I didn’t really realize how much I used my phone until I put a time tracker on it. I added one in solidarity with my kids, to show that I was also happy tracking my time to become more conscious about smartphone use.
But I was genuinely surprised to see how long I was spending each day scrolling through certain websites and apps, and how many hours a week I was losing. Reddit is a particular problem, especially since Google favors its human-centric search results, regardless of quality.
What could be a one or two-minute information search can quickly turn into 15 minutes of reading comments on a topic I don’t really care about.
So, I decided to get drastic with my smartphone and move one step forward from tracking my time: I installed a minimalist phone launcher. And let me tell you, it’s been a fantastic experience.
Everyone does it
There are numerous reasons we mindlessly scroll. Some call it doomscrolling, but that has more negative connotations regarding the constant ingestion of negative news content. I don’t tend to doomscroll much; negative news is pretty dull to read in great detail.
But get me on the Soccer subreddit, and I can scroll for days.
There are a few reasons why we mindlessly scroll, whether reading the latest transfer rumors or endlessly swiping through news stories.
- Micro-escapism: We know that scrolling is an easy way to distract ourselves from boredom, stress, or dealing with our thoughts. It’s like a low-stakes, simple coping mechanism.
- Instant rewards: Scrolling delivers similar dopamine hits to watching TikTok videos. Those small spikes of “feel good juice” increase when we see something we like.
- Social drivers: We want to feel connection, and we want to feel noticed. Both tie directly into our general desire to scroll and post.
- Exploitative cycles: Tying into the instant rewards are app designs and so-called dark patterns that keep us scrolling and maybe even making poor decisions.
- Productivity myth: Passive scrolling through news, socials, and similar is framed as research.
Scrolling taps into something unique in everyone. Some folks are stronger at ignoring the pull, sure, but the whole design of apps, smartphones, and other devices focuses on engagement. And once we’re engaged, it’s hard to put it down.
So, what if we stopped the point of engagement to begin with?
It’s time to switch to a minimalist phone launcher
I tried a few and settled on this one
Cutting the engagement point out seems to be most of the battle. It’s like avoiding bright screens and super-engaging content just before bed, but applied throughout the day.
The change starts with your Android device launcher, which manages your homepage and app drawer. The default launcher on most Android smartphones is designed around engagement, and that’s exactly what I set out to remove.
I tried a few different minimalist smartphone launcher options, such as Minimalist Phone (which I didn’t really like) and Niagara Launcher (which I did like), before settling on Before Launcher.
I was immediately struck by the lightweight, stripped-back design of Before Launcher, and its predominantly text-based design appealed to me. Gone were the pesky home page icons attempting to grab my attention and productivity. In were big, chunky words of the apps I need to use most, along with a handy weather report at the top of the screen.
It’s a really simple process, too. Before Launcher has a few preset styles and themes, most of which have plain text on a colored background. There is the option to include app logos, but I prefer my homescreen without. You’ll also find options to change the font but not the font size, as this is a premium feature. (It’s also the only premium feature I’d consider upgrading for).
You can also add the weather, a digital health tracker that shows screen unlocks (again, tracking the usage), and a few other handy widgets.
Customizing Before Launcher for maximum focus
It wasn’t just the launcher I needed to change
Now, the keen-eyed among you will have noticed that Reddit is still on my homepage. For my sins, it still lurks with my frequently used apps, waiting to drain my time. But the change to the minimalist Before Launcher came with a different approach to apps and smartphone use in general.
I turned most of my notifications off, and keep my phone facedown on my desk. If it rings, I can check who is calling. I have WhatsApp on my desktop to chat with people if required. I only check my email periodically, and again, I can do so on my desktop.
There is an option to receive notifications through the Before Launcher, but I didn’t enable it. It’s another way to reduce distractions that could lead me to mindless scrolling.
I also changed the functionality of one of my other favorite apps, Swiftly Switch (though the phone I’m currently using has its own quick-switch app). Previously, I had all of my favorite apps on the quick-switch menu, but switched them out for more mundane options: Contacts, Messages, Camera, and so on. It means that I wasn’t distracted by the quick menu, either.
Boost your focus with a minimalist phone launcher
It’s really worth trying this out to claim some valuable time back
The big question is, did it work? And the answer is a resounding yes—even with Reddit on the homescreen.
In the few weeks I’ve been using the Before Launcher, my screen time has dropped to around two hours per day, down from around 3-4 hours per day previously.
The next step is to reduce that number even further. Screen time-limiting apps are a great way to do this, but it could also be done as part of a wider digital-detox period to really help reset my relationship with my smartphone and other screens.
It’s a difficult process for anyone attempting to rebalance endless scrolling and multiple hours of screen time with jobs that demand high levels of both. But there is a balance to be struck, and a minimalist smartphone launcher like Before Launcher is a great place to start.
