The Mindful iPhone Home Screen
Last year I went through an activity to revisit how I use my personal devices. I downsized to an iPhone Mini 12 (which I love) and decided to fundamentally change my approach to using my phone.
In the past, I had really enjoyed having “my whole life on my device” so I could access everything I needed, regardless where I was. This included email, social media and entertainment apps that would help pass the time. What I found is that when I was away from home I would mindlessly check these apps when I really should be enjoying time with my friends and family.
The updates to how I use my iPhone were done in two phases:
Audit Remove Unnecessary Apps
I went though and removed all apps that were basically unnecessary for me to use when I was out of the house or not on my laptop. This included removing:
Gmail, Twitter and any other social media apps on my phone. I could login to the web version of these if I really needed them.
No games or entertainment, which included any sports apps (except one, see below).
I kept any apps that I used for fitness (Strava, Apple Fitness, etc.) and also kept any apps related to utilities I would need while I’m out and about (Google Maps, etc.). I made sure to keep my devices that help with my mental health (Gratitude, Headspace, etc). This basically made my iPhone a dumb device that was mostly focused on utility, fitness and mindfulness.
Create a Custom Home Screen
Once I had audited all the apps I didn’t need, I really focused on building a one-page, clean iPhone home screen with a focus on apps and experiences that improve my mindfulness and mental health. This included:
Adding banner widgets for photos as well as from the Gratitude app to remind me to be grateful each and every day.
Making fitness, health and wellbeing apps have a prominent presence on my home screen.
Creating a widget of notes to remind myself of which Values drive me every day.
I also appreciate that Apple released the App Library in iOS 14 which helped with this task. The utility apps that I need when I’m out of the house are still there but are hidden and only available as needed. For the most part, this has had me use my iPhone less which is one of my ongoing goals. At times, I have had to log into my Gmail using Safari just to access something while on the road but that’s a fairly rare occurrence.
I also found that I reinstalled one sports app, The Athletic, so I can keep tabs on scores of only my favourite teams. And from time to time I’ll check out one of their excellent articles!
I hope some of these tips help you revisit how you use your phone and perhaps give you some time back in your day!