Ten apps that can replace endless doomscrolling on your phone
Technology site TechCrunch has compiled ten mobile apps that offer a more useful way to spend spare minutes than endless social media scrolling. They cover habit building, reading, language learning and brain games.
US technology news site TechCrunch has published a roundup of ten mobile apps for people who want to swap endless social media scrolling, known as doomscrolling, for something more worthwhile. A survey from last year found that 64% of Americans say they doomscroll. Researchers warn that long scrolling sessions can harm mental health and attention span, and can lead to brain fatigue, difficulty focusing and disrupted sleep.
Habits and reading
Finch is a self-care app in which users look after a virtual pet by completing small daily goals, such as drinking enough water or going for a walk. It is free on iOS and Android. Libby lets users borrow ebooks, audiobooks and magazines from their local public library's digital collection for free with a library card.
Creativity and knowledge
Dudel Draw gives users a random shape each day to turn into a drawing; it is free and available only on iOS. Radio Garden offers more than 25,000 live radio stations from around the world, with an ad-free plan at $2.99 per month. Elevate has over 40 games to train focus, memory and math skills, with unlimited access costing $39.99 per year. Vocabulary helps users learn new words and costs $4.99 per month or $59.99 per year. Seterra offers more than 300 geography games for free.
Games and languages
NYT Games includes the crossword, Wordle, Connections and Spelling Bee; full access costs $5.99 per month, while some games are free. For language learners, Drops offers short lessons in more than 45 languages, with unlimited access at $11.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
TechCrunch notes that the article was first published in March 2026 and is updated regularly.
