Off, Barcelona's app to get away from the mobile phone

Oliver Canosa had a demanding job and, from time to time, he would disconnect for a few minutes. He usually did it with his mobile phone and, without realizing it, the five-minute break turned into a quarter of an hour, and the rest, into a distraction. This is how, in 2024, Off began to take shape, an app to disconnect from the mobile, which flexibly limits usage time and also offers leisure alternatives and psychological support. 

“Social networks and certain apps are designed to make you lose sight of the world for as long as possible,” Canosa points out. First, out of his own need, he began to investigate what apps were available “to have a healthier relationship with the phone and end these loops,” but he found that none of them had a wide range of ways to disconnect and that they were simple blocking systems with subscriptions at high prices. 

“We thought about developing a more advanced option,” says Canosa, until then dedicated to fields such as investment and sustainability. To start shaping Off, he contacted professionals in the technology sector. A first version came out of that, which has given way to what Off is now, “a system to manage one's own time.” And the goal is not to turn the mobile into the enemy or replace one application with another, but to help the user decide when they want to be connected and when they don't: “I close and continue with my life.” 

With this objective, the application allows setting six different types of blocks: from limiting access to a specific application to restricting the use of the entire phone or setting limits on scrolling sessions. When the set time ends, Off closes the application and shows the user how long they have been on it. It also incorporates a statistics system that allows knowing how many times the mobile is picked up throughout the day, which applications are used most or at what times consumption is concentrated.

These data, as a whole, show that Off users reduce screen time by between 20% and 50%. But Off has gone further than the mobile, and has incorporated two tools that widen the distance from other apps: an activity search engine to find events, and psychological support. 

For events, Off has closed an agreement with Fever, through which it offers a search engine for events and activities in the area, with concerts, exhibitions, theater and other proposals away from the screen. For psychological support, Off has sought a second partner, the German startup It’s Complicated, which provides access to an international network of psychologists and allows scheduling therapy sessions. 

Thus, the project extends mobile disconnection beyond the screen. With its proposal, Off has users in more than 120 countries, mainly in Europe and the United States, but also in markets such as Morocco, Algeria or Tunisia. The application is available in Catalan, Spanish, English, French and Chinese. 

The application, which offers a free version and a subscription for 99 cents per month, has been promoted from Barcelona without external investment, with the aim of being “an international app that generates a positive impact on society”. Looking ahead, it is studying incorporating AI with a system capable of analyzing each person's usage patterns, and automatically proposing the blocks that best suit them. In addition, it explores the possibility of Off acting as a “virtual coach” that also proposes exercises to change habits and be more present in real life and less on the screen: “Off makes it easy for you to disconnect in a complete and healthy way”.