Your iPhone is a window to endless information. And also endless distraction. To help you shift your iPhone use from mindless scrolling to productive focus, we’ve put together some tips to make your time on the device more meaningful and intentional.
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Clean your Home Screen: Remove time wasters from your main Home Screen. Drag such apps to other pages, or make them accessible only via App Library or search by tap-holding each icon in turn and going to Remove App > Remove from Home Screen.
Delete distractions: Can’t trust yourself to not open an app anyway? Delete it entirely, or in Settings > General > Storage, offload it. The latter option removes the app but retains your saved data for subsequent reinstalls.
Use Screen Time: It’s easy to override Screen Time limits, but the jolt of getting a warning can be enough to stop you wasting yet more time on a social network or game.
Go grayscale: Make your iPhone visually boring by turning on grayscale with a triple click. You’ll be surprised how effective this psychological trick is.
Prune notifications: Instead of swiping away new notifications, drag each one left, tap Options and decide whether you really need that app to nag you. For anything inessential, select Turn Off.
Create an iPhone charging station: Change your habits by regularly docking your iPhone in a charging spot located outside the bedroom and other distraction-prone areas.
Download these apps
Dumb Phone (°) ($9.99/£9.99 per year or $24.99/£24.99): Radically overhaul your Home Screen, stripping it back to a handful of vital links, to stop yourself getting tempted by colorful app icons.
Unhabit (free): Block websites that sap time, configure cooldown times so you take a beat before unblocking, and customize schedules to fit your lifestyle.
One Sec (free + IAP): Take a breath before opening apps, and track how you’re doing. You can block one app for free – a subscription is needed for more.
BFT – Bear Focus Timer ($1.99/£1.99): Put your phone face down to make this pomodoro timer work – and be scowled at by a cartoon bear if you cheat. Another psychological trick – but it works!
Forest ($3.99/£3.99): Grow virtual trees to plant in a virtual forest, by staying focused throughout user-defined time sessions. Break focus and the app turns your sapling into a dead stick.
Streaks ($5.99/£5.99): Track to-dos to help you form good habits – and quit bad ones. This app is simple yet flexible, and will optionally nudge you at opportune moments to do the right thing.
Connect this hardware
Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station ($109.99/£99.99): That charging station idea we mentioned earlier? This properly solid stand is a great option – and will also charge AirPods and an Apple Watch.
The Brick ($49): Put this magnet on your fridge, scan it to block any apps you don’t want to remain available, and only when you scan your Brick again will you regain access to everything.
Otterbox Strada Series iPhone case (from $69.95/£42.99): Add friction to any iPhone interaction by using a folio case. The very action of having to open it up will act as another reminder of your iPhone usage.
Apple Watch (from $249/£219): Reduce how often you need to unlock your iPhone by using an Apple Watch instead for brief but vital replies, health tracking, and essential notifications.