Here’s how to keep all the best smartphone features without the addictive aspect.

Here are 3 levels of changes you can implement to make your phone less distracting, ordered from the easiest to the most difficult to pull off (and stick to).

The benefit of the more difficult approaches is that the more complex the changes, the more inconvenient it will be to use distracting apps.

The basic idea is to make it more impractical to use ‘problem’ apps (apps that take up a lot of your time but don’t add to your life in a tangible way).

A small heads up…

Some people may be annoyed by the changes you implement, especially as you’re approaching the more “extreme” side of things. People like the convenience of the “always online” society, and assume that because they are always available, others should be too.

With that in mind, you should evaluate your priorities and decide what technology and convenience is non-negotiable for you. This is a highly personal decision, so there’s no right or wrong answer. You may lose some friends by uninstalling Facebook, for example, but maybe that trade off is worth it to you. Or maybe Facebook is the only way to stay in touch with your family abroad, so removing it is out of the question.

Reflect on what role technology plays in your life, and choose which changes to implement based on your conclusions. You can even write it down to see if that opinion changes over time.

With all that said, let’s get into the checklist for making your phone less distracting.

Level 1: Easy edits, low inconvenience

This level consists of things you can do immediately, and that won’t affect your day-to-day convenience that much (or at all):

• Turn off unnecessary notifications
• Set time-based Focus modes
• Delete unused apps
• Unsubscribe from junk mail
• Clean up your home screen
• Put your phone on Do Not Disturb while focusing
• Place your phone out of sight during your work
• Turn off your YouTube history
• Set yourself as “invisible” in your messaging apps

Level 2: Medium difficulty, slight inconvenience

This level is made up of measures that might take a little bit more time and/or willpower to ahere to, but they’re more effective strategies for combating:

• Leave your phone in Do Not Disturb permanently
• Set your phone screen to grayscale mode
• Uninstall work-related apps from your phone
• Remove all but essential apps from your screen
• Install screen time control apps (Freedom, Zen, etc.)
• Turn off all notifications except essential ones
• Set email filters and rules to clean up your inbox
• Treat silenced ringtone mode as your default
• Reduce the number of messaging apps you use

Level 3: More extreme, more inconvenience

This level is for people who’ve tried most or all of the tips from above, and need more drastic measures that don’t rely on willpower:

• Delete all social media apps from your phone
• Delete your email apps from your phone
• Disable your search engine(s)
• Delete shopping apps (if you’re using them too much)
• Turn off animations on your phone
• Uninstall all entertainment apps but music/podcasts
• Use an email aliasing software to control junk mail
• Don’t sign up for websites, or download apps, that you’re not sure would provide significant value to you