We teach you to reduce the mobile use time with these simple tricks

Are we addicted to the mobile?

Not so long ago, it was necessary to wait to get home to consult the last emails, read the news online or simply chat with others. Since the arrival of smartphones, all these digital activities have passed to run from the palm of our hand. According to some reports, in 2022, almost 37 % of adolescents spent more than 6 hours with this device. Do you think the time has come for Reduce mobile use time? So, what I tell you here is very interested.

In the following sections, I will explain what some of the tools included in iOS and Android are for minimize the use we make of our device. Obviously, I am not going to tell you if your case can be considered an addiction. I don’t have the necessary knowledge to help you with that. What I do know is what are the best practices that will help you reduce your dependence on your iPhone or Android.

Reduce mobile use time on Android

Android has for a long time has a series of tools for users to control their Digital health. All manufacturers that include Google services are obliged to include Digital well -beingan integrated application that you will be able to access from the phone settings.

Usually Digital well -being It is presented in the configuration panel with this same name, as you see in the following image:

In Android, the limits you are going to establish are related to applications. The point is that you should determine what those apps are with which you spend more time. When you have a list of all of them, it determines which is the most convenient limit for each one. Visit the section Application limits.

In this sense, a advice. With a quick look at the graphic within the section Digital well -being You will know what applications are the ones you use most on your mobile already which you spend more screen hours. This will help you determine what applications you should limit on your Android mobile.

When you press in this option, what you see is a list of applications. They are all that are installed on your mobile. Something interesting is that, in the case of Google Chrome, you also have the option Show websites that visit. If you use this web browser, you will be able to control the time you spend on certain pages and apply restrictions to them.

Additionally, in digital well -being there are various ways to configure that they help you give a healthier use to the mobile. For example, you have rest modethat helps you filter notifications and calls during the hours you sleep. A recommendation that I give you is that you take advantage of this function to disconnect from the mobile hours before going to sleep. For example, if you usually go to bed at 23:00, you do well to activate the rest mode at 9:00 p.m. This will reduce the possibilities of finishing looking at the mobile due to low importance.

Additionally, you have mode without distractions. This helps you turn off notifications at a time when you need to concentrate. You can program it to activate when you are going to work or study. In this way, the phone will not claim your attention and you will reduce its time of use.

Finally, in digital well -being you also have a notification configuration. Do not forget that the alerts that the phone sends us usually cause the use of the device to increase. Therefore, keeping them at bay is vital.

As Android is much more open than iOS (then I am talking about the options you have on the iPhone), you also have some third -party applications that will help you reduce the mobile use time. For example, you have Stayfree, an enlarged version of digital well -being. There is also Forest, an app that helps you concentrate during your study or work sessions. Finally, I recommend Minimalist Phone, an application that only shows the indispensable applications with a pitcher with a minimalist design.

Reduce mobile use time in iOS

And what happens if you have an iPhone? In that case, iOS also comes with several resources that will allow you Diagnose the use you make of your iPhone and take measures to reduce the time you spend in front of the screen. His name is Time of use And you will find it in iOS settings.

Once you have entered this section, you will see that there are several interesting options. The one that interests us most now is APPS AND WEB SITES ACTIVITY.

If it is the first time you access it, you will see that an explanatory message appears. It mentions what are the functionalities of this tool. For example, it is possible to establish a time of inactivity or put specific limits to applications. Simply press in Activate “Apps and Websites Activity”.

Now, in the section Time of use Of the settings, you will see that you have four options to limit the time you spend with the iPhone. The first, Inactivity timethat helps you deactivate the device for a few specific hours of the day.

Within this section you will be able to activate the inactivity time until the next day or schedule. The iPhone is going to Notify 5 minutes Before you activate so you have time to save the changes or close the conversations you are maintaining.

While the inactivity time is enabled, the applications not allowed They appear in gray and with a sand watch next to the name.

If you press on any of them, the iPhone will tell you that the inactivity period is activated. Obviously, the device allows you to ignore restriction, something that is useful if you have to consult any data urgently.

As can be seen in the previous image, there are some applications that remain activated. These will be able to configure from the section Always allowedwhere a complete list of all the applications of your iPhone appears. Those that are at the top are those that are allowed. Apple establishes four that are Telephone, Messages, Facetime or Maps. It is possible that most of them do not use them, so you can change them by Google Maps or WhatsApp. Ideally, if your goal is to reduce mobile use time, the allowed apps list is reduced.

Another way to reduce the time of use is to put a limit while you can dedicate to each app. In this menu there are two interesting details. The first is that it is possible Select categories Complete applications. The second, which the iPhone is also capable of Block Internet sites Specific.

Once you have chosen the corresponding applicationsIt simply determines how long you want to assign them. You should know that the accountant restarts every midnight.

You can create as many custom limits as you want. For example, it is possible to establish a time of use for social applications and a different one for work applications.

The willpower: an important asset to reduce mobile use

Although the tools included in iOS and Android will help you reduce mobile use time, the truth is that you will need something else: willpower. It is true that some tools, especially those that prevent the phone from calling your attention, for example, filtering notifications, work passively. Without you realizing, they help you avoid unnecessary consultations of the device.

Now, even these options can be deactivated relatively simple. Therefore, if you have made the decision to use your phone less, It is crucial that you aware yourself well And you commit. As time passes, you will be used to consulting the device only for what is really important or dedicate a balanced time to certain apps.