Four digital detox tricks to stop spending hours on social media – end ‘doom scrolling’ instantly
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IT'S that time of year again; where promises of self-improvement flurry around, settle and melt away like snow. If you want 2025 to be the year you finally stamp out "doomscrolling" - try these four tricks. Your iPhone or Android has tools to block apps and notifications for select periods of time.
![[Phone screen time report: 3 hours and 14 minutes.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/screentime-phone-962835724.jpg?strip=all&w=940)
On iPhones, you can schedule Downtime to occur at the same time every day, such as bedtime or when you wake up. This is when only calls, messages, and apps you choose to allow are available. You can select apps and contacts that can bypass scheduled Downtime in case of emergencies.
![[Facebook access blocked; two times today during work hours.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/f3de5552-2725-4af8-8b73-d1401a9b94c7.jpg?strip=all&w=880)
You can also set time limits for time-consuming social media apps, such as Facebook and Instagram. Apple has instructions on how to enable each of these features on a help page here. On Android, you can set app timers to limit how long you lose yourself to doomscrolling each day.
Similar to iPhones, Android owners can also schedule Do Not Disturb to switch on automatically at bedtime—to avoid scrolling late into the night. Google has all the features, and a breakdown of instructions, on a help page here. Adding a Screen Time widget to your home screen can force you to confront just how much time you're wasting on doomscrolling.
![[Sad teenager lying on bed using a cellphone.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/sad-teenager-using-mobile-phone-962835296.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
It can be even more effective when placed next to the apps you find most addictive. To add a home screen widget on iPhone, simply follow these steps:. On Android devices running Android 9 and later, follow these steps:. Be it doomscrolling or microscrolling - it all adds up.
