If it’s normally a minimalist, fuss-free life for you, then why not bring a little bit of that simplicity to the home screen on your Android phone?
I spotted a launcher that will do just that on Reddit recently, and have been giving it a try for a few days. While it has been designed primarily for seniors, it also works really well as a distraction-free alternative to most standard launchers.
Senior Home
Not just for the oldies
The launcher is called Senior Home, and according to another post on Reddit, it was originally made for the developer’s parents. The intention was to provide a “peaceful and clutter-free” phone experience, free from the complexity of a modern Android phone.
Having recently set up a new Android phone for one of my parents, I appreciate how much there is for someone to learn and manage, especially if they’re coming from a non-smartphone.
The Senior Home launcher is a halfway house between a regular Android phone and a custom phone made for seniors like those from Doro. It reminds me a little of Samsung’s Easy Mode in One UI, which has larger icons, a high-contrast keyboard, and a customizable delay time for screen inputs.
But what I like about Senior Home is that while it’s going to be a good option for seniors, it has enough appeal that other groups of people will also find it useful.
What’s it like?
Very, very easy
At its most basic, Senior Home shows the time and date in a section at the top of the screen, along with a large battery life icon. Below it are three big icons for the flash, screen lock, and access to the app drawer.
The app drawer is a searchable text-based list instead of an icon grid, and any of the apps can be pinned to the main screen. The default is one row of three apps, but this can be increased to multiple rows of five apps.
Finally, you can add large icons for key contacts.
Outside a few different settings for text and icon sizes, plus a dark mode switch and a lock to fix the layout, that’s about it. There really isn’t anything else to learn or adjust.
It takes just moments to set up, and because there aren’t any other screens, there are no gesture controls or other buttons. It makes Android very easy to use and understand.
Distraction-free phone
No peeking at socials
If you want to focus and reduce distractions from your phone, the Senior Home launcher will help you.
There are no notification icons for a start, and because you can pin selected apps to the home screen, it’ll be less tempting to fire up a social app.
If you don’t pin an app to the home screen, you can’t just go into the app drawer and open it. This not only helps lessen distractions, but it also prevents apps being accidentally opened.
Notifications still arrive and are found in the swipe-down notification shade (which worked as normal on my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL), so you won’t completely miss everything.
It’s also an aspect of the Senior Home launcher that’s still Android; just like all the Quick Settings still take you into the Settings app.
Although Google Discover is not available, you can still activate Circle to Search and use Google Gemini with a long press on the bottom of the screen.
My Pixel 10 Pro XL worked as normal, too, with the fingerprint sensor and gesture controls all operating perfectly.
Free, or a small one-off purchase
Unlock a few new features
The Senior Home launcher is free to download, and everything I’ve described so far is included.
However, if you want a small selection of additional features, you can pay a modest $0.99 and unlock them.
Perhaps the biggest of the extra features is the chance to change the “Senior Home” text at the top of the launcher’s home screen. This will be particularly attractive to anyone wanting to use the launcher to minimize distractions.
There are two other features available after paying for the app. There are three additional color themes, and a choice of two additional fonts — Condensed Sans and Elegant Serif — to use.
Digital detox made easy
Nothing to lose by giving it a try
It’s worth noting that in the version I’ve been testing, the text size adjustment doesn’t work on the Pixel 10 Pro XL (it may on other phones), and in the future, I’d like to see other fonts, a high contrast option, and also other features such as a way to simplify or even pause notifications.
Seeing as some of the best Android launchers can work out to be quite expensive, and phones designed for seniors are compromised in different ways, it’s great to see an almost free option like Senior Home available.
Even if you’re not a senior, you may still appreciate the way the launcher cuts away Android’s complexity for a simple, distraction-free view, while still giving you complete control.
If you like the idea of a digital detox, but don’t want to give up your fancy phone, Senior Home may be just what you need.
