Developer: Andy Works LLC
Price: Free $/£
Size: 113.2 MB
Version: 1.7
Platform: iPhone & iPad
If you’re going to call your habit-tracking app ‘Not Boring’, you’d better be darned confident in your ability to entertain, regardless of the cheeky parentheses.
Thankfully, (Not Boring) Habits from Andy Works shows no sign of a lack of confidence in its core concept. It’s actually the latest in a series of (Not Boring) apps from the developer, with (Not Boring) Weather in particular standing as one of the most fun weather apps released in 2021.
The color palette and simple animations are very striking
Like (Not Boring) Weather, (Not Boring) Habits imbues the habit tracking process with 3D graphics and a striking monochrome aesthetic, shot through with flashes of vibrant color.
It’s a brutally simple app when you get down to it. Add a new habit that you’d like to beat or engender (the app provides a list of everyday examples like ‘no alcohol’ and ‘meditate’), then set the time at which you’d like to be reminded about it every day.
The. tap-and-hold haptics are moreish
That’s it for the leg work. You’ll now receive a notification from the app at the appropriate time every day. Acknowledging it with a tap and hold rewards you with a classy animation and a moreish burst of haptic feedback, and a live 3D model that can be panned around and interacted with.
Each day ticked off builds up a tiny bit more of a 3D trophy that needs to be ‘completed’ to move onto the next. It almost feels like moving through an adventure game, especially with ‘levels’ with names such as The Lost Forest and The Chasm.
Completing a trophy feels like completing a video game level
It’s possible to change up these themes with new skins, one of which can be ‘earned’ through using the app, but all of which can be bought with a one-off payment. It has to be said that these aren’t cheap, though they do apply to all of the (Not Boring) apps in the series – all of which you’ll gain access to with a monthly subscription fee of $1.99/£1.79.
The important thing to note about (Not Boring) Habits as a pure habit tracker is that it isn’t fixated on streaks. It doesn’t mind if you miss a day, whether that’s through missing your daily notification or actually failing to beat or engender that habit. It’s all about positivity, keeping track of the times that you do make the grade, and ignoring the rest.
The widget keeps track of your success, but the onus isn’t on streaks
As the developer puts it, “not focusing on the goal but falling in love with the journey”. (Not Boring) Habits might not be the deepest or most fully-featured habit tracker on the App Store, but it certainly takes you on a fun trip.