For me, organization is essential. Being multi-employee, I have to adapt to high productivity, seeking to avoid any type of distraction. And iPhone is the main channel you should do this on: It’s the device that you have in your pocket and that you consult constantly.
This is why we need to be aware that even our main iOS 17 screen can lead us into a whirlwind of procrastination, largely responsible for endless scrolling on social media. But We can avoid this if we organize iPhone apps and folders well.. And now that New Year’s resolutions are upon us, you can take inspiration from what I applied to my own iPhone 15 Pro.
My iOS 17: one screen with what I use most, another screen with the rest
With my workouts, I keep seeing a lot of people’s iPhones. and I don’t want to be this person who judgesbut I break out in a cold sweat when I see an iOS with several pages full of completely disorganized icons, without criteria.
It’s the worst thing you can do if you’re looking to avoid distractions: have Instagram or YouTube next to the app you use to check your work emails. Your finger inevitably heads towards the applications that are trying to escape you, wanting quick satisfaction. In the long term, it can become an addiction.
To avoid this (at least partly), one thing I did is organize all apps on just two screens. The first, without folders and with the applications that I use the most on a daily basis. Both in personal life and in work. The second with the rest of the applications that I have installed organized by folders, with a few exceptions that I consult frequently or that I simply try to review in one of my articles.
My rules for not getting distracted by iPhone apps
A “curse” of being an editor at Applesfera is that I can’t do without networks like Twitter, because they often become a source of information for leakers but also a source of procrastination. The solution of just not using it or limiting the duration of use doesn’t work because I may still need a consultation for work.
In this situation, something that works for me is to seek the minimum interaction with my devices to complete a quick task. Here are my two rules:
- If I can make the request from the lock screenI don’t even enter the main iOS screen.
- If I can make the request of the Apple WatchI avoid taking the iPhone and limit myself to doing everything from the watch.
That’s why I try to have widgets on my lock screen with things I want to check frequently: the status of my home automation, its temperature, the temperature of where I am, and the probability of rain. All social media notifications are disabled.
Regarding my Apple Watch Series 9, I still have a watch face from which I can access many sections with one finger through the complications: calendar, weather, HomeKit accessories, fitness, workouts and reminder lists. This way for all these queries I don’t need to use the iPhone.
Rightfully so, can anyone tell me if I haven’t tried focus modes where I can hide apps by creating multiple home screens, one for each time of day. And yes, I tried it, but my professional life and my private life are too mixed to be useful to me. I resigned myself to organizing myself this way to avoid having too much fun.
And while this system isn’t 100% effective, it does work at some level. It makes me realize how often I open apps I didn’t intend to open, so I limit that usage. Over time, I even ended up saving battery power by avoiding long procrastination sessions.
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