Carl Barenbrug

Research + product design

lab

Phone Setup

Ever since I moved from the iPhone to the Blloc Phone, I wanted to further reduce the number of apps I had installed. Not just because I wanted to reduce my screen time and have fewer distractions, but because I wanted to remove my digital clutter, and where better to start than on my smartphone? I’m currently down to 28 apps in total, which I think is a decent number in this day and age.

Work

  • Gmail
  • Beezee (to-do list)
  • Dropbox
  • Dropbox Paper
  • Slack

Entertainment

  • YouTube
  • Amazon Music
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Basics

  • Chrome
  • Google Calendar
  • Google Maps
  • Google Photos
  • Calculator
  • Phone
  • WhatsApp
  • Messenger
  • Contacts
  • Camera
  • Clock
  • Photos
  • DuckDuckGo
  • Play Store

Other Tools

  • PayPal
  • RBS (banking)
  • Memrise (learning German)
  • Waking Up (meditation)
  • Bus & Trams (in Edinburgh)

Reading through this list, I know I could pare this down even further—probably by another half dozen. But then I tell myself that minimalism is about intentionality, not deprivation, so as long as they are used fairly regularly and serve a purpose, they can remain. How does your phone setup look? I’m particularly interested if you also own a Blloc Phone.

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