Gotta admit, I started reading this thinking, been there, done it, it was novel, didn't work. That's not where I ended this read.
During my first 10-day silent retreat, I noticed the urge to check Instagram at lunch time. It was day five, and what I was really noticing was that urge had not gone away yet. As soon as I got my device back at the end, I deleted Instagram. Eventually all the social media apps went. I've also tried gray-scaling and down-throttling notifications.
But just now, I glanced through my device's apps and found many I couldn't even identify.
I'm also from the school of thought that more is just more --> 99.9% of the time it's NOT better.
I'm gonna try this. I can always download all the apps again. Thanks for the inspo.
It's gone now apparently, but here's the text that was sent to me
Hi, all! Last month, I posted about an experiment at dumbing down an iPhone. It was removed by the mods, but they said that I could repost it after I explained.
I think dumbing down a smartphone is preferable for me than getting a dumbphone (aside from nostalgia) for a couple of reasons:
App selection. People ask for a dumbphone with encrypted messaging (like Signal) or with Spotify or better maps.
Family calendars.
Better camera.
I've done all of this on an iPhone 8 and it rocks, but it also works on my iPhone 13. Lock and home screen screenshots at the bottom... Here's what I've done:
Update to the latest OS and security patches.
Delete all unnecessary apps. Then delete some more. Delete a couple more.
I was left with Calendar, Camera, Clock (I time my coffee pour overs), Contacts, FindMy, Maps, Messages, Music, Notes, FaceTime/Phone, Photos, Podcasts, Reminders, Settings, Voice Memos, Wallet, and Weather. Still sounds like a lot (18 apps), but they are all tools that for me are useful. The goal is to use the phone as a tool.
NOTE: I use 2FA within iCloud Keychain, so I was able to go without an authenticator app.
Set up Screen Time. This lets you hide apps or limit usage.
Turn that bad boy on. Go into Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn that bad boy on.
In iTunes & App Store Purchase,
Don’t allow installing apps (removes App Store)
Allow deleting apps
Don’t allow in-app purchases
In Allowed Apps, turn off all you want. I kept Camera, Wallet, AirDrop, Podcasts, and Fitness active for the time being. The big one here is Safari.
Have a friend or partner set the Screen Time passcode to keep you from changing things here without some accountability.
Change some Settings.
In General,
Turn off background app refresh. (This improves battery life.)
In Keyboards, I like to turn off Memoji Stickers.
In Wallpaper, I keep a lock screen/wallpaper that’s the color #1C1B1D because it blends in with the Calendar widget. I also like the Weather lock screen widget that shows the date and conditions.
In Notifications, do yourself a favor and turn everything off except for Phone and (maybe) Messages.
In Messages, I like to turn off Share Name and Photo and Show Contact Photos.
In Display & Brightness, I like to use Dark mode and Display Zoom on.
Set up a minimal home screen. I like the medium Calendar widget and the apps I use most, with Phone and Messages in the dock. (NOTE: There is no way to disable App Library.)
I like the idea and look of custom app icons (works with the Shortcuts app to launch apps) but for me it's more work than it's worth.
Also, sometimes I like to have a wallpaper of Half Dome or the beach. I'm not rigid here. I also don't like anything that is personally identifiable (family photos, example) for privacy reasons.
EDIT: Default Low Power Mode. Per this Apple support article, I make the following Settings adjustments so that my phone is basically always in Low Power Mode without having to toggle it on after it's been charged past 80%.
Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock set to 30 seconds.
I keep Siri off.
Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Auto-Brightness I toggle off so that I can keep the display low and turn up manually if necessary.
In Accessibility > Motion > toggle Reduce Motion on.
Optional: Set to grayscale. I’ll be honest, I had my phone on grayscale and got tired of explaining when people said, “What’s wrong with your phone?” I know you might reply with something explaining why this is a good conversation starter—and I agree!—but this conversation was never started at a time that I wanted to have it (think getting a girl’s number, sharing photos with my boss, etc.). Just personal preference. Plus when you take away all the “fun” of a smartphone, I’m not sure how much more “boring” going gray actually was. Personal preference though, and if it works for you, respect.
Optional: Sign into iCloud. I like this because it lets me sync my notes, contacts, etc. as well as access Music and Podcasts. Honestly, though, I’m thinking about deleting both Music and Podcasts because I don’t listen to much anymore, from my phone at least.
EDIT: Optional: Don't use Face ID or Touch ID. Typing your password gets annoying fast!
