My Attempt at a Low-Distraction Phone

Sara Thurman
Nov 7 · 4 min read

You can’t shake a stick these days without coming across an article/book/podcast/etc about how our devices are eating our time and attention (not to mention the decline in stick shaking thanks to more robust data processing capabilities).

I’m not here to recap the arguments on this topic, though if you want a good starting place, check out Cal Newport’s work: https://www.calnewport.com/. I am here to say that I too have felt sucked in by my phone, and have been attempting to trim down the apps to just those whose continual presence is (1) genuinely useful and (2) not prone to suck me into a black hole of sadness (which is a great band name).

To that end, I’m presenting what’s on my phone, and why it’s there. I’m in no way advocating that you should have these exact same apps, nor that you should follow my thinking process. This information is presented simply as another alternative for organizing your phone (or other mobile device) should it be helpful.

Low-Distraction vs Distraction-Free

Perhaps this point is too wrapped up in semantics, but I could never have a distraction-free phone. That has less to do with the phone and more to do with me. If I was supposed to be doing on something I really didn’t want to, I could distract myself with a rock. Not even a cool rock! Just a run of the mill rock. So at best, my phone can be low-distraction.

A bunch of rocks.
A bunch of rocks.
Hello distraction

Phone as Toolbox

The idea that helped me set up my phone for my optimal success was thinking about it as a toolbox, with each app as a tool I could either own (always installed) or rent (install as needed). It was just a matter of deciding which apps were the hammers, and which the Rug Doctors.

The beauty of this approach for me is it got rid of the stress and guilt that came along with stricter all-or-nothing methodologies. Oh no, I was “bad” because I put YouTube on my phone. Forget that noise. Sometimes I very intentionally want to go down a 30 minute YouTube hole on my phone. Great. Install YouTube, and when I’m done, take it off again.


With that, here’s a peek into what apps currently live on my phone. For reference, I’m using an iPhone.

Screen 1

This screen is meant for the items I use frequently, and don’t want to have to scroll for, lest I find something to distract me from my original objective.

Screen 1
Screen 1

Learning Fun — Formerly Audio Fun. Here’s where I keep my podcast apps, music app, and a couple of apps for listening to or reading things from the library.

Transit — My preferred app for navigating public transit.

Dictionary — For all those fun new words I find while reading.

Notes — For….notes.

Screen 2

These apps are somewhat less frequently used than screen 1 apps and/or more prone to lead to distraction (I’m looking at you Firefox).

Screen 2
Screen 2

Firefox — For internet browsing needs.

Notion — My current go to life-organizer, along with Google Calendar.

MyFitnessPal — We’re more like acquaintances, but it helps keep me honest about my peanut butter consumption.

Wunderground — I don’t know why I bother with this one. I live in the Bay Area, the weather is the same every day. But I still like checking.

Google Calendar — A requirement for me to know what I’m supposed to do on a given day.

Shapr — Trying to keep up on my networking.

Dashlane — My preferred password manager.

Screen 3

Screen 3
Screen 3

My “everything else” screen. As these are the apps I don’t even use as frequently, I won’t call them out in the same way. You may notice that for the individual apps, after App Store and Settings, I’ve arranged things alphabetically. Ostensibly that’s to make them easier to find, but really it’s because I want them to have a logical order, and alphabetical requires the least thinking on my part.

I’m also omitting the embarrassing number of pictures I have of my cats in photos. Or me with my cats. Or videos of the cats.

Widgets

Finally, the widgets screen. These are the handful of apps which I use without unlocking my phone in the first place.

Pedometer — Keeping me honest with my step count.

Nearby (aka Transit) — Gotta know when to leave for the train or bus.

Merriam-Webster — Trying to increase my vocab (though let’s be real, I don’t usually remember these).

Numerical — My favorite calculator app (yes I have a favorite calculator app).


I hope you found this helpful, or at least amusing, fellow smartphone user. Remember, there’s no one right way to engage with technology in your life — it’s about what works for you!

Sara Thurman

Written by

I like trying to understand the human brain, books, and wearing holes in my shoes.

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