Limit Distractions on Your Phone
Version 1.0
Ever looked at the time and realized you blew hours scrolling on your phone? When Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram switched from a chronological timeline to one determined by a secret formula, these apps asserted a kind of invisible control over what their users pay attention to. This exercise asks you to take back your time and mental health by imagining how you could use your iPhone's Focus Mode or Android's Do Not Disturb feature to limit what you see when.
You'll perform this activity in teams, eg separated into Android and iPhone users.
Open the Settings app on your Android phone.
Tap on "Sound & vibration" or "Notifications," depending on your device, then select "Do Not Disturb."
Find and select "Schedules" or "Turn on automatically" to create custom DND periods.
Tap "Add more" or the "+" icon to create a new schedule. Name it according to its purpose (e.g., Study Time, Sleep).
Set the start and end times for this DND period, and choose which days of the week it should repeat.
In the DND settings, look for "Exceptions" or "Allowed interruptions."
Customize which calls and messages can bypass DND. Options typically include allowing calls from contacts, starred contacts, or anyone.
Decide if you want to allow repeat callers (a second call from the same person within 15 minutes) to interrupt your DND period.
Ensure alarms and media sounds are set to your preference, allowing important alerts to come through even while DND is active.
Within the DND settings, adjust which notifications are allowed to appear. This can include none, all, or only priority notifications.
Review settings for visual disturbances such as pop-up notifications or screen wake-up.
Use the quick settings panel to activate DND mode immediately.
Experiment with your phone for a few minutes to see how the applied settings influence your notification experience.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Scroll down and select "Focus" to enter the Focus Mode settings.
Tap the "+" icon in the top-right corner to create a new Focus.
Choose "Custom" to start designing your Focus Mode.
Name your Focus (e.g., Study, Work) and select a color and icon that best represents the purpose of this mode.
Within your custom Focus, tap "Allowed Notifications."
Choose "People" to select specific contacts allowed to notify you in this mode. Consider allowing only critical contacts.
Return and choose "Apps" to select specific apps that can send notifications. Pick apps relevant to your focus activity, such as productivity apps.
Enable the option for "Time-Sensitive Notifications" to allow important notifications from any app or person to come through.
Go back to your custom Focus settings and select "Add Schedule or Automation."
Choose to schedule your Focus based on time, location, or app usage. For example, set your Study Focus to activate daily from 6 PM to 8 PM.
Enable "Focus Status" to automatically inform others that you have notifications silenced when they try to message you.
Reviewing and Adjusting Settings:
Activate your custom Focus Mode by toggling it on from the Control Center.
Spend a few minutes engaging with your phone to see how the settings you've applied affect your notification experience.
Consider creating a special home screen for each Focus Mode (iPhone) with fewer icons.
Consider setting app-specific time limits (eg, 30 minutes per day for TikTok).