This calming iPad app is a must-have right now- and it’s free

Let’s face it: our technologically-driven modern lives can be pretty stressful, with a constant bombardment of notifications, algorithms that feel in control of our every move, intrusive advertisements galore, and the ever-present vice that is doomscrolling — a powerful force of temptation looming perpetually in the background.

Many are quick to point the finger at mobile smart devices like phones and tablets, citing the dopamine-derailing consequences of their addictive nature. And, to an extent, it’s true — we know all too well that an overabundance of screen-on time can have a negative impact on our attention spans, our sleep rhythms, our self-esteem, and on other wellbeing metrics.

However, placing the blame squarely on our gadgets isn’t accurate. It’s not the devices themselves that are wreaking havoc on our lives — rather, it’s the apps we choose to use that are responsible for hijacking our biology. Distorted social media feeds, short-form video content, X (née Twitter) echo chambers, and other attention-seeking software packages are the true culprits.

That’s why I’ve decided to uninstall as many overstimulating applications from my phone and tablet as I possibly can, to introduce some much-needed calm into my day-to-day life. I’ve also gone a step further by incorporating a set of stress-relief apps into my daily flow, which help me unwind on a whim. There are plenty of apps available to download on the Apple App Store that aim to reduce tension, but, in my eyes, none quite fit the bill of ‘digital stress ball’ to the same degree as Fluid Simulation.

A mesmerizing experience

Fluid Simulation is like a virtual stress ball, but with more style

Upon launching Fluid Simulation, you’re immediately able to tap and swipe on the screen to start playing with the various fluid elements on offer. There’s a small circular button in the top left-hand corner that provides access to configuration settings, which automatically disappears from view while interacting with the software.

By default, there are fifteen unique presets available to choose from, each with its own tailor-made colors, assets, and interactivity physics. Custom presets can also be made and saved, and there’s a button for switching to a random configuration at any time.

Despite its flashy aesthetic, Fluid Simulation takes a no-nonsense approach to mobile app design. It’s clear the developer put time into making the UI accessible and visually pleasing, and the lack of advertisements or pesky upsell popups is genuinely refreshing. The Settings pane can be moved around the screen, and I appreciate other small niceties, like native Apple Pencil support and the built-in screenshot tool.

For those looking to dial in a bit more, there are optional toggles for controlling quality, dissipation, viscosity, intensity, gravity, pressure, speed, saturation, motion, and several other elements. Each of these settings are fun to fiddle around with, and, crucially, none of them break the experience when implemented on-screen.

I do find that the app tends to heat up my iPad after extended periods of use, and so I imagine there’s far more number-crunching happening under the hood than meets the eye. Even so, I never found my hardware too hot to handle, though I wouldn’t recommend interacting with the physics while also charging up your device (all that extra heat is bad news for battery health).

As an added bonus, Fluid Simulation can be configured to stay active even without being touched, making it an excellent makeshift screensaver. On the iPad, which is yet to offer its own official StandBy Mode or equivalent feature, I often run Fluid Simulation in the background — the ambiance provided by the pulsing, psychodelic effects of the app is second to none.

On newer iPads with tandem OLED display panels (or, indeed, on OLED-eqipped iPhones), Fluid Simulation is an even nicer experience. On OLED screens, black is produced by simply turning off pixels, which results in pure, inky black visuals that absolutely pop when viewed in a darker environment.

Putting screensavers aside, Fluid Simulation is the ideal stress reliever when used interactively. The canvas provides mesmerizing visuals that I could stare at for hours, with tons of customization options to dial-in on the exact effect I’m looking for.

The app’s physics are responsive, the UI is clean and well-designed, the fluid elements are vivid, and I genuinely feel at ease when experimenting with the many different designs and effects included out of the box — I just need to remember not to accidentally overheat my iPad while locked in and actively de-stressing.