Blog
Practical guides on screen time, doomscrolling and getting your focus back, from the team behind Verge.
October 12, 2026 · 2 min read · Screen time
Average screen time: how many hours a day is normal?
Adults spend roughly 6 to 7 hours a day on screens, with around 4 hours on the phone. See averages by activity, how much is too much and how to read your own numbers.
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read · Habits, Screen time
Digital detox: a 7-day plan you can actually finish
A digital detox does not mean giving up your phone. Follow a 7-day plan that removes one trigger a day, and learn how to keep the gains after the week ends.
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read · iPhone settings, Focus
How to block apps on iPhone: 5 methods compared
Five ways to block apps on iPhone: App Limits, Downtime, Focus, Content Restrictions and dedicated app blockers. What each one does, and which is hardest to bypass.
October 12, 2026 · 2 min read · Focus
How to study without getting distracted by your phone
Eight practical ways to stop your phone interrupting study sessions, including where to put it, how to block apps for a fixed time and how to structure focus blocks.
October 12, 2026 · 2 min read · Social media, iPhone settings
How to limit your time on Instagram
Set a daily time limit on Instagram using its own settings or iPhone Screen Time, turn off the features that pull you back in, and make the limit hard to dismiss.
October 12, 2026 · 2 min read · Social media
How to limit your time on TikTok
Set a daily screen time limit on TikTok in the app or with iPhone Screen Time, add break reminders, and learn why the built-in limit is easy to skip.
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read · Screen time, Habits
How to reduce screen time: 12 changes that stick
Twelve practical ways to reduce screen time on your phone, ordered from easiest to most effective, plus how to set a realistic target instead of quitting cold turkey.
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read · Doomscrolling, Habits
How to stop doomscrolling: 9 things that actually work
Doomscrolling is not a willpower problem. Here is why endless feeds are so hard to leave and nine practical ways to stop, from removing triggers to hard app limits.
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read · Doomscrolling, Social media
How to stop watching Reels and Shorts
Short video feeds are the hardest to put down. Here is why Reels, Shorts and TikTok hook you and seven ways to stop, including settings and hard time limits.
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read · iPhone settings, Screen time
iPhone app limits: how to set them and why they get ignored
How to set an app limit in Screen Time on iPhone step by step, what Ignore Limit does, how to make limits harder to bypass and what to do when they do not work.
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read · Habits, Doomscrolling
Phone addiction: 10 signs and what to do about them
Ten common signs of problematic phone use, a quick self-check, and practical first steps that reduce the habit without giving up your smartphone.
October 12, 2026 · 2 min read · Focus, Habits
Phone before bed: how it affects sleep and what to do instead
Using your phone before bed delays sleep through light, stimulation and lost time. Learn how long before bed to stop, and seven ways to make the cutoff stick.