Your Guide to a Cleaner, More Focused iPhone Setup
This article is an expanded companion to our recent YouTube video “How I Turned My Phone Into a Productivity Tool.” In that video, I shared my personal setup and here, I’m diving deeper into the specific strategies I use to keep my iPhone clean, minimal, and optimised for focus.
Whether you’re looking to reduce digital clutter or regain control of your screen time, these tips can help you create a more intentional phone experience!
1. Block the Noise: App Restrictions That Actually Work
The first change I made was installing an app-blocking tool. I use Freedom, which costs around $40 per year. While it’s on the pricier side, it’s the only solution I’ve found that reliably prevents distractions and crucially, includes uninstall protection, which stops me from removing it during moments of weakness.
I schedule Freedom to block social media, selected websites, and games from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. the next day. That gives me 22 focused hours, with just a 2-hour evening window I use intentionally for posting content or catching up with friends.
2. Curate Your Homescreen for Productivity
One of the simplest but most impactful changes? Hiding non-essential apps from my homescreen. Currently, mine only features core productivity tools like Messages, Phone, Camera, and Mail.
Just long-press on any app > tap “Remove App” > then choose “Remove from Home Screen.” The app will still be accessible from the App Library, but it’s no longer visually distracting.
3. Take It Further: Hide Apps from the App Library
For an even cleaner interface, you can completely hide apps from both the homescreen and App Library using Face ID protection:
1. Go to the App Library
2. Long-press the app
3. Tap “Require Face ID”
4. Select “Hide and Require Face ID”
⚠️ This tucks the app away into a Hidden folder that’s only accessible with Face ID. Hidden apps won’t appear in widgets or background activity, and you won’t receive notifications — which I find helpful for staying focused. Just note that the app’s functionality remains intact when reopened.
4. Custom Shortcuts for a Minimal Look
To maintain a clean, minimal aesthetic, I replaced app icons with custom shortcuts for the few essentials I keep on my homescreen. This not only reduces visual clutter but also allows for complete control over how your setup looks and feels.
Here’s how:
1. Open the Shortcuts app
2. Create a new shortcut using the “Open App” action
3. Select your desired app
4. Tap the shortcut name at the top > “Add to Home Screen”
5. Select “Choose Photo” and upload a custom icon (I source mine from Pinterest)
5. Declutter the Control Panel
The Control Panel is another often-overlooked area of clutter. I removed any toggles I rarely use, keeping only the essentials for quick access. It is is another area worth decluttering
To customize:
1. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center
2. Press and hold on any control
3. Tap “ — ” on the controls to delete
4. Tap “Add a control” to add new ones.
6. Stack Your Widgets Smartly
For widgets, I took a layered approach using Smart Stacks. This allowed me to keep useful widgets (like Shortcuts) in the homescreens, while maintaining a clean look.
For instance, one of my Smart Stack includes: A custom clock widget created using the app PhotoWidget (to cover clutter), Notion, linked to my main workspace, Spotify and Weather for quick access and balance
To add Smart Stack:
1. Press and hold anywhere on your homescreen
2. Tap the “+” icon in the top left corner.
3. Scroll to find and select Smart Stack from the widget options.
4. After adding it, press and hold the Smart Stack to edit it. Tap the plus (+) to add widgets and the minus (–) to remove ones you don’t need.
✨ Tip: For a cleaner look, use apps like Photo Widget to create a custom “cover” widget at the top of your stack. Also, be sure to turn off Smart Rotation and Widget Suggestions to keep the layout consistent and distraction-free.
Final Thoughts
The goal of this system isn’t just aesthetics, it’s about reclaiming your attention and turning your phone into a tool that works for you, not against you. If you’re just starting out, try implementing one or two of these changes and build from there.
Have tips of your own? I’d love to hear them.
