# Simple Zen: Dumb Phone — Mindful Phone Launcher > Mindful Phone Launcher (iPhone/iPad app by 立派 汪.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-zen-dumb-phone/id6760552860 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [立派 汪](https://appshunter.io/developer/1604350706) - Category: Productivity, Lifestyle - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 18.0 · 110 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-06-24 - Data updated: 2026-09-10 - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-zen-dumb-phone/id6760552860/reviews.md ## What is Simple Zen? Simple Zen turns your iPhone into a calm, intentional tool. Instead of endless app grids and dopamine-driven notifications, you get a minimalist text launcher that puts you back in control. YOUR PHONE, SIMPLIFIED Choose only the apps you actually need. Simple Zen replaces your home screen with a clean, monospaced list — no icons, no badges, no distractions. Just the essentials. MINDFUL FRICTION THAT WORKS Every time you reach for a distracting app, Simple Zen pauses you with a breathing exercise, a reflection prompt, or a simple countdown. This small moment is enough to break the autopilot habit. BLOCK APPS FOR REAL (Premium) With Screen Time access, a focus session doesn't just ask — it holds the apps you choose shut until the timer ends. iOS enforces it, so willpower isn't the plan. Which apps you pick never leaves your device. REAL LIFE TODAY See exactly how much of your day remains before bedtime. Track phone usage as a percentage of your waking hours. The less time on your phone, the more real life you have. SLEEP SCHEDULE Set your bedtime and wake time with an intuitive circular dial. Simple Zen uses this to calculate your real life remaining and track how much of your day goes to your phone. ADD ANY APP VIA SHORTCUTS With Premium, add any app to your launcher — even the one released yesterday. Browse 70+ popular apps or enter any app manually using Apple Shortcuts. Step-by-step guides walk you through setup. ZEN GARDEN (Premium) Earn zen stones for mindful behavior — surviving delays, maintaining streaks, and staying focused. Watch your garden grow as your relationship with your phone improves. VOICE REFLECTIONS (Premium) Record voice memos about your phone habits. On-device speech recognition and smart categorization help you spot patterns. Audio never leaves your phone. CONTEXTUAL BLOCKING Automatically increase delays or block apps when your calendar shows you're busy or when you're at your work location. FOUR DARK THEMES (Premium) OLED-optimized Zen Brush, Quill & Scroll, Typewriter, and Stone Tablet. FEATURES AT A GLANCE - Minimalist text-based app launcher - Mindful delay with breathing animation - Real app blocking during focus sessions (Screen Time) - Real Life countdown until bedtime - Phone usage percentage tracking - Sleep schedule with circular picker - Escalating delays per app - Custom reflection prompts - Time limits per app - Contextual blocking (calendar + location) - Focus profiles and focus timer - 4 dark themes + 1 light (Zen Pearl) theme - Home screen widgets (launcher, clock, quote) - NFC tap-to-focus - Live Activities / Dynamic Island - Siri and App Intents - Apple Health mindful minutes sync - Complete dumb phone setup guide - Privacy-first: no data leaves your device. No analytics. No accounts. Simple Zen is a one-time purchase. No subscriptions. Yours forever. Privacy Policy: https://williamjiamin.github.io/simple-zen-site/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Simple Zen Premium_ | $3.99 | one-time | | Simple Zen Premium | $3.99 | one-time | ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.3.1 — 2026-09-07 Two fixes, fast. • Settings › My Apps › Edit Apps opened to a blank screen. It opens again — with "Add Any App via Shortcut", the way to put any app on your launcher, right at the top. • If you block whole categories, iOS can shield Apple's Shortcuts app along with them — and Phone, FaceTime, Contacts, Settings and any app you added by shortcut open through it, so those tiles went dead during a block. There is now a "Keep open" list under App Blocking: add Shortcuts there and they keep working no matter what you block. The app also warns you at the moment you start a block if this applies to you. • When an app can't be opened by its link, Simple Zen now says so and offers the one-time Shortcut route that works for every app — instead of doing nothing. Thank you to the people who wrote in. Less noise, more life. ### 1.3 — 2026-09-03 Blocking is now free to try — 3 real blocks a day, no subscription. New • Free app blocking. Every user gets 3 real blocks a day. Choose your apps, pick 15, 25, 45 or 60 minutes, and iOS holds them shut until the time is up. • Blocking now lives on the launcher. A new App Blocking card sits right under the clock: how many blocks you have left, one tap to start one, and a live countdown while it runs. • Setup now sets up blocking for real. Grant Screen Time