of envelope could be a useful way to give myself a break from her phone at home. Since your phone is glued inside the envelope, you’ll have to tear the seal and part of the envelope to get it out.
An envelope app lets you do something different than call people or use the camera. You can tinker what Google has already shared to your liking.
Google also launched an Android app called activity bubbles. It puts a bubble on your wallpaper each time you open the phone. Activity bubbles increases the size of the bubble the longer you’re on your phone.
Google’s new screen stopwatch is a live wallpaper for Android phones that constantly counts up when you have your phone unlocked. These screenshots show how the numbers add up over time.
