5 iPhone settings that make your phone less addictive
Your phone is designed to be hard to put down. These five settings are already on your iPhone, take a minute each, and make it a lot less sticky. Number 1 takes ten seconds.
The settings
- 1
Turn on grayscale
Colour is what makes icons and feeds pop. In grey, scrolling gets dull fast. Add it to the Accessibility Shortcut (Settings → Accessibility → Accessibility Shortcut → Color Filters) and a triple-click of the side button switches it on and off.
Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size → Color Filters → Grayscale
- 2
Batch your notifications
Non-urgent notifications arrive a few times a day in one summary, instead of pulling you back every few minutes. Messages from people still come through as normal.
Settings → Notifications → Scheduled Summary
- 3
Get social apps off page one
Out of sight, out of thumb. Removing an app from the Home Screen keeps it installed and in the App Library, so you have to go looking for it on purpose.
Hold the app icon → Remove App → Remove from Home Screen
- 4
Set up a Sleep Focus
Silence everything at night except the people you choose, and dim the Lock Screen so a glance doesn't turn into an hour.
Settings → Focus → Sleep
- 5
Schedule Downtime
During the hours you set, only the apps you allow can be used. Useful, but anyone who knows the passcode can tap “Ignore Limit”.
Settings → Screen Time → Downtime
Settings make the phone duller. They don't stop you, and most of them are a tap away from being undone at 1am.