EDIT: Optional: Turn off Raise to Wake (Settings > Display & Brightness) and Tap to Wake (Settings > Accessibility > Touch). Another way to make getting into your phone take more time (breaking the scarcity loop).
Unsolicited advice:
Keep your phone in a bag and not on your person. I've found that this makes me more mindful and in the moment after the initial shock of not having a metal slab that contains the world bouncing in my right pocket.
Get a watch. This, especially coupled with your phone being in your bag, will DRAMATICALLY drop your screen time and phone usage. There's some inexpensive fun watches; I personally opted for the Casio Royale, but the Casio Duro is a good-looker that has tempted me.
Get a pocket notebook. I write music, so I depend on my phone for Voice Memos and Notes a lot. I've been carrying a passport-sized notebook with staff paper and that's been a totally new experience. Taking notes with it is more focused, and I think harder about what I'm writing down.
If you carry a bag/purse/backpack all the time, keep some light reading handy. For those "got a few minutes to kill so wanna scroll" moments, I've given myself a few options: write some musical doodles, read some P.G. Wodehouse, or just sit, listen, and observe the odd moment I've been gifted. None of these is a bad idea and I just listen to my body to see what I need in the moment.
—
How to set this up? It’s quite easy to set up “Assistive Access” once you find it. To enable “Assistive Access go to Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access.
—
I just did this last week and it's great. My iPhone now is able to talk, text, and have Google Maps. I also left the camera working of course.
It's all in Screen Time in your settings, and it definitely is not easy for my 46 year old brain to figure out. If you have self control, just put in your own password. If you don't have self control, read on.
When you turn on Screen Time, you will be presented with two options: this is my phone, or this is my child's phone. Choose "this is my child's phone." When it comes time to put in your password, it will also ask you to enter your Apple ID so that if you ever forget the screen time passcode, you can reset it with your Apple ID. This is not helpful for those who lack self control. And here's how to fix it: you find a friend, spouse, etc. to put in their Apple ID and password. Then, let them choose a password as well. Now, the only way to make changes on your phone is through your friend. My wife put in her Apple ID and password for me. I know, people say things about not using technology to overcome a lack of self-control, but I think that's illogical. At the very least, look around the world and see how many people using smartphones have self control, very few.
What I did was turn on Screen Time myself, enter my own passcode, etc. Then I chose what apps and wanted and didn't want. I kept reviewing it for about a week. For example, at first I had Reddit and Music. But at night I'd scroll on Reddit way too much. So that app had to go. Then I decided I didn't want to use my phone for anything except keeping in touch with people and maps. By the end of the week, I had made up my mind pretty much. You would be amazed at how little you actually may want. In fact, if I was doing it again, I'd start by deleting everything except talk, text, and maps and see if you really want anything else.
Finally, I had my wife put in her Apple ID and passcode and now I'm locked down. I don't have weather, I don't even have the calculator or calendar. I would switch to a Light Phone or flip phone but my adult children send me pictures of their work, etc. and for their sakes I am keeping my iPhone for now.
I definitely get a little agitated in the evenings when I'm winding down and want to just veg out and scroll. I don't have internet at my house, just my office. So I get a little tense and I am trying to work through that but it's pretty difficult. Still, I must change, I know that. I have a couple children still at home and they need me more than ever. My plan is to persevere in this thing. Eventually, I would like to never own an iPhone or smartphone again.
Sometimes I feel disconnected, especially when every around me has a smartphone and is looking at it smiling and laughing and totally engaged. But then I just remember that my iPhone experience has been almost entirely selfish, centering around me. Allow me to wax philosophical here: there are invisible attributes, eternal qualities, that humanity is designed to connect with. Those invisible elements are what make life valuable. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faith, self-control--these are things that cannot be seen, but they make us truly human to possess them. The iPhone promised me these things. Connecting with the world at all times was to be a wonderful experience. But it was a failed experiment, for me personally. I was not connected. Now that I'm wrestling through these issues of giving up internet in my pocket, I am finding my mind turning more and more to connecting with my family and friends.
N of 1, but you inspired me to remove all of my addictive apps last night (Twitter, LinkedIn, even Substack).
I kept email (maybe only because I don't get that many anymore 🤣) + sports (because, well... I just like them!).
I was just thinking I was spending too much time on my phone, so your post was as good as any to prompt a change. Thanks for the timing!
