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I don’t remember exactly when this happened, but over the years, I’ve developed a habit of getting… It sucked at social media. When I get a second break from work or see a notification pop up on my phone, I pick it up and plunge into the world of doom.
Whether it’s X, Threads, or Instagram, I find myself mindlessly scrolling through videos for hours on end, especially before bed. It’s fun at the moment, but I’m not proud of the habit. It wastes several hours and makes me even more anxious.
I miss the feeling of calm that comes with not having a smartphone. And I’m not the only one. A Pew Research Survey A study from 2024 found that 72% of American teens say they feel “With peace” When they don’t have their smartphone, 44% say it makes them feel anxious.
Watch this: Ditching my iPhone and going for a low-tech phone 3. Can I survive?
But turning off is difficult. Important personal and banking information is tied to my phone, and I still need it from time to time even if I try switching to a second, simpler device.
So, instead of breaking free, I found ways to reduce my screen time and phone addiction. I wish I could say it was through willpower, but no. I relied on some of the same technology to get away with it.
I used the built-in features of my iPhone to limit my phone usage. It’s not a perfect solution, but these methods have helped me cut down on my screen time without switching to a stupid phone.
Set up your iPhone to minimize distractions
Personally, these social media apps cause a lot of distraction.
If your phone addiction isn’t severe, you can set up your iPhone to be less distracting.
It starts with easy things like disabling notifications and simplifying your home screen. I have removed all social media apps from my app and it has helped me reduce my daily open rate. I no longer accidentally tap these icons because I’m lazy enough not to scroll down and just type the app name to scroll through.
Here are other iPhone settings you can use to curb your phone addiction.
Use focus mode
I use an iPhone Focus mode To limit distracting notifications when I’m working and traveling – mainly during the times when I want to be 100% present in the things I’m doing.
This feature goes beyond the simple Do Not Disturb function. I need notifications from my family and favorite contacts to get through, so I set up different focus modes instead of using a blanket Do Not Disturb mode every time. Here’s how to set up focus mode.
Go to Settings > to focus And press + code.
Create and customize your own focus mode.
1. Go to Settings > to focus.
2. Click on + Icon (in the upper right corner) to create a file Custom focus.
3. Manage notifications by choosing which apps and contacts you want to listen to during focus time. You can change individual settings here through People and Apps.
You can also create a custom home screen that activates when you turn on the new Focus mode. For example, I have the Instagram app on my home screen in travel-focused mode, and none of the social media apps on my home screen for work.
To use a new home screen, you’ll need to Set it up from the home screen Then link it to the new focus mode.
Set screen time limits
Apple’s Screen Time feature can help you create schedules and set limits on apps that suck the fun out of your life. If you insist on spending time away from your phone, you can block apps and notifications for those periods of time.
For example, I set Instagram to 45 minutes daily and 30 minutes on weekends. Here’s how to set up Screen Time.
Go to Settings > Screen time > Application limitations Click Add Limit.
Select the apps you want to set a time limit for.
1. Go to Settings > a screentime > programborder.
2. Click on Add border.
3. Select the individual or app categories for which you want to set timers.
4. handle the next And set the amount of time you want to allow yourself on each app.
5. handle Allocate days If you want to customize your limit table.
6. handle He adds In the upper right corner.
Once set, your iPhone sends a notification 5 minutes before the set time limit approaches. After the app reaches the maximum screen time, it stops everything it’s doing and displays a new screen. It prompts you to click Yes To exit the application. You can choose to click Ignore the limit If you are doing something urgent that requires more time to finish.
Schedule downtime
Go to Settings > Screen time > Stop And set a schedule.
Schedule downtime iOS is part of the Screen Time feature, and you can use it to force yourself to put down your iPhone. I set it up for weekends. Here’s how to set up downtime on your iPhone.
1. Go to Settings > a screen time > Stop.
2. Switch on the adjacent piece The decision.
3. Set your own downtime schedule.
When downtime is enabled, only phone calls and apps that you choose to allow are allowed. Like screen time limits, when downtime is scheduled, a 5-minute reminder is sent before it starts. You can then ignore the reminder or turn on downtime. It can be turned off at any time by turning OFF “tabular”.
Use assisted access
Assistive access makes it easier to focus on only essential apps.
