escaping the algorithm

i've been trying to be more intentional with my phone. it's been a massive sink of my time and creativity as of late (looking at you, Instagram), and so i finally decided to break out of the unproductive loops that my phone was enabling.

the first step was deleting Instagram from my phone. i still have it on my laptop for "emergency" messages from those who don't know i've left the app, as well as for the occasional time i need to use it for recipes or research. however, deleting Instagram left a gaping hole in my home screen, so i decided to completely rework my home screen around my wallpaper (though the wallpaper is quite personal, so i've replaced it with something more generic. i can assure you it is nonetheless aesthetic).

some apps you simply can't escape, like messages, music, and authenticator. thankfully, i don't hate the new updates to the messages and music apps, which make them more functional and nice to look at. authenticator is awful no matter what you try to do to it.

the weather app is probably going to be replaced by CARROT weather eventually. i'd been using it for a while before, but wanted to see what it would be like to just use the Apple stock apps (spoilers: it's awful). if anyone does have any recs for a different weather app - in particular one which is well designed - i'd love to hear it.

similarly, i haven't found a very good replacement for the safari browser yet, but i'm desperate for one. recent redesigns have made the ui too hidden. i'm all for a nice clean design, but that needs simplicity. hiding hundreds of buttons behind just a few is like shoving all your clothes into the closet without actually putting them away.

now for the apps i do like! corner maps is replacing my maps app. it uses the same Apple Maps api that i’m used to in the native maps app, but adds a social element with various recommendations from friends and other users. i’ve used it a few times when i’ve needed to find somewhere to spend a lazy sunday with friends. i still use the regular maps app for important navigation, but when we're just ambling around london, it's super great.

in replacing Instagram, i was looking for two things: firstly, somewhere for me to get my news. not necessarily global news, i kind of let that percolate for me. more the news in my scenes, tech and fashion in particular. feeeed is the perfect app for that. it's well designed (something i'll get onto later) and it's very functional. i get to see my step count and photo flashbacks in and amongst my rss feed!

the second thing i was looking for in replacing Instagram is non-algorithmic online spaces. i was getting a lot of just stuff from Instagram which i'd say i was going to use for something but never did. Sublime, PI, and Cosmos are the perfect (get it?) replacements for this. Sublime is a bit buggy at the moment, but they’re in active development and a 2.0 of the app is on its way. it is nonetheless wonderful for interesting articles and inspiration for writing (a fair few of my recs are from there). PI is a far better social media than anything else that exists. it still has that sense of endlessness and connectivity, but without this feeling that i'm being exploited or that i'm not actually connecting with people. it's fun to have actual conversations with strangers in the comments, rather than the weird disconnect that exists on the bigger tech platforms. Cosmos is similar to Sublime in terms of inspiration. however, it has two main differences. it is almost entirely visual and it lacks a real social element. you can follow other accounts and whatnot, but not in the same way that you can for Sublime or PI. that being said, i don't really need it to be social. pinterest tried to become too social and honestly they kind of destroyed the app (along with all the ai). all in all, Sublime, PI, and Cosmos, along with feeeed, have completely taken up what Instagram used to - but without the icky, regretful feeling you have after doomscrolling for an hour.

beyond the social apps, Ideas is a super simple app that i can just chuck all my ideas into and give basic tags. it's very minimal, but it works very well. everything from ideas for articles to PI post drafts goes in there (this very article started its life as a PI post draft in Ideas).

Books is the native Apple Books app. i redownloaded it just recently because i remembered it got a new design. as a quick aside, i have to say that i'm actually just a sucker for a well-designed app. i love to frequent the app store just to have a little look around and see what's new and what's, importantly, good looking. i've downloaded calorie-tracking, rock-climbing, and running apps purely because i liked how they looked. i used them for a few days and then got rid of them, not really needing (or wanting) anything from them.

i redownloaded the Books app for this purpose, having a little look around and then getting rid of it. i don't really fancy paying for online books, i'd rather either pay for physical media or support local libraries. however, the Books app had more in store for me than i expected. it is gorgeously designed, but it also has a lot of free stuff! it has classic books including (but not limited to) Emma, Great Expectations, Wuthering Heights, and Dracula! for the more audio-inclined, the collection also extends to 20 audiobook classics. right now i'm listening to the Leslie Odom, Jr. read The Great Gatsby. i'm sure i'll be over it by the time i've worked through all the free material in there, but for all of you out there who might not have access to good public libraries, i can't recommend this enough (indeed, if you've already seen this paragraph before, it's because i gave it its own PI post because i'm such a fan).

Overcast has been my podcast player of choice for forever now. once i'm making a bit more money, a subscription to Overcast premium is my no. 1 superfluous purchase. it's such a well-designed, full-featured app that is continually being improved (as evidenced by my being on its beta). i will never not recommend it.