Dumb Phone (dp) vs Reduce Scrolling
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dumb Phone (dp)
Transform your iPhone into a minimalist device by replacing distracting app icons and notifications with simple buttons for essential apps. Create custom launchers for different contexts and utilize detox modes to reduce digital distractions.
- Create minimalist launchers
- Select essential apps
- Style Home Screen with themes
- Block and hide non-essential apps
- Quickly switch launchers via Control Center
- Adapt to Liquid Glass changes
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Turn your iPhone into a Dumb Phone. Dumb Phone™ lets you create your very own minimalist-style phone on iOS. Replace colorful app icons, pesky notification badges, and anything that might give you a dopamine hit when you unlock your phone, with simple buttons to open your essential apps - and nothing more. Key features: • Break out of your existing habits Every time you unlock your phone, all you will see is apps that you need, without being coerced into easy distractions from colorful apps on your Home Screen or the App Library. • Create a Minimalist Launcher Select apps and add Dumb Phone widgets to your Home Screen to blend everything together. • Choose your essential apps Select apps that you frequently use, so they are a single tap away. • Style your Home Screen Choose from a Dark or Light minimalist style, by adjusting your wallpaper, background, text, and more, with themes. • Adapt to Liquid Glass changes Reduce the addictive elements of the Liquid Glass Home Screen style, applied in the latest version of iOS. • Create multiple app launchers Create launchers for leisure, work, night time, so you see the most important apps in context to your day. • Detox Mode Create an immersive dumb phone experience by choosing which non-essential apps to block and/or hide on your device, with the powerful capabilities of Screen Time. • Control Center widgets Quickly switch between app launchers from the Control Center with new control center widgets that instantly change your Home Screen. Download the Dumb Phone app today and embrace the full benefits of minimalism, and turn your iPhone into a powerful utility once more. Visit the Dumb Phone app website for more info: https://dumbphone.so/ View our Privacy & Terms at: https://dumbphone.so/privacy https://dumbphone.so/terms
Reduce Scrolling
This app helps you regain control over your phone usage by introducing gentle "speed bumps" to encourage mindful app engagement. It offers customizable settings for different applications and schedules to help you reduce distractions and build better digital habits.
- Per-app control with customizable settings
- Live Activity timer for remaining time
- Recharge Time delays to prevent compulsive reopening
- Smart Schedules for automatic app blocking
- Streak tracking for habit momentum
- 7-day free trial
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We get it. You don't want to completely ditch your phone, you just want to stop feeling like it controls you. Maybe you've noticed yourself opening Instagram without even thinking about it. Or you meant to check one thing and suddenly 30 minutes disappeared. Or you feel that little twinge of guilt when you realize you've been scrolling instead of doing... literally anything else. You're not broken. Your phone is just really, really good at grabbing your attention. **WHY BLOCKWISE IS DIFFERENT** We're not here to shame you or lock you out of your apps like you can't be trusted. We built Blockwise because we had the same problem, and we realized that aggressive blocking doesn't actually help you build better habits. It just makes you feel restricted. Instead, Blockwise works with you to create little speed bumps that help you pause and think before you dive into an app. Small changes that actually stick. **WHAT YOU GET** - Per-App Control - Different settings for different apps based on how distracting they are - Live Activity timer - See exaclty how much time you have left while using a distracting app - Recharge Time delays - Prevent compulsive app reopening with customizable wait times - Smart Schedules - Automatic make distracting apps inaccessible during work, sleep, or family time - Streak Tracking - Build momentum with daily success streaks **WHY PEOPLE LOVE BLOCKWISE** "I use it for my ADHD and tendency to doom scroll and lose complete track of time. It's made a HUGE impact for me. 100% recommend!" "My screen time dropped from 8-9 hours, to TWO. I haven't been able to find anything else like it." "This app is fairly new but I'm loving it already. It helps me to cut back on doom scrolling and improve my social media health. Give it a chance!" **THE HONEST TRUTH** Blockwise won't magically fix everything overnight. Building new habits takes time. But if you're tired of feeling like your phone is in charge, this is a really good place to start. And here's the thing: even though finding your perfect routine takes a bit of experimentation, most people start seeing real reductions in their screen time right after setting up their first block. The results can be surprisingly quick. You'll probably slip up sometimes. That's totally normal. The difference is, with Blockwise, you'll have tools that actually help you get back on track instead of just feeling bad about it. **LESS SCROLLING, MORE LIVING** Whether you want to focus better at work, be more present with friends and family, sleep better, or just stop feeling guilty about your screen time, Blockwise can help. Your phone can be a useful tool instead of a time thief. We'll help you get there. **TRY IT FREE FOR 30 DAYS** See if Blockwise clicks for you. If it does, awesome. If not, no hard feelings. **YOUR DATA IS YOURS** We use Apple's Screen Time APIs, which means your data stays on your device. We don't see what you're doing on your phone, and we don't sell your information. **QUESTIONS? WE ANSWER THEM ALL** Seriously, reach out anytime at blockwise.app@gmail.com. We actually read and respond to messages. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://joinblockr.xyz/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reduce Scrolling at 100% against Dumb Phone (dp)'s 69%. Reduce Scrolling also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Dumb Phone (dp)'s advantage is ratings volume (3.8K vs 4) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Dumb Phone (dp) sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Reduce Scrolling sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Reduce Scrolling holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dumb Phone (dp) has 3.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Dumb Phone (dp)'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Reduce Scrolling's.
Dumb Phone (dp) ships an update fortnightly, Reduce Scrolling every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dumb Phone (dp) | Reduce Scrolling |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (3.8K ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3.8K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 590 MB | 80 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Tigas | Ko LiChung |
Customer experience
Dumb Phone (dp)
Reduce Scrolling
Bugs and requests
Dumb Phone (dp)
Reported bugs
3 issues- Widget not appearing in list
- Apps opening through Shortcuts app
- Compatibility issues with older devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to hide App Library
- More widget customization options
- Customizable widget labels
- Detox mode for specific apps
- Support for more third-party apps
Reduce Scrolling
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Dumb Phone (dp)
- Dumb Phone Pro (1 month)$2.991 Month
- Dumb Phone Pro (1 month)$3.991 Month
- Dumb Phone Pro (1 month)$5.991 Month
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- Dumb Phone Pro (1 year)$9.991 Year
- Dumb Phone Pro (1 year)$12.991 Year
- Dumb Phone Pro (1 year)$14.991 Year
- Dumb Phone Pro (1 year)$19.991 Year
- Dumb Phone Pro Family (1 year)$24.991 Year
- Dumb Phone Pro Lifetime$24.99
- Dumb Phone Pro Lifetime$29.99
- Dumb Phone Pro Lifetime$39.99
Reduce Scrolling
- Unlimited access2 variants$9.991 Year
- Unlimited3 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Unlimited Access$19.991 Year
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Unlimited access$22.991 Year
- Unlimited Access$29.991 Year
- Unlimited Access3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Unlimited access$39.991 Year
- Unlimited Access7 Days trial$44.991 Year
- Unlimited Access7 Days trial$89.991 Year
Questions
Is Dumb Phone (dp) free?
Is Reduce Scrolling free?
Which has better reviews, Dumb Phone (dp) or Reduce Scrolling?
Do Dumb Phone (dp) or Reduce Scrolling have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dumb Phone (dp) or Reduce Scrolling?
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