How to reduce your screen time on your phone automatically and significantly
Let’s say goodbye to your best friend — unconscious scrolling habit
I used to pick up my phone and open Instagram lots of times a day. After scrolling Instagram, then I opened Facebook, then Twitter, then Snapchat. Most of the time I was doing unconsciously. I felt like not my brain was doing, but my hand. Maybe I was bored. Maybe I was nothing to do. But still.
During work, my phone was always on the desk and whenever I saw the notification, I was like “Ok, got it”. And the next thing I was doing was opening Instagram. Scrolling. The horrible thing was not only when I got a notification of the social media apps, but also whatever app’s notification, such as email, News app, weather alert, after seeing the notification, I unlocked my phone and opened Instagram. Scroll, scroll, scroll. Scroll, scroll, scroll.
I really hated what I was doing. I felt super unproductive. I was ashamed of myself. But I couldn’t stop doing this scrolling habit because I was doing it unconsciously.
So I changed the phone setting. It is super simple. Bottom line is, turn off the notification, mute my phone, put my phone to my purse. I reduced the trigger for picking up my phone. These super-simple settings changed my lifestyle. And I believe this is changing my life.
It’s been a while using this setting and I really like it. Now I open Instagram once or twice a day to see if my hometown friends in Japan posted something. To see the stories of the couple Instagrammers I really like. I am using Instagram to post my stories and pictures and to see the posts of someone I care about. Now I am using social media consciously. As a result, I can focus more at work, I am having a good time with my family more.
I’ve already told you the super simple setting, but here is the breakdown. There are few tricks so let’s check it out together.
* I am using an iPhone so the following steps are based on the iPhone. If you are using Android, I hope you can still get some inspiration!
Step 1: Delete social media applications that you are not actively using.
Go over your phone home screen and delete social media applications you are not using actively or regularly. What does actively or regularly mean? If you are not posting regularly, delete it. If you are just checking the feed, delete it. If you don’t even remember the app was installed on your phone, delete it.
Example, my case -
- The apps I deleted: Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare and Swarm.
- The apps I kept: Instagram and Pinterest.
I was using apps like
- Facebook — I hadn’t been posting a couple of years but I was still checking the timeline. Since lots of my home town friends in Japan were also not posting on Facebook anymore, the majority of my timeline posts were not close to my friends’ posts and ads.
- Twitter — Same as Facebook, not posting but just seeing.
- Snapchat — I was even never really active. I only had less than 10 followers and following.
- Tumblr — I used to using Tumblr a lot. I was collecting/posting quotes. But not anymore.
- Foursquare and Swarm — Since Instagram had a location check-in feature, I stopped using these apps.
Why I didn’t delete Instagram and Pinterest
- Instagram — I post the Instagram story regally. I would say a couple of times a week. Instagram is my main social media and all of my close friends’ main social media is also Instagram.
- Pinterest — When I want to get inspiration, I use Pinterest. Mainly to find inspiration for clothes/hairstyles and recipes. I only open Pinterest when I want to get inspiration — means I was not opening Pinterest unconsciously so I kept this app.
Step 2: Delete other apps that you are not using that much
Apply the same process you just did for the social media apps. Go over your phone home screen and if you find any apps you don’t remember when is the last time you used, delete them. If you are not sure if you should delete or keep, delete it. You can always re-install the app if you really need it when you really need it.
Step 3: Turn off badges
I don’t like seeing badges on my apps. Because when there is a badge on the app icon, I open the app to clear the badge. Even I don’t need to do that at that time. Is this some type of cleaning red bomb game or something? No. When we need a badge is the badge count is actually meant for us.
Example, my case -
I kept badges for my phone, text, and my work email, reminder apps. Everything else, I turned off.
