Discover the Phone That Keeps You Focused on What Truly Matters

About a month ago, I came across a concept that completely reshaped my understanding of what a phone should—and shouldn't—do. It led me to overhaul how I interact with my device. Now, my phone never distracts me from my important work; any interaction with it happens only when I consciously decide to pick it up and check what demands my attention. This method was created by Jake Knapp.

When people see my iPhone, they often ask, "Do you have a virus on your phone?" It has no browser, no email, no Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook apps. It looks like this:

But no, the phone isn’t broken. I intentionally customized it this way. What started as a week-long experiment has now lasted months, and I have no intention of going back. Trying it yourself is quite simple.

I Can't Carry Infinity in My Pocket

iPhones and Androids are incredible devices, offering endless information at your fingertips. But here’s the problem: I don’t have enough attention to handle all of it—the constant switching between browser tabs and answering emails on a small screen became overwhelming. The ability to check emails and do countless other tasks anytime, anywhere stopped feeling like a blessing. I began suspecting there were more interesting things to focus on.

Maybe your self-control is stronger, or you’ve found a way to coexist with these distractions. For me, relying on willpower wasn’t enough.

I'd check mail, scroll through Twitter, read news, wonder if anything exciting happened in the world or if anyone thought about me. Each time I pulled out my phone due to a notification or habit, I thought, "Really? Is there nothing more interesting than THIS?"

I realized my already limited attention was dissolving. My mind was filled with trivial thoughts, leaving me wondering why. Reading online often left me feeling incomplete and unsatisfied because I knew there was more information out there—this wasn’t productive or fulfilling.

The Seven-Day Experiment

So, I decided to conduct an experiment: for seven days, I turned off everything that distracted or stressed me.

Removed: Twitter, Instagram, and All News Feeds

One thing about me: my life isn’t glamorous. I’ve eaten at the same burrito spot near my work 97 out of 100 times. Boring, right?

Imagine how I felt seeing your fancy meals on Instagram or reading your SXSW tweets while changing diapers. It’s no secret many people feel worse scrolling through endless feeds. So I held my finger on the Twitter icon until it wiggled, then deleted it—along with Instagram and Facebook. The iPhone asked, "Are you sure you want to delete the app and all its data?" I was sure. And I knew I could reinstall and restore everything in 15 minutes if necessary. But I didn’t want to waste that effort unless absolutely needed.

Gone! No news feed apps survived on my phone.

Removed: Email

Email was the next obvious distraction. Checking mail reminded me of tasks I needed to do but never managed to reply to quickly on my phone. Seeing a backlog of unfinished tasks frustrated me, especially since I couldn’t complete them from the device.

A cluttered inbox didn’t bring joy or confidence, much like photos of delicious meals I never tried in 16 years. Worse yet, having no new emails felt like being a loser.

Disabling email on iPhone is trickier. I deleted the Gmail app easily but couldn’t remove the default Mail app. So I went to Settings → Mail, Contacts, Calendars → Gmail and removed my account.

Removed: Safari

Then I realized the biggest irritant was the internet itself. Safari can’t be deleted but can be disabled. Go to Settings → General → Restrictions, enable restrictions, and set a passcode you won’t forget. This is also useful when handing your phone to untrusted people. I don’t even trust myself!

I disabled Safari.

Boredom Isn’t So Bad

Was it hard to go without these apps for seven days? Surprisingly, no—it was easier than I expected. Honestly, I barely noticed the time passing. I even grew to love my "disabled" iPhone.

Sometimes, during moments of downtime, I’d instinctively check my phone "What’s new?" After months, seeing nothing on the screen, I just put it back in my pocket.

Embracing boredom became a unique and pleasant experience. For example, when I was at the playground with my son and no news popped up, it was wonderful. I could simply watch him or stare into space, and that had meaning.

On the bus, without a book app, Pocket, RSS, or social media feeds, I observed fellow passengers. I finally listened to music and did nothing else. It was refreshing.

What If I Really Need Something?

A keen reader might notice that any disabled app can be easily restored. You can reinstall apps, set up email, and enable Safari anytime. In emergencies—like checking a flight code or finding a phone number—I can activate the app and access what I need. But since reactivating apps is tedious, I won’t do it just out of boredom. Once the emergency passes, I’ll disable them again.

Where Am I Hypocritical?

Okay, I wrote this post on Medium (a now invite-only blogging platform from Twitter), so I’m a bit of a tech geek. I genuinely love the things I’ve locked away on my phone. I’m probably the last person on Earth to quit email. I love email and use Gmail at work.

On my laptop, I read Twitter, email, and news—but only there. Some ask why I even keep an iPhone. Maybe someday I’ll give it up, but I doubt it. The camera is fantastic. Maps, geo-reminders, weather forecasts, and Find Friends help me stay connected with family. These features make me feel like I’m living in the future. It’s not that I dislike the iPhone—I just need half of its capabilities.

Photo: Shutterstock

*Note: Meta Platforms Inc. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are restricted in some regions.

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