This is an issue that I consider very urgent: we must repair the damage that social networks have caused us in terms of distractions and the ability to concentrate. I have a personal crusade with this, and so I try any method or tool that can help me get back into healthier habits.
A few months ago someone gave me a suggestion: try placing a screen in the main section of iPadOS in which there were no applications, but instead was only filled with Widgets. The idea was to try to see if the information displayed by these Widgets saved me from opening the applications. The result was not what I expected.
Widgets first, then apps
Here’s the main screen I built so I could use it above the regular app icons, moved to the second page:
My idea with these widgets was to try to avoid repeatedly entering these apps where I just want to see babies pills information quickly: who is live on Twitch, the Telegram conversations I consult the most, weather information, a list of things to buy, YouTube subscriptions or even my complete schedule on the calendar.
If what I need to see is in one of these Widgets, then I don’t need to navigate in the application: I directly access what I need or I don’t even have no need to enter the application directly. In case I need more stuff, I resort to opening the traditional apps.
At least that’s what I tried to achieve with this section configuration, but little by little I became aware of a problem: I started unintentionally avoiding this section. It always ended hopelessly on the icon screen.
iPadOS always takes you back to the last used screen, so the Widgets screen was always in the background
Little by little I understood the reasons. In the Widgets, I have access to the most used applications, but not to all. And when I want to open one that I don’t have as a Widget, I always end up looking for its icon on the second page. And the most important: iPadOS always takes you back to the same page you used most recentlyso the Widgets screen was practically hidden.
More iOS and iPadOS tools that can help improve your focus
One way to try to mitigate this was to resort to the App Library, something I mentioned before that I started using more recently on my iPhone. However, on the iPad, I don’t really get used to it. Maybe the screen is too big to do the search, or there’s a habit in my subconscious that doesn’t. plug it in with this section on the iPad as well as on my iPhone. But it’s still something that can help you if you don’t want to spend time manually arranging all system icons.
Another tool you can use is Usage Time, which allows measure the time you spend in certain apps and even self-block yourself from them if you think you have a serious problem.
It is obvious that in the end, what matters most to make more responsible use of your iPad is the will and the use of . But any kind of help or interface that Apple offers is welcome, and I’ll stay tuned to try any strategies that will help me get rid of as many distractions as possible.