Assistant access It is an accessibility feature in iOS. It provides a simplified user interface aimed at helping people with cognitive disabilities use iPhone more easily and independently. However, it can double as a feature to enable when you want a more focused way to use your iPhone.
In a way, this feature weakens your iPhone. apple He says“Assistive Access provides ways for people to navigate their iPhone and communicate using visuals instead of text.”
Displays on-screen items in a large grid centered on images and icons. You also get large text stickers and high-contrast buttons on the iPhone home screen and across core apps like Calls, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music.
Here’s how to set up Assistive Access on your iPhone.
Click on “tracking” on these screens and customize what you want to see when running “Assistant access”.
1. Go to Settings > accessibility > assistant access.
2. Click on Set up assisted access And specify He continues.
3. Choose your home screen app layout from rows (if you want items arranged in a list) or grid (for larger icons arranged in a grid).
4. You can now click on + Icon to select applications available in Assistant Access.
5. Your iPhone will prompt you to enter your passcode and set up an Assisted Access passcode. Follow the on-screen instructions, and you’re done.
To exit Assisted Access, you need to:
1. Three times press the Side button (for newer iPhones) or the Home button (for iPhones with Touch ID).
2. handle exit Assistant access.
3. Enter the Assistive Access passcode you entered during the setup process.
I haven’t been able to use Assistive Access for more than a day because it limits the iPhone’s functionality and is limited to the primary phone. It’s great that you can live with just simple jobs.
Otherwise, I recommend using the settings mentioned in the previous section to maintain 100% of your iPhone’s functionality while minimizing screen time.
Make your iPhone simple with this Dumb Phone app
I made my iPhone Air almost stupid by installing this app.
the Stupid phone It’s a $3-per-month (or $25 lifetime purchase) app that lets you create a phone with a minimalist design. Unlike the iPhone’s built-in Assistive Access feature, it creates a text playlist of your most important apps and hides everything else.
The setup process is simple with on-screen instructions, but you need to enable some settings.
- Add widget: Go to your home screen > tap and hold on the empty space > tap Edit > Add widget > Search for “dp” > Choose Widget page 1.
- Set simple DP wallpaper: In the DP app, the second instruction takes you to the option to save the wallpaper. Save it and go to Settings > wallpaper > Add a new background > photo > Select the recently saved black wallpaper > Follow the rest of the dp instructions.
- Enable dark mode: Go to Settings > Display and brightness > Select dark.
- Set Reduce Animation and Transparency to On: Go to Settings > accessibility > Settings for each application > Add the application > Home screen and application library. Then, after adding it, press Home screen and application library > reduce movement, Then press on.
- Create a simple home screen: The app prompts you to deselect all other home screen pages, suggests a widget position and removes dock icons.
I added my basic banking and business apps to the dock and enabled all other settings. The Dumb Phone app offers plenty of customization options to personalize your iPhone experience.
By default, all settings and other user interface elements remain the same as before. You can still access all other apps and add whatever you want to your home screen.
However, if you want the real dumb phone experience, you can turn on detox mode to block unnecessary apps. It links the app to your iPhone’s Screen Time setting, which can be used to allow or block app notifications and access.
It took me at least an hour to set up the Dumb Phone app to my liking, but once it was done, it helped me cut down on my screen time.
I like it because it didn’t force me to relearn the basic features of my iPhone. It simply tweaked my home screen and settings for a more focused, distraction-free interface. It made me realize that most of it has to do with muscle memory — because resetting my home screen was a bigger win than expected.
By removing apps from my home screen or deleting them completely, I no longer accidentally tap on apps I don’t need.
Assisted Access is probably the most effective way to limit your phone usage. It gives you those big UI buttons inside apps.
However, there are two relatively obvious problems with this path. First, you’re paying extra money for the privilege of simplifying things. And second, you’ll still need to rely on some willpower, because it’s not that hard to get away from these customizations.
If you eventually decide you want a secondary device to stay connected while minimizing distractions, there are plenty of options. Latest Keypad phones, Character phones “Simple”. and Barbie-shaped foldable phone Offering different ways to maintain access to communications while reducing their size.
But you might not need the extra expense if some of these iPhone customizations offer a similar way to smooth things out. While I’m still on this journey, these iPhone settings have helped me limit screen time. I hope they help you too.