A while ago I was wandering through WordPress, and came across mention of a really, really cool app called Forest (I can’t remember who mentioned it, sorry!). The premise is that you set the timer on the app and don’t use your phone during that time, and when you meet that goal, a tree grows!

These are screenshots from my phone. Below is the main screen you will see. You move the green dot around the circle, and it changes the time/goal.

You can select your settings:

For each goal you reach, a tree grows:

If you log in before the time is up, the app will tell you to “Stop phubbing”, and if you click on “give up”, this is what happens:

Not only does it keep track on the Forest page, but also here, and you can add notes about why you needed the time away, such as working on a project/while you’re in class, etc…

When you accumulate enough leaves, you can choose different types of trees to add to your forest. This looks like an octopus tree to me. 😉

I really like this tree.

As you can see, yes, there are ads, but I don’t find them obnoxious. One thing: each day the forest is empty. I thought it accumulated trees until it was full, but it clears out and you start fresh. So you need to be diligent in meeting your time goals! 🙂

The app is available for Chrome and Firefox, too! The Forest App. Rocks socks!

©Pip Miller – May 2016