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Arianna Huffington's new app lets you humblebrag about turning your phone off

Arianna Huffington's new app lets you humblebrag about turning your phone off

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Sorry I can’t talk, I’m ‘thriving’

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Thrive app
Image: Thrive Global

Arianna Huffington has partnered with Samsung to create an app that helps you disconnect from the internet while also humblebragging to your friends that you can’t be reached. The app, called Thrive, will be available in December exclusively for Samsung devices only through the Samsung Galaxy Store.

To be fair, a lot of what Thrive does is already available by toggling the Do Not Disturb button on Samsung devices. Like Do Not Disturb, Thrive can schedule times to be disconnected as well as whitelist people / notifications that can reach you even when the app is enabled. Unlike Do Not Disturb, if someone not on your “VIP” list tries to contact you while your phone is in “Thrive Mode,” a text will be sent to them that you’re “thriving.”

If someone tries to contact you, the app will automatically send a text that you’re “thriving”

It’s a little, “Sorry, I can’t talk because I’m too busy living my best life,” but whatever. We live in a world where we have to let others know how awesome we are on digital platforms, and now, it seems, how awesome we are on digital platforms because we’re not using said digital platforms. I guess it’s good marketing for Thrive as well.

Platitudes about disconnecting aside, the app does have some features that could be useful if someone really wanted to curb their digital consumption. Under “App Control,” Thrive shows you how much time you spend using particular apps, a statistic that would divulge the scary amount of hours I’ve spent playing Ace Attorney as of late (thanks, Natt Garun). You can set time restrictions for individual apps here, or block using them altogether for periods of time. And, while you can break any of these digital time outs early, there’s also something called a “Super Thrive Mode,” which bypasses that option. Enable that, and there’s no backsies until the time limit you’ve set expires.

Huffington says she hopes this app will help you “recalibrate your relationship with technology.” If you’re a Samsung user and want to participate in the preview Beta, check out the app’s website before it goes live on December 15th.