How to reduce your screen time – once and for all! (21 strategies)
New year, same resolution: use your phone less (but this time for real!)
You know what you want – better sleep, actual focus, time for real conversations instead of endless scrolling. But then there’s that moment when you're bored, waiting, or just finished something, and your thumb finds Instagram anyway.
Here's what actually works: 21 specific strategies (not vague advice like "be more mindful."). Real tactics that people use successfully, backed by research and plenty of trial and error. Pick a few, try them, see what sticks.
Awareness & Reflection
Becoming aware of your behavior and intentions is the first step to change. Here’s how to do it:
Track your screen time
You can't change what you don't measure. Most of us underestimate how much time we actually spend on our phones – often by hours. Start by checking your screen time stats:
- iOS: Settings > Screen Time
- Android: Settings > Digital Wellbeing Look at which apps drain most of your time and when you're most likely to pick up your phone. The numbers might surprise you (and that's exactly the point).
Know your Why (and write it down)
Maybe you know exactly why you want to reduce your screen time. But maybe you only have a broad idea. "I want to use my phone less" is too vague to stick.
Get specific. Better sleep? More focus at work? Actually being present with your kids? Write it down. Put it somewhere you'll see it – your lock screen, a sticky note, wherever works. When the urge to scroll hits, you need a reason that's stronger than the dopamine hit. Make it personal, make it urgent, make it matter.
Track your Intentions
Here's a revealing exercise: before you unlock your phone, ask yourself why you're doing it. Were you planning to check something specific, or did you just... reach for it? If you use one sec , the breathing intervention before opening an app will make you aware of those mindless moments (and with the Intention Tracking feature, you can even force yourself to state your intention). You'd be amazed how often we unlock our phones without any real reason. Catching yourself in the act is powerful.
Device Setup
Make your phone less tempting. Your device already has built-in features to help you do exactly that.
Turn off notifications
Notifications are designed to grab your attention – and they're very good at it. Each buzz, each banner is an invitation to pick up your phone. Turn off everything that isn't truly urgent. No, you don't need to know immediately when someone likes your post. Most things can wait. Your phone should serve you, not interrupt you.
Use your phone in grayscale
Colors are attractive. App designers know this and use it against you – those red notification badges, the colorful feeds, the vibrant icons. Switch your phone to grayscale and suddenly everything looks less appealing. Instagram in gray? Way less tempting. This strategy was even shown to be particularly effective by a scientific study, with average reductions of up to 37.90 minutes per day.
By the way, you can still use your camera and photo gallery in full color, of course. But the apps that usually suck you in lose their visual pull.
Use a minimalist phone launcher
Out of sight, out of mind. A minimalist launcher removes app icons from your home screen entirely. No more visual reminders of Instagram, TikTok, or whatever your weakness is. If you want to open an app, you have to actively search for it. That small friction is often enough to make you think twice.
Reply from notifications
Here's a clever trick: when you get a message, reply directly from the notification without opening the app. Most messaging apps let you do this. You stay in control, handle what matters, and avoid falling into the endless scroll that follows when you "just quickly check" the app.
App Control
Most apps are designed to capture as much of your attention as possible. Fortunately, you can push back.
Set up interventions against instant gratification
Social media apps are built for instant gratification: tap, scroll, dopamine hit! Break that loop with interventions. one sec adds a short breathing exercise before opening apps, giving your brain time to catch up with your impulses. And it works: one sec reduces app usage by an average of 57%. Sometimes you'll still open the app, and that's okay. But often, you'll realize you didn't really want to.
Delete your most dangerous social media apps
The nuclear option, and surprisingly effective. If the app isn't on your phone, you can't mindlessly open it. You can still access most platforms through a browser if you really need to, but that extra friction stops the automatic checking. Delete the apps that drain most of your time and see what happens.
Block your most dangerous social media apps
Can't delete because you need it for work or staying in touch? Block it instead. Set specific times when the app is off-limits. one sec's Block Apps feature lets you create boundaries without going cold turkey. You stay connected when it matters, protected when it doesn't.
Set up one sec Don't Get Lost against doomscrolling
Opening the app is one thing – getting lost in it for an hour is another. Don't Get Lost gives you gentle reminders while you're scrolling, pulling you back to reality before you've burned through half your evening. Think of it as a friendly tap on the shoulder asking "still doing what you wanted to do?"
