InstaDetox: Grayscale & Focus

Hold on – did you really mean to open Instagram? Usually the answer is no. Your thumb was faster than your thought. That is where InstaDetox steps in. The moment you open an app you picked, your screen turns to grayscale. Unlike an app blocker, the app stays fully usable – it just loses the colours your reward system reacts to. WHY GRAYSCALE WORKS Instagram, TikTok and the rest are built for maximum pull: strong colours, constant motion, small rewards every few seconds. Take the colour away and the pull collapses. This has been studied. In independent studies, screen time in grayscale mode was roughly 28 to 38 minutes per day lower (Holte & Ferraro 2020; Hagerty et al. 2026). The sources are listed openly at instadetox.app. Those numbers belong to the studies, not to our product – we promise no particular result. WHAT TO EXPECT - Less mindless scrolling: the reflex reaches for nothing. - More focus for what you actually sat down to do. - See in black and white where your screen time goes. - Decide for yourself instead of being locked out: every app stays reachable. It is simply less tempting. NOT JUST AT THE DOOR Many apps interrupt you once at the door and leave you alone afterwards. InstaDetox does both: the Pause stops you briefly on the way in – and the grayscale filter keeps working while you are inside. FREE FOREVER - Overlay grayscale: lays a grey veil over the apps you choose. Works immediately, on every device. - Usage insights: shows you how much time goes into which app. IN THE SUBSCRIPTION - Real grayscale: not a veil, but true system-wide grayscale. Photos, videos, ads – everything loses its colour. - Pause: a short moment before the app opens, in which you decide on purpose. Did you want this, or was it the reflex? 14 DAYS FREE, NO PAYMENT DETAILS You can try both subscription features for 14 days, with no payment details and no subscription trap. The 14 days only start once the feature actually runs on your phone – not at install. When the time is up, they switch off and the free features stay. Nothing is ever charged automatically. IMPORTANT: SETTING UP THE SYSTEM-WIDE FILTER Android has no ordinary permission for changing the system grayscale setting, so it needs a one-time approval that you grant yourself on your device. This is what makes per-app grayscale possible at all – something the Android setting cannot do on its own. - Android 11 and newer: directly on the phone, guided by the app. Takes a few minutes. - Android 8 to 10: only with a computer, over a USB cable. The app explains every step, and a video shows it. That is exactly why the 14 days only start once the filter has genuinely worked for you. You do not pay for something that does not run on your device. The Pause and all free features need no setup at all. WHY THE APP NEEDS ACCESSIBILITY InstaDetox uses an accessibility service to detect which app is in the foreground – that is the only way the filter can switch at the right moment. The only thing used from it is the name of the app. The service does not evaluate texts, inputs, passwords or messages. YOUR DATA STAYS ON YOUR DEVICE There is no server, no account, no sign-up, no analytics tools and no ads. Your settings and your statistics live on your phone. Numbers only reach us if you deliberately attach usage data in the feedback dialog – voluntary, off by default, and you see beforehand what it contains. WHO THIS IS FOR For everyone who wants to reduce screen time without being locked out: less doomscrolling in the evening, opening Instagram and TikTok less often, a digital detox without going without. PRICE Annual subscription: reduced price for the first year, regular price after that. Google Play shows the exact amount for your country. Renews automatically, cancellable at any time through Google Play. A subscription is not required to use the app – the free features stay available permanently. Published by Shortcut IT GmbH