A phone can hold your work, maps, family chats and a spare moment's entertainment. That makes advice to “just use it less” harder to act on than it sounds. The same device can be useful and distracting within a few minutes.

Recent studies have explored a more specific question: what happens when people reduce their phone's constant pull on their attention? The results are encouraging, with some limits worth understanding before you decide what to try.

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What happened when mobile internet was blocked

In a randomised study published in 2025, participants were asked to block internet access on their smartphones for two weeks. Calls and text messages still worked. People could also use the internet on other devices.

The researchers found improvements in sustained attention, measured with a computer task, and in people's reports of their mental health and wellbeing. That makes this more informative than a survey that simply links heavy phone use with feeling worse.

There was a practical catch. Only about a quarter of the 467 people who initially enrolled met the study's strict compliance criteria. Most had already said they wanted to spend less time on their phones, so this was a fairly motivated group.

The experiment suggests that a less connected phone may help. It also shows that a strict block can be hard to fit into daily life.

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Less time helped in another trial, briefly

A separate trial involving 111 university students asked one group to reduce smartphone use to no more than two hours a day for three weeks. Some measures of wellbeing, stress and sleep improved. Phone use rose again after the intervention ended.

Two hours was the target used in that study. It is not a universal limit that divides healthy from unhealthy use. A student, a shift worker and someone who uses a phone for accessibility support may need very different things from the same device.

Both trials were short, and participants knew what they had been asked to change. Expectations may have influenced self-reported results. The evidence does not establish that cutting screen time treats a mental health condition or produces lasting benefits for everyone.

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Try changing one part of the day

You do not need to buy a basic phone to explore the idea. Start by choosing a situation where your current setup gets in the way, such as reading, finishing a task or settling down for the evening.

Then try a small change that leaves essential functions available. You could silence non-essential notifications, move an absorbing app off the home screen, or use a social feed only on a computer for a few days.

Another option is a short period with the phone out of reach. Twenty minutes of uninterrupted reading or work is a manageable experiment for some people. This is a practical suggestion, not a research-backed dose.

If you need to be reachable, keep calls from important contacts available. Check that any settings you change still allow the work, care or accessibility functions you depend on.

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Notice what you gain and what you miss

Before starting, choose something you can observe. Perhaps you want to finish a chapter, switch tasks less often or enjoy a meal without checking a feed. A lower screen-time total may be useful, but it does not capture every benefit or inconvenience.

After a few days, consider what felt easier and what became frustrating. If a strict rule caused problems, make it smaller. If an app helped you feel connected, that matters too.

You are allowed to keep the parts of your phone that serve you well. A simpler setup can be an experiment in making room for something you value, with the settings adjusted to suit your life.

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