Smartphone app aims to reduce excessive phone use

Launched by Toronto-based company

Flipdwas launched on Feb. 20 for Android users.

A Toronto startup company has recently launched an innovative app that aims to keep people from using their phones too much.

Flipd effectively locks the user out of their phone for a specified period of time.

Co-founder Alanna Harvey says a lot was taken into consideration when creating the app.

“Initially our idea was to be able to remotely lock another device, but after doing some research, we realized there was interest in users having the ability to lock themselves out of their phone,” she said. “We then decided to include both features so that people can use it either for themselves or for someone else.”

The app’s lock screen is set up on a timer, and once the time runs out, the user is let back in. While locked, it allows for messages, emails and calls to be received, but does not permit you to respond to them.

Flipd has already benefited its users according to Harvey.

“We’ve heard it already from our users that it helps with their ‘phone addiction’, as they put it. It really emphasizes this bad habit that we’ve created for ourselves and helps users treat it in the easiest and most effective way,” she said.

The app is currently available exclusively to Android phone users. However, the startup hopes to have an IPhone version ready for use by this summer.

About this article

By: Nasra Osman
Copy editor: Nolan N. White
Posted: Mar 12 2015 12:41 pm
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