Thrive Global Partners With Samsung To Launch Tech Detox App

NEW YORK, United Kingdom — Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s foray into the world of wellbeing, has added another string to its bow with the launch of the THRIVE app; aimed at helping users break away from the overuse of technology.

Created in partnership with Samsung, the app provides tools that help individuals to effectively monitor their mobile use and ‘reclaim their attention’. “Through the THRIVE App, we can make technology work for us— and ensure that we value recharging and focusing just as much as we value staying updated and informed,” commented Huffington via a company statement.

With smartphone addiction at an all-time high — according to Reuters, half of US teenagers believe they are addicted to their mobile phones — and consumer desire for digital detoxing rising, the market is ripe for innovative solutions.

Leveraging demand, the THRIVE App, gives users the power to decide when to put their phone into “Thrive Mode,” which limits all notifications, calls, and texts except for those specified on a VIP List. Other features include Auto Reply, which lets others know when the user is taking time away from their phone and App Blocking, which lets the user limit the amount of time they are allowed to spend per day, using certain apps.

“[The idea for the Thrive app] came from my experience, but, really, it’s everybody’s experience,” explained Huffington, in an email to VentureBeat. “We’re all addicted. We all feel it. We’re being controlled by something we should be controlling. It consumes our attention and cripples our ability to focus, think, be present, and connect with ourselves and others. So the idea was to come up with an app that would put people back in control of their time and their technology.”

In addition to the app, Thrive Global will launch a new section dedicated to exploring the relationship between Technology and Humanity.

“2018 is poised to be an inflection point in technology. Not just because of all the new innovations and advances, but because more and more consumers are looking for technology infused with humanity that can be used in natural, healthy, and productive ways,” argued Huffington in a statement.

“This is the year when we can strike a better balance between the two — and discover ways technology can help us focus, think, be present, be creative, and connect with ourselves,” she added.

Since its launch in 2016, Thrive Global has established itself as an advocate for changing the thinking around stress and burnout. Having raised $30 million via a Series B funding round, in December of last year, the company is currently working to accelerate growth and scale its impact around the world.

Earlier this month the startup launched its first international branch, Thrive Global India, with Huffington explaining: “India has the answers to what I see as the biggest question of our time: how we work and live in an age when change is exponentially faster and technology has permeated every aspect of our lives. It is my hope that India can take the lead in answering this question, not only for Indians but also for the rest of the world.”