LIFE HACK
How smart is your smartphone use?
OffScreen: Screen Time Control
App blocker for focus
You walk into a tree, check social media every 10 minutes and fall asleep with your phone in your hand. If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. With expectations to be connected all the time, it’s hard to imagine your phone out of reach for even a minute.
As we grow more attached to our devices, chances are that you struggle to balance phone use with other important things in your life.
If you’ve been looking for a chance to take a break from screens and regain control of your time, your iPhone and iPad are here to help. In iOS 12 or later, or iPadOS, go to Settings > Screen Time to find detailed statistics about your daily pickups, most used apps and how often you check your device.
After getting these insights and identifying the apps taking up your time and attention, you might like to use some additional tools to limit your phone usage. You can set Downtime away from your device or set App Limits on the most absorbing game.
Now that you’re aware of how you spend time on your device, OffScreen is ready to take your digital wellness to the next level.
The app keeps a close eye on your phone usage, from your first pick-up in the morning to the last time you put it down at night. In iOS 14, you can also add it as a widget to keep an eye on your phone usage.
Here are some of the most handy and insightful data OffScreen shows you:
- Pickups: The number of times you unlock your phone.
- Checking Every: The average time you spend on your phone each pickup.
- Walking Life: The amount of time you spend on your phone while walking.
- Stationary Life: The amount of time you spend on your phone while not walking.
- Sleep Time: The interval between your last pickup before bed and the first time you unlock your screen the next day.
Toss in some beautifully visualised statistics and there you have it, an attentive digital valet that sends you gentle nudges every now and then, reminding you to take breaks from your device.
On top of tracking your usage, OffScreen comes with features such as a Pomodoro timer, White Noise and more, so you can focus on the things that matter – including whitelisting the work-related productivity tools you need during a Focus challenge.
As you see the big picture of your smartphone use, you’ll perhaps find yourself changing your behaviour for a smarter, healthier relationship with your phone.