Tech brands are learning that if you encourage people to stop using their phones for a small window of time every day, they get brownie points for helping people get healthier. When OnePlus launched its OnePlus 7 series, they introduced a Zen Mode in their OxygenOS. The main purpose of it was to get people to put their phones down so they can focus on work and/or tasks but it was pretty limited. Now, it’s getting an update and adding a digital detox challenge for its users.
According to XDA Developers, version 1.40 of the Zen Mode app has a 21-Day Transformation challenge which tells you to put down your phone for a set duration. This is based on the theory that it takes 21 days for someone to develop a habit. So the app challenges you to choose how long you want to go without your phone and then you do it a certain time every day. The challenge is a global undertaking and will run until December 31, 2020.
If you complete the 21 days and consistently do a daily digital detox, you will receive…well, a special medal and maybe bragging rights that you were able to survive that. But if you miss just one day, you will automatically start from day 1 again. That can be frustrating especially if you’re near towards the end but now you’ll have to start all over again. But if you believe what the scientists say about picking up a habit, then it should be worth it, yes?
Aside from that 21-Day Challenge, the update also brings two more digital medals to be given if you use the Zen Mode for 7 days and for 14 days consciously. So if you’re really serious about getting a digital detox, you should be able to get two medals before ou actually finish it. You also get the standard bug fixes and UI improvements that come with the territory.
If you have a OnePlus 5 device and higher, you can download Zen Mode from the Google Play Store for free. However the latest update doesn’t seem to be rolling out to everyone just yet, so if you want to sideload it and you know how to, check this out.