Use a browser extension
Your phone isn't the only screen stealing your attention. Desktop distractions are real. one sec’s browser extension for Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox can add the same helpful friction to your computer use. Consistency across devices makes your strategy stronger.
Set a time limit or budget
Give yourself a daily budget for certain apps. Maybe 30 minutes of Instagram, 20 minutes of TikTok – whatever works for you. When you hit the limit, you're done. It's not about restriction, it's about intention.
- iOS: Settings > Screen Time > App Limits
- Android: Settings > Digital Wellbeing > Set App Timer
Physical & Time Boundaries
Your phone can be a life saver or a time waster – depending on the situation. You set the rules.
Keep your phone at a special place
Physical distance works. When your phone is in your pocket, checking it is effortless. When it's in the hallway, the kitchen, or another room, there's friction. That walk to get it gives you time to think "do I actually need this right now?" Often, the answer is no. Out of reach means out of mind.
Leave the phone at home
Sounds extreme, but try it. Go for a walk, run errands, meet a friend – without your phone. Yes, it feels weird at first. Maybe even a bit anxious. But that's exactly why it's worth doing. You'll rediscover what it's like to be fully present, without the safety net of endless distraction in your pocket.
Schedule phone-free times
Create islands of focus in your day. Phone-free mornings, no devices during dinner, or a digital sunset at 8pm. Use one sec's Block Schedule to automate this. The beauty of scheduled breaks is that you don't have to constantly decide – the decision is already made. Your brain can relax knowing the phone is off-limits.
Create rules
Simple rules work because they remove decision-making. No phone in the bedroom. No scrolling before breakfast. No devices at the dinner table. Pick rules that match your goals and stick to them. Rules become habits, habits become normal, and normal becomes easy.
Behavior Change
Small behavioral changes can have a surprisingly big impact.
Post less
Here's a pattern: you post something, then you check constantly for reactions. Likes, comments, shares – each one a little hit of validation. Post less and you'll check less. It's that simple. Your thoughts don't need to be broadcasted to feel real. Breaking the posting cycle breaks the checking cycle.
Find rewarding activities
You can't just remove phone time without replacing it with something else. Boredom will win. Find things that genuinely engage you – read a book, cook something new, call a friend for a real conversation, pick up a sport, create something, learn a language. The best alternatives aren't just "healthy", they're actually rewarding. one sec’s Healthy Alternatives feature helps you to keep them in mind.
Support & Mindset
Last but not least …
Have your friends and family support you
You can't do this alone – not because you're weak, but because the people around you influence your habits. Ask your friends to call instead of texting endless threads. Tell your family you're trying to be more present. Set boundaries around meme-sharing. Real support means they respect your goals, even when it's less convenient for them.
Don't be too hard on yourself
You'll slip up. You'll have days where you scroll for hours. You'll break your own rules. That's not failure – that's being human. The difference between people who succeed and people who give up is simple: the ones who succeed don't let one bad day become a bad week. Notice what happened, learn from it, and try again tomorrow. Progress beats perfection every single time.
Conclusion
So, 21 strategies. That's a lot. But here's the thing: you don't need all of them. Start with two or three that feel doable. Maybe track your screen time and turn off notifications. Or try grayscale and a minimalist launcher. See what works, what doesn't, and adjust.
Change takes time. Your phone habits didn't appear overnight, and they won't disappear overnight either. But each small step adds up. Less scrolling means more time for what actually matters – better sleep, deeper focus, real connections.
The goal isn't to abandon your phone completely. It's to use it intentionally, on your terms. Pick your strategies, give them a real shot, and remember: progress beats perfection.
Sources:
D.J. Grüning, F. Riedel, & P. Lorenz-Spreen (2023). Directing smartphone use through the self-nudge app one sec, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 120 (8) e2213114120, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2213114120
Rahmillah, F. I., Tariq, A., King, M., & Oviedo-Trespalacios, O (2023). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Apps Designed to Reduce Mobile Phone Use and Prevent Maladaptive Mobile Phone Use: Multimethod Study. Journal of medical Internet research, 25, e42541. https://doi.org/10.2196/42541
Elena Geiger
January 5, 2026