Hell yes! Report back how it went :)
Gotta admit, I started reading this thinking, been there, done it, it was novel, didn't work. That's not where I ended this read.
During my first 10-day silent retreat, I noticed the urge to check Instagram at lunch time. It was day five, and what I was really noticing was that urge had not gone away yet. As soon as I got my device back at the end, I deleted Instagram. Eventually all the social media apps went. I've also tried gray-scaling and down-throttling notifications.
But just now, I glanced through my device's apps and found many I couldn't even identify.
I'm also from the school of thought that more is just more --> 99.9% of the time it's NOT better.
I'm gonna try this. I can always download all the apps again. Thanks for the inspo.
Hell yes. Glad to hear it Damon. Report back how it goes :)
Oof. First pass was a large improvement, but I can tell I have many deletes to go. So many “just in case” apps on there still.
So much for considering myself enlightened. Redraft!
Ryan, this is great. Could you link the Reddit article?
It's gone now apparently, but here's the text that was sent to me
Hi, all! Last month, I posted about an experiment at dumbing down an iPhone. It was removed by the mods, but they said that I could repost it after I explained.
I think dumbing down a smartphone is preferable for me than getting a dumbphone (aside from nostalgia) for a couple of reasons:
App selection. People ask for a dumbphone with encrypted messaging (like Signal) or with Spotify or better maps.
Family calendars.
Better camera.
I've done all of this on an iPhone 8 and it rocks, but it also works on my iPhone 13. Lock and home screen screenshots at the bottom... Here's what I've done:
Update to the latest OS and security patches.
Delete all unnecessary apps. Then delete some more. Delete a couple more.
I was left with Calendar, Camera, Clock (I time my coffee pour overs), Contacts, FindMy, Maps, Messages, Music, Notes, FaceTime/Phone, Photos, Podcasts, Reminders, Settings, Voice Memos, Wallet, and Weather. Still sounds like a lot (18 apps), but they are all tools that for me are useful. The goal is to use the phone as a tool.
NOTE: I use 2FA within iCloud Keychain, so I was able to go without an authenticator app.
Set up Screen Time. This lets you hide apps or limit usage.
Turn that bad boy on. Go into Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn that bad boy on.
In iTunes & App Store Purchase,
Don’t allow installing apps (removes App Store)
Allow deleting apps
Don’t allow in-app purchases
In Allowed Apps, turn off all you want. I kept Camera, Wallet, AirDrop, Podcasts, and Fitness active for the time being. The big one here is Safari.
Have a friend or partner set the Screen Time passcode to keep you from changing things here without some accountability.
Change some Settings.
In General,
Turn off background app refresh. (This improves battery life.)
In Keyboards, I like to turn off Memoji Stickers.
In Wallpaper, I keep a lock screen/wallpaper that’s the color #1C1B1D because it blends in with the Calendar widget. I also like the Weather lock screen widget that shows the date and conditions.
In Notifications, do yourself a favor and turn everything off except for Phone and (maybe) Messages.
In Messages, I like to turn off Share Name and Photo and Show Contact Photos.
In Display & Brightness, I like to use Dark mode and Display Zoom on.
Set up a minimal home screen. I like the medium Calendar widget and the apps I use most, with Phone and Messages in the dock. (NOTE: There is no way to disable App Library.)
I like the idea and look of custom app icons (works with the Shortcuts app to launch apps) but for me it's more work than it's worth.
Also, sometimes I like to have a wallpaper of Half Dome or the beach. I'm not rigid here. I also don't like anything that is personally identifiable (family photos, example) for privacy reasons.
EDIT: Default Low Power Mode. Per this Apple support article, I make the following Settings adjustments so that my phone is basically always in Low Power Mode without having to toggle it on after it's been charged past 80%.
Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock set to 30 seconds.
I keep Siri off.
Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Auto-Brightness I toggle off so that I can keep the display low and turn up manually if necessary.
In Accessibility > Motion > toggle Reduce Motion on.
Optional: Set to grayscale. I’ll be honest, I had my phone on grayscale and got tired of explaining when people said, “What’s wrong with your phone?” I know you might reply with something explaining why this is a good conversation starter—and I agree!—but this conversation was never started at a time that I wanted to have it (think getting a girl’s number, sharing photos with my boss, etc.). Just personal preference. Plus when you take away all the “fun” of a smartphone, I’m not sure how much more “boring” going gray actually was. Personal preference though, and if it works for you, respect.
