Google Launches The Paper Envelop To Deal With Smartphone Addiction

Smartphone addiction has been Google’s concern for long and recently, it proposed a seemingly simple solution for the problem. What it came up with is the Paper Phone to help people reduce the time gluing to the screen. This is part of its Digital Wellbeing initiative that has introduced several apps serving the ultimate goal of combating smartphone addiction.

The Paper Phone is called Envelope, which seals the phone so that users can only have access to the most basic functions of the device.

Unlike a smartphone addiction app which works with the software, the Envelope makes users feel less inclined to check their phone, at least that is what Google hopes to achieve.

The Paper Phone comes in two varieties, both of which are made out of paper. One covers everything but the keypad and the other allows you to use the camera but not the screen.

Users can print out the patterns of the Envelope and assemble it themselves. When you are ready to break free from the phone, activate the accompanying app.

Simple as it may seem, users can also have a progress report of how long they have been able to isolate themselves from the phone.

To help users have a clearer idea of how to get rid of smartphone addiction with the Envelope, Google has made public a video showing how the idea works.

Not much is needed to make the idea works, all you need is a free app, paper, a printer, and some glue. However, only users of the Pixel 3a can benefit from it for now. With the current smartphone addiction scale, there is no harm in giving it a try.

The free smartphone addiction app going with the Envelope is now an open-source project on GitHub, so passionate developers can join in and add functionalities as they wish.

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