Dumb Phone (dp) vs Delay
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
Delay
This app helps users break phone addiction by interrupting mindless scrolling with challenges. It aims to stop the cycle of addictive app usage through strategic interventions.
- Challenge-based interventions
- Dopamine delay
- Stops mindless app opening
- Breaks scrolling cycle
- Fun and engaging
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Turn your screen time into study time. Delay makes you answer practice questions on topics you want to learn before you can open distracting apps like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. Instead of setting aside more time to study, learning becomes a transparent layer integrated into something you already do every day. EARN YOUR SCREEN TIME Before opening a blocked app, Delay gives you a few quick practice questions. Answer them correctly to earn access. Every time you reach for a distracting app, you get another small repetition of something you actually want to learn. LEARN WHAT YOU WANT Choose exactly what you want to study. Whether you're learning a language, preparing for an exam, memorizing important concepts, or building knowledge in a new subject, Delay turns your material into questions you can practice throughout the day. LEARN THROUGH REPETITION Delay integrates learning into moments that would otherwise be spent scrolling. Instead of relying on long study sessions, you repeatedly encounter your material throughout the day. Over time, those small repetitions add up. END THE DOOMSCROLL Your apps automatically lock again after your earned screen time expires. If you want to keep scrolling, you study again. This creates a simple cycle: learn, unlock, scroll, repeat. IMPORT YOUR STUDY MATERIAL Bring the material you already want to learn into Delay and turn it into practice questions. Keep different subjects organized and choose what you want to practice when unlocking your apps. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See how much you've practiced, how consistently you're answering questions, and how your knowledge improves over time. The screen time you would have spent scrolling becomes measurable learning progress. SEAMLESS INTEGRATION Delay works directly with your apps so studying becomes part of your normal routine. Once it's set up, simply use your phone as usual. When you try to open a blocked app, Delay gives you your questions, you answer them, and you're right back in. MAKE SCREEN TIME USEFUL You’re already going to open your favorite apps throughout the day. Delay simply puts learning in between. Instead of finding more time to study, use the time and habits you already have. DOWNLOAD DELAY Delay requires a subscription to access certain features. Download Delay and start turning everyday screen time into learning time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Dumb Phone (dp) at 3.8K against Delay's 97. Dumb Phone (dp) also leads on iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.0). Delay's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 69%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Delay sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Delay holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dumb Phone (dp) has 3.8K ratings behind it against 97, 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 88% of Delay's.
Dumb Phone (dp) ships an update fortnightly, Delay every 5 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Dumb Phone (dp) | Delay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (3.8K ratings) | 4.8 (97 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.6% of reviews | 87.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3.8K — better | 97 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 590 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Tigas | Yaseen Halabi |
Customer experience
Dumb Phone (dp)
Delay
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
Delay
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
Delay
- Delay - Weekly$6.997 Days
- Delay - Monthly$9.991 Month
- Delay - Family Monthly$17.991 Month
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- Delay - Yearly3 Days trial$79.991 Year