Optional: Sign into iCloud. I like this because it lets me sync my notes, contacts, etc. as well as access Music and Podcasts. Honestly, though, I’m thinking about deleting both Music and Podcasts because I don’t listen to much anymore, from my phone at least.
EDIT: Optional: Don't use Face ID or Touch ID. Typing your password gets annoying fast!
EDIT: Optional: Turn off Raise to Wake (Settings > Display & Brightness) and Tap to Wake (Settings > Accessibility > Touch). Another way to make getting into your phone take more time (breaking the scarcity loop).
Unsolicited advice:
Keep your phone in a bag and not on your person. I've found that this makes me more mindful and in the moment after the initial shock of not having a metal slab that contains the world bouncing in my right pocket.
Get a watch. This, especially coupled with your phone being in your bag, will DRAMATICALLY drop your screen time and phone usage. There's some inexpensive fun watches; I personally opted for the Casio Royale, but the Casio Duro is a good-looker that has tempted me.
Get a pocket notebook. I write music, so I depend on my phone for Voice Memos and Notes a lot. I've been carrying a passport-sized notebook with staff paper and that's been a totally new experience. Taking notes with it is more focused, and I think harder about what I'm writing down.
If you carry a bag/purse/backpack all the time, keep some light reading handy. For those "got a few minutes to kill so wanna scroll" moments, I've given myself a few options: write some musical doodles, read some P.G. Wodehouse, or just sit, listen, and observe the odd moment I've been gifted. None of these is a bad idea and I just listen to my body to see what I need in the moment.
—
How to set this up? It’s quite easy to set up “Assistive Access” once you find it. To enable “Assistive Access go to Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access.
—
I just did this last week and it's great. My iPhone now is able to talk, text, and have Google Maps. I also left the camera working of course.
It's all in Screen Time in your settings, and it definitely is not easy for my 46 year old brain to figure out. If you have self control, just put in your own password. If you don't have self control, read on.
When you turn on Screen Time, you will be presented with two options: this is my phone, or this is my child's phone. Choose "this is my child's phone." When it comes time to put in your password, it will also ask you to enter your Apple ID so that if you ever forget the screen time passcode, you can reset it with your Apple ID. This is not helpful for those who lack self control. And here's how to fix it: you find a friend, spouse, etc. to put in their Apple ID and password. Then, let them choose a password as well. Now, the only way to make changes on your phone is through your friend. My wife put in her Apple ID and password for me. I know, people say things about not using technology to overcome a lack of self-control, but I think that's illogical. At the very least, look around the world and see how many people using smartphones have self control, very few.
What I did was turn on Screen Time myself, enter my own passcode, etc. Then I chose what apps and wanted and didn't want. I kept reviewing it for about a week. For example, at first I had Reddit and Music. But at night I'd scroll on Reddit way too much. So that app had to go. Then I decided I didn't want to use my phone for anything except keeping in touch with people and maps. By the end of the week, I had made up my mind pretty much. You would be amazed at how little you actually may want. In fact, if I was doing it again, I'd start by deleting everything except talk, text, and maps and see if you really want anything else.
Finally, I had my wife put in her Apple ID and passcode and now I'm locked down. I don't have weather, I don't even have the calculator or calendar. I would switch to a Light Phone or flip phone but my adult children send me pictures of their work, etc. and for their sakes I am keeping my iPhone for now.
I definitely get a little agitated in the evenings when I'm winding down and want to just veg out and scroll. I don't have internet at my house, just my office. So I get a little tense and I am trying to work through that but it's pretty difficult. Still, I must change, I know that. I have a couple children still at home and they need me more than ever. My plan is to persevere in this thing. Eventually, I would like to never own an iPhone or smartphone again.
Sometimes I feel disconnected, especially when every around me has a smartphone and is looking at it smiling and laughing and totally engaged. But then I just remember that my iPhone experience has been almost entirely selfish, centering around me. Allow me to wax philosophical here: there are invisible attributes, eternal qualities, that humanity is designed to connect with. Those invisible elements are what make life valuable. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faith, self-control--these are things that cannot be seen, but they make us truly human to possess them. The iPhone promised me these things. Connecting with the world at all times was to be a wonderful experience. But it was a failed experiment, for me personally. I was not connected. Now that I'm wrestling through these issues of giving up internet in my pocket, I am finding my mind turning more and more to connecting with my family and friends.
https://www.techlockdown.com/guides/dumb-phone-iphone