iPad & iPhone User - UK (2020-01)

APPLE IN 2020

The best way to reduce your phone use, without

reducing your phone usefulness, is to severely limit

your notifications. When your iPhone isn’t buzzing and

chirping every  20   minutes, you’re far less likely to just

pick it up for one unimportant thing only to get sucked

into staring at unimportant things for half an hour.

Start by going into the notifications settings and

examining the settings for nearly every app on your

phone. No, seriously, every app – it won’t take as long

as you think.

Consider adhering to these principles:

1. If you actually need to take immediate action on an
   app’s notifications right away (as with a smart doorbell,
   home security app, or Messages), then leave on banners
   and sounds.


2. If you only need notifications to tell that something
   happened but don’t need to take action, then turn
   off sounds and banners, and maybe even lock screen
   notifications and badges, too. You’ll see those
   notifications in the Notification Centre. Nearly all of
   your social media apps should be set this way.


3. Finally, for apps you only rarely use or those where
   you open the app several times a day anyway, just turn
   off notifications entirely. Games are a great example.
   Play when you want to, not when the game says, “Hey!
   Play me now!”

When in doubt, err on the side of fewer and less

intrusive notifications. You can always go back in

Settings later and make them more permissive if you

find you’re missing important stuff.

APPLE IN 2020

Thebestwaytoreduceyourphoneuse,without

reducingyourphoneusefulness,istoseverelylimit

yournotifications.WhenyouriPhoneisn’tbuzzingand

chirpingevery 20 minutes,you’refarlesslikelytojust

pickitupforoneunimportantthingonlytogetsucked

intostaringatunimportantthingsforhalfanhour.

Startbygoingintothenotificationssettingsand

examiningthesettingsfornearlyeveryapponyour

phone.No,seriously,everyapp–itwon’ttakeaslong

as youthink.

Consideradheringtotheseprinciples:

1.Ifyouactuallyneedtotakeimmediateactiononan

app’snotificationsrightaway(aswithasmartdoorbell,

homesecurityapp,orMessages),thenleaveonbanners

andsounds.

2.Ifyouonlyneednotificationstotellthatsomething

happenedbutdon’tneedtotakeaction,thenturn

offsoundsandbanners,andmaybeevenlockscreen

notificationsandbadges,too.You’llseethose

notificationsintheNotificationCentre.Nearlyallof

yoursocialmediaappsshouldbesetthisway.

3.Finally,forappsyouonlyrarelyuseorthosewhere

youopentheappseveraltimesadayanyway,justturn

offnotificationsentirely.Gamesareagreatexample.

Playwhenyouwantto,notwhenthegamesays,“Hey!

Playmenow!”

Whenindoubt,erronthesideoffewerandless

intrusivenotifications.Youcanalwaysgobackin

Settingslaterandmakethemmorepermissiveifyou

findyou’remissingimportantstuff.