Dumb Phone (dp) vs Recode
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
Recode
This app helps you regain focus by physically preventing access to distracting applications. It requires scanning a QR or barcode to unlock apps, creating friction that discourages reflex checking and promotes productivity.
- Physical app blocking via QR/barcode scan
- Accountability through intentional unlocking
- Reduces reflex app checking
- Promotes focus and productivity
- Customizable app blocking schedules
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Stop scrolling. Start living. Recode is the only screen time app that requires you to physically scan a QR code or barcode to unlock your blocked apps. No easy bypass. No cheating. Just real accountability. How it works: 1. Choose which apps to block and set your schedule. 2. Pick any QR code or barcode as your unlock key — a book on your shelf, a code at your desk, anything. 3. When you want to unblock, you have to physically go scan it. That friction is what makes Recode work. Why it's different: Other screen time apps let you bypass limits with a single tap. Recode doesn't. The physical requirement of scanning a code creates real resistance between you and your distracting apps. You can't cheat from the couch. Track your progress with Streaks: Build a daily streak by keeping your break time under 30 minutes. Watch your calendar fill with green as you take back control of your habits. Built from personal experience: I built Recode because I was losing myself in endless scrolling — distracted all day, drained at night, ashamed of how little I got done. Even in its demo version, the simple act of requiring a scan to unblock completely shifted my habits. Knowing I couldn't unblock until I got home kept me off my phone. Over time, I reclaimed focus, confidence, and the satisfaction of being productive. Take control of your time. Download Recode today. Available subscription options: Recode Pro – Monthly or Annual auto-renewable subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Dumb Phone (dp) at 4.6 against Recode's 4.2. Dumb Phone (dp) also leads on ratings volume (3.8K vs 5). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 Recode sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Dumb Phone (dp) holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dumb Phone (dp) has 3.8K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Dumb Phone (dp)'s written reviews are positive against 67% of Recode's.
Dumb Phone (dp) ships an update fortnightly, Recode weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dumb Phone (dp) | Recode |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (3.8K ratings) — better | 4.2 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 68.2% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3.8K — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 371 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Tigas | Alexander Hartigan |
Customer experience
Dumb Phone (dp)
Recode
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
Recode
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
Recode
- Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Pro Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year








