Jan 21, 2026 · Josh · 1 min read
Digital Minimalism: A Step-by-Step Guide to Grey-Scaling Your Phone
Direct answer
Does greyscale reduce phone addiction? It can help. Research indicates notifications and visual novelty increase attention capture, and greyscale reduces visual reward. However, the effect is only durable if you pair it with app limits and a clear daily routine.
Reduce dopamine-driven scrolling with a simple, reversible phone setting.
If you want discipline, remove the strongest triggers. Greyscale is a fast, low-friction way to cut reward loops.
Why greyscale works
Color drives attention. When the visual reward drops, the urge to scroll fades and your brain recalibrates.
Step-by-step setup
Enable greyscale in accessibility settings, turn off badges, and move attention-heavy apps off your home screen.
How to reinforce the change
Add a morning check-in and a nightly cutoff. Greyscale lowers the pull, but routines lock it in.
Related reads
References
FAQ
Does greyscale work for everyone?
It helps many people reduce mindless scrolling, but it is not a full solution.
How long should I keep it on?
Try two weeks, then evaluate. Many people keep it on indefinitely.
What else should I change?
Remove distracting apps from the home screen and disable most notifications.
About the author
Josh
Finance broker, disciplined trader, and lifter. I document practical systems for risk, training, and discipline so readers can build results that compound.
If this helped you, reach out. I read every message and update the playbook when new data shows up.
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