Step 4: Turn off notifications
Notifications itself is great. Super convenient. But you know what, Apple set us up. iPhone default setting is all the notifications are on. Or they ask “allow notification?” when I installed a new app and opened the first time and we are like “Ah… sure.” unless we clearly know we don’t need the notification, we choose on. Because we believe notifications are good and convenient. But we didn’t know that notifications became a trigger to use the phone more. Before I realized the truth of the notification, I was even thinking if I turn off notifications, I will not get enough information on time and that makes me behind. And my phone is not gonna be that much convenient tool. Wrong. Opposite. Again, notifications are very convenient but we shouldn’t let them interrupt us. You don’t need to know right away when someone liked your Instagram post. You don’t need to see covering your home screen with a bunch of newsletter email notifications. We only need meaningful notification.
Example, my case -
What I kept notifications
- Essentials: my phone, text, work email, work/personal calendar, reminder apps (I use Things 3 and Todoist)
- Baby: Daycare app (We have 6 months old baby and daycare send us updates.)
- Hobby: ESPN (I’m a sports person so I kept this but only getting NBA breaking news. I don’t get notifications when the game starts, final scores, or any other sports notifications even I also like football too.)
No email notifications
Yes, I don’t get notifications for my personal email. And that makes my phone significantly quiet and I’m really enjoying this setting. I turned off notifications because I don’t get that much important/urgent emails. The emails I need to check are from daycare and electric bills. When it’s something urgent notice from daycare, they send us text messages so even I check the email a couple of hours later (or sometime a day later), it’s not an end of the world. Same thing to the electric bill. I never missed the payment due date because of this setting. And other emails are obviously lots of newsletters. I know nowadays there are smart notification settings so some people who want to keep notification and badges to your personal email app, at least use this smart notification setting. (If you are not familiar with a smart notification, that is basically you can only get notification from your important emails.) If you are like me, not getting important personal emails, turn notification and badges off. Your phone will be much quieter. This setting will change your life.
No social media notifications
This is another important setting. Turn off your social media notifications. I know you want to feel happy to see “someone liked your photo” type of notifications. Yes, that notification makes you feel good. I get that. But if you want to reduce your screen time, turn off the notifications. If I still need to convince you, here is a pro: when you open the social media app, you will surprise the count of how many people liked your photo. Instead of checking the like count every 2 minutes, open twice a day the app and get surprised. As I mentioned earlier, I kept Instagram and Pinterest, the notification for both apps are off.
Silence Unknown Callers
Additional highly recommended setting for iOS13 later user
Apple made a genius setting from iOS13. It’s “Silence Unknown Callers”. Oh my, this is amazing. If you turn on this setting, your phone won’t ring when you get a call from unknown numbers. I was getting lots of sales calls or whatever scam types of calls before but now all quiet!!
You can use this setting under Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.
Step 5: Mute your phone
If you don’t need to get a business-related phone call or consider yourself as I’m not using a phone for my business person, mute your phone. If you don’t want to mute your phone all the time, mute your phone when you are doing activities. For example, when you are at work, at school, when you are studying, reading, spending time with family. This will let you focus more but also enjoy the moment that you are doing. You can mute your phone when you watch movies at a movie theater right? The concept is we shouldn’t disturb other people that’s why we mute our phone. Let’s apply the same concept to yourself. Don’t let your phone disturb yourself when you are living your life.
Step 6: Put the phone in your bag
Staying away from your phone physically will also reduce a significant amount of your screen time. I assume your phone is around you, That’s why you grab it. Put your phone in your bag at work/school. Keep your phone in your bag when you are on a date or hanging out with your friends. Don’t carry your phone at home, leave in the bedroom when you are in a living room with your family.
That’s it! No badges, no notifications, mute, and stay away. I know it sounds extream, but actually, it’s quite simple. If you don’t want to apply all the setting I explained above, that’s fine. I’m glad if you got some inspiration from this article. What we need to do is review your phone and define how to use your phone meaningfully.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and I’d love to hear any other recommend tips you have or your story. Let me know if something in your mind!
:)
