Calm apps
I spend a lot of time on my digital devices – probably too much for my own good, but partly because as a software engineer, it's difficult not to.
In the last couple of months, I started to notice which apps I enjoy using, which apps enable me to be productive, and generally make me feel good. The apps don't have tons of common in their UI or what they are for, but they all have one thing in common – the goal is not to maximize profits, the goal is to solve a thing, do it well, and don't try to do everything and after using them, I feel often calmer than before I opened them.
This is my list of apps that I genuinely like and I'm mostly aligned with the creators:
Obsidian #
Obsidian has become my primary note-taking app, my to-do list, my reading list...you get the idea. The app is extensible, but I don't feel overwhelmed when using it (although the amount of options can be overwhelming initially). Compared to so many CEOs out there jumping from one hype to another, Obsidian's CEO writes about calmness being a superpower.
While the macOS app is truly amazing and I mostly have no notes there, the iOS app feels janky at times. But since Obsidian is a file-based app, maybe we'll see some enthusiastic devs rewriting a compatible app that feels more native?
And yes, I wrote this blog post in Obsidian 😉
NetNewsWire #
If there is one example of an app that does one thing and does it extremely well, it must be NetNewsWire. An open-source RSS reader that doesn't change a ton and you know what? I love that.
Signal #
One thing that would be common across the apps listed here and that brings me the calmness when using them is privacy. I want the apps I use to be local-first and when ✨ the internet ✨ needs to be involved, my data better be really well encrypted.
Sure, Signal might not have fancy animations and features like Telegram, but I found out I actually don't care. I want my messages to be safe and I want to focus on the one thing I'm in the app for: chatting with people. I don't want an app that tries to keep me engaged at all costs. I want to spend as little time as possible in the app, so I can get on with my day.
FlyLeaf #
I started to use FlyLeaf relatively recently. Before I was using Pocket and it was fine but I never got to really liking the app. FlyLeaf is a project of passion with focus on the best experience of reading articles and it's amazing at that. You get the theme at this point, right? On to the last one.
Ivory #
Last but not least, my favorite Mastodon client, Ivory. I used Tweetbot before Twitter became what it is and Ivory has been perfect. Developed by a small, but mighty team, the app really sets the bar for what timeline-based, native apps shoud look like.
More calm apps #
I hope non-intrusive apps that let you focus will be more and more the norm. It's so easy today to get distracted and choosing the right or wrong apps can definitely make a dent in your well-being. That being said, the best way to spend one's free time is off the screen, so let me log off now 😴