Disable all notification excep a few necessary one.
If possible get an android phone temporarily and enable "focus mode". See if it helps
Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
41–50 of 266 posts
Re: Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
#42My solution for "I will always download" ... I have separate sim for my facebook account, and I only use it to register messenger.
I have contemplated switching to e-ink smarphone. Eink screens are getting usable enough for texting/banking, but are still horrible enough not to spend hours on social media.
Re: Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
2fa through SMS? You don't need a smartphone for that. I don't know about Ireland, but in Portugal most banks have a Web app and not just a mobile app.
Sorry I should have been clearer - the banking app is Monzo and they don’t have a web app for mobile or desktop
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Re: Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
#44I've previously changed my phone to black and white mode to make it more boring. That helped me prevent some amount of usage.
Re: Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
#45Switch banks. Stick to your dumbphone. Problem solved.
Re: Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
#46You can use the Apple family stuff to setup your iPhone as a child in the family. Then you have parental controls I believe let you restrict apps and domains the phone can access.
Re: Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
#47My solution to this has been to get a cheap Android phone and keep social media apps on that, leaving my iPhone with only "useful" apps for navigation and work-related stuff. This has worked out well for two reasons: (1) It makes my decision to diddle about on social media a more deliberate one (2) I only get "useful" notifications on my iPhone - no fake DMs for Pinterest, etc. trying to get me to on the app.
Re: Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
#48This is what works for me to cut down on phone time when I get tired of it:
turn off/mute ALL notifications that aren't absolutely critical, crank up your notification/ringtone volume, keep your phone somewhere out of the way but within earshot like next to your front door or in the bathroom, and find other things to play with. Buy an instrument, video games, books, movies, whatever. When you get bored, you need something ready to play with or else you're going to just walk over to your phone
We get addicted to shallow things like phones when we don't have something better to keep our attention. Find something better that you have real fun with, not something that just kills time
Re: Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have only ever used one bank (Wells Fargo) my entire life, so I am not a good candidate to suggest banks. I am satisfied with Wells Fargo though, for what it's worth. I can log in through the browser.
I'm from Europe. There's all kinds is new regulations around 2fa for banking apps that came out last year, logging in seems to absolutely require a phone now, and all my accounts use an app to do it.
Neither of my British accounts require a smartphone to log in, they send an SMS or make a voice call. My Danish account uses either an app or SMS.
You probably can't use a startup bank, as the app is one way they cut costs. Use a boring bank.
Re: Ask HN: Mobile phone addiction help?
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have only ever used one bank (Wells Fargo) my entire life, so I am not a good candidate to suggest banks. I am satisfied with Wells Fargo though, for what it's worth. I can log in through the browser.
I'm from Europe. There's all kinds is new regulations around 2fa for banking apps that came out last year, logging in seems to absolutely require a phone now, and all my accounts use an app to do it.
In case you use macOS and own a M1 mac, check if your bank's 2fa app works on macOS. Your bank can deactivate it but iOS apps default to being runnable under macOS.