15 Ways to Make Your Phone Dumber
With the mounting research on how unhealthy smartphone addictions are, as a reminder, I wanted to start a list of things to do to dumb down my smart phone in 2026.
Turn on grayscale.
Turn-off all notifications and badges. Add back what’s critical.
Disable email and slack notifications–or remove them entirely from phone.
Use passwords instead of Face ID to add friction.
Enact Screen Time limits.
Keep your phone another room, especially before bed.
Delete unnecessary apps.
Simplify your home screen.
Set up Focus Modes.
Stay off social media on mobile. Only use it sparingly or purposefully.
Re-read Jonathan Haidt and Cal Newport to be mindful about phone habits.
Use a real alarm.
Unpair your phone from other devices like watches and laptops.
Buy a dumb phone.
Don’t use your phone as an all-purpose device.