How to deal with smartphone addiction
Don't scroll your life away.
Nigel Foote/Pexels.
The important things will reach you.
On Android, consider tools like ReVanced to remove distracting Instagram features (Reels, algorithmic stranger posts, etc.).
Reddit is useless.
YouTube is useful, but addictive. Uninstall it. YouTube runs in your browser when you need it.
TikTok is useless. You can open links others send in your browser.
Social media is less addictive in the browser.
Consider only allowing yourself to open social media on a computer.
Meta says Sarah Wynn-Williams’ claim that advertisers target teens based on their emotional state is untrue (Perez, 2025).
Navid Sohrabi/Pexels.
Uninstall video-on-demand apps
Only stream TV shows with friends. They’re more fun and healthier that way.
Install a minimal launcher
If you’re on Android, Minimo is a good free and open-source launcher.
Minimo launcher removes the colorful app icons.
Minimo launcher.
Disable notifications
If an event is not time-sensitive, you don’t need to be notified about it.
Customize your notifications
For example, give group messages a vibration that’s shorter than messages directed to you.
Other tips
Now that a single charge lasts you longer, consider prolonging your battery’s life by enabling battery protection settings which limit the maximum charge. Keeping your battery percentage away from the extremes and between 15 and 85 slows down battery degradation.
Fill your time with something healthier
If you uninstall addictive apps without a replacement, you will spend your free time on the calculator app.
Think of what you want to be doing and do it. Be realistic, though, and keep your life fun.
Exercise
It’s great for your mind and body.
Read
Some books are so good. Find them and read them.
Clean up your place
You have the time.
My opinion on grayscale
If grayscale is hard to toggle, you’ll spend a lot of time toggling it off or you’ll toggle it off and keep it off.
If it’s easy to toggle, you’ll toggle it off often, and forget it off.
Colors are useful. Keep grayscale off. TikTok may be less addictive in grayscale, but uninstalling it is better.
Avoid proprietary apps
If an app has ads, then you are the product.
Free and open-source apps are designed to be good tools, not addictive tools.
Put your phone in a different room
When doing something important, put your phone in a different room.
Wear a watch
Quartz watches are low-maintenance tools that are good at one thing, and one thing only.
Mayank Kumar/Pexels.
How else would you tell the time?