If you are like me and find yourself constantly checking your phone scrolling through social media or waiting for that next notification to come through but are desperate to cut back on how much time you spend on your device this simple trick could be the answer to all your prayers.
We've all tried the classics, everything from muting notifications to setting time limits on certain apps or even deleting them altogether, but this is one hack you may not have heard of that is even strongly backed by science.
But wait, hold the phone (pun absolutely intended), there’s one simple trick that could be the answer to seeing your weekly screen time report finally go down.
Greyscale mode.
The greyscale mode sets your ENTIRE iPhone screen to black and white, removing the bright-coloured apps, notifications and widgets that constantly pull you in.
So by removing all colour from your phone, it instantly makes it far less appealing to look at, and if you don't believe me, see for yourself.
Thomas Z. Ramsoy said in the New York Times that digital content uses colours to grab consumers and draw their attention without freaking them out.
"Colour and shape, these are the icebreakers when it comes to grabbing people's attention," he said.
Ramsoy also believes greyscale reintroduces free choice, explaining that colours are used to encourage subconscious decisions but making the phone grey removes that manipulation.
For those who own an iPhone, the process is as simple as opening the Setting app, scroll down to Accessibility (or use the search bar in the Setting app), select Display & Text Size in the Vision section and finally go to Colour Filters and select Greyscale.
Don't worry Android users, we haven't forgotten about you.
While there is no option to change your phone display to greyscale in the quick setting menu, you can still utilise this effect to your advantage.
Head into the Settings app and tap Digital Wellbeing & Parental controls. Select Bedtime mode and turn it on. Click Customise, select Screen options at bedtime and turn on Greyscale.
So, next time you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling or realise you've been browsing Netflix for far too long, this trick could be exactly what you need to eliminate these bad habits.
