“There is something wrong with my phone.”
I was talking to a friend about how the battery life of a Google Pixel 9 Pro was slowly degrading over time. Normally my phone lasts all day, but mid-afternoon I had to recharge it. That’s when I realized: I am the problem. Between doomscrolling on Instagram and obsessively checking my email, I was using my phone too much.
Android has a few built-in tools grouped under the Digital Wellbeing banner, including a bedtime mode, a notification manager, and timers that let you set limits on how long you can have each app open. I’ve known about this feature set for years; after all, it was first announced in 2018. Were you using this consistently? Not precisely.
For years, I practiced a few productivity tricks. I deleted the Facebook app on my phone and now only use that service on my laptop. I also charge my phone in the kitchen, which helps me avoid using it in bed. However, these methods were not enough. My phone kept dying around 8pm every day due to mindless excessive scrolling. I needed to take control of my usage. That’s how I finally broke the spell.
Set timers on your most used apps
Google includes app usage timers on all Android phones that allow you to set strict limits for individual apps. To access the timers, simply go to Settingsthen search Digital Wellbeing. The features look a little different on a Samsung Galaxy phone than on Pixels and other Android phones, but everything works the same. I usually check at night to see my daily stats. On the main settings screen, there is a panel that shows your total usage time for the day and which apps are the main culprits. You will also see the total number of phone unlocks and the total count of notifications received during the day.
To reduce usage time, start with the app’s timers. Setting strict time limits may seem a little draconian at first, but timers work because they automatically close the app and snap us out of our stupor. We realize that we are browsing TikTok all day or surfing the web too much. in his book HookedProductivity expert Nir Eyal says we’re not actually addicted to our phones. That’s a clinical term that should be reserved for more serious problems. Instead, we are obsessed. The dose of dopamine we receive from almost every “like” or comment on social media fuels our obsession.
I started with an app timer in Google Chrome and to be honest it was painful. I set the time limit at 45 minutes and seemed to hit that threshold every day around lunchtime. With one minute remaining, the screen turns gray as a warning that the application is about to close. I raised the timer to 90 minutes and it seemed to work better. When you reach the limit, you will need to reset the timer or use a browser on a different device. It works to curb your use because you have to work to overcome a limitation you imposed and have to live with. I also set limits on the Gmail app, Messages, Instagram, and TikTok.
Lo and behold, setting time limits meant my total usage time went from four hours and 30 minutes per day to three hours and 30 minutes. I got an hour of my life back every day. That’s not bad, but I wanted to reduce my screen time even more, so I turned to some radical techniques.
Take some radical steps
Google includes a few other settings that make your phone less attractive. For example, Android’s bedtime mode dims the screen and turns everything to black and white. To find this option, go to Digital Wellbeing settings, look for Bedtime mode and set the usage period to start around 8 pm This also turns off notifications until the next morning. For me, bedtime mode helped because it was a visual reminder to put down the phone and stop scrolling. I reduced my usage by another hour.
Unfortunately, I still used my phone too much. For me, there’s always the appeal of notifications about new text messages, Discord chats, and emails. Who communicates with me? What do they need? Once again, we crave the hit of dopamine that comes when we hear those hits. We feel useful and productive when we respond, but the downside is that we are even more glued to our screens.