access and choose your apps during onboarding, and the launcher asks for a length the moment you land — pick one and your first block is running. • Blocks end on time, everywhere. When a block runs out you get a notification with an "Unlock now" button — no need to open the app — and the launcher card counts down live. • A quiet reflection prompt right after a block ends (Premium) — free users see exactly what it unlocks, never a dead screen. • Websites, too. Anything you pick on the Websites tab of Apple's picker is now blocked in Safari alongside your apps. • "Block my apps in Simple Zen" — a new Siri shortcut you can also wire to the Action Button or a Shortcuts automation. Free users' 3 blocks a day apply just the same. • A new honest counter on the launcher: how many times today you talked yourself out of opening something, right alongside your reclaimed time. • Always on (Premium). Keep your chosen apps shut all the time, not just during a session — it survives closing the app and restarting your phone. Need a break? Hold to pause for 5, 15 or 60 minutes and blocking comes back on its own. • Unlimited blocks with Premium, still a one-time purchase. The price is the first thing you see now — never a surprise at checkout. • One home for blocking. The App Blocking screen holds your mode, your apps and your pause controls in one place, two taps from anywhere. • A much simpler Settings. Sixteen sections are now six clear groups. Everything you had is still there, just easier to find. • One name throughout. "App Blocking" replaces the older Screen Time and "Block Apps for Real" labels. • 4 new visual themes (Premium): Linen Press, Cyanotype, Terracotta, and Dot Matrix — which comes with a tiny pixel companion that wakes, eats what you earn by resisting, and sleeps when you sleep. All optional; your launcher looks exactly the same unless you pick one. Fixed & polished • A calmer launcher: setup, tip and daily-insight cards no longer stack on top of each other — just one, whichever matters most right now. • Ending a focus session no longer switches off always-on blocking • Clearer wording when you've used today's free blocks, with a direct way to unlock more • More VoiceOver labels, stronger contrast and bigger tap targets across every new screen • Calmer animations that fully respect Reduce Motion Thanks for using Simple Zen. Less noise, more life. ### 1.2 — 2026-08-27 Real app blocking is here — still one price, and still no subscription, ever. New • Block apps for real: with Screen Time access, a focus session now holds the apps you choose shut. iOS enforces it, not willpower, and it keeps holding even if you close Simple Zen • Set a different pause length for each app • Lock Screen widget showing the time you reclaimed today • Mindful interventions before distracting apps open: math, follow-the-dot, type your intention, or exercise • "Drain the colour" — an optional grayscale pause that makes feeds less tempting • Lock your limits during a focus session so you can't quietly raise them mid-focus • A gentle bedtime nudge when you're up past your own schedule • Share your week with your close people, straight from the weekly summary • Launcher text weight options and a daily rotating quote widget • Export all your data as a readable file, or erase everything — your data stays on this device Fixed & polished • Streaks now count days you actually engaged — including days you resisted • The weekly share card shows your real numbers • Smoother, calmer animations that fully respect Reduce Motion • Better contrast and VoiceOver labels throughout • Your data is safer than ever during updates Thanks for using Simple Zen. Less noise, more life. ### 1.1 — 2026-07-10 Simple Zen 1.1 — a smoother start. • New "Finish Setup" card on the launcher walks you through turning your iPhone into a dumb phone: add the widget, hide your Home Screen, choose your apps • The setup video tutorials are now free for everyone • "Add Any App via Shortcut" is now free, so you can put any app on your launcher • Fixed: the Breathe, Circle, and Reflect cards now respond reliably to taps • Refined onboarding, including a live look at how attention-stealing apps behave • Small fixes and polish throughout Thank you for using Simple Zen. Less scroll, more life. ### 1.0 — 2026-06-25 No release notes. ## More apps by 立派 汪 - [Simple Thumbnail Maker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-thumbnail-maker/id6738887943) - [Simple Bible Reader Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-bible-reader-pro/id6759453900) - [Simple Pattern](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-pattern/id6760515997) - [Simple Jump Rope Pro: Counter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-jump-rope-pro-counter/id6760554162) - [Simple Visual Noise](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-visual-noise/id6760573900) All apps by 立派 汪: https://appshunter.io/developer/1604350706 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-10.*