Minimalist iPhone users?

[rocketbuc]

Was wondering whether there are other minimalist iPhone users out there and what your setup is.

I am rocking an iPhone 6 (recently replaced the battery myself) that continues to serve me well for my light use. Some screenshots of my home screen and part of the folder structure attached.

Some of my settings:
- All notifications except for calls, messages and COVID App are turned off.
- All batch icons are turned off, even for phone and iMessage.
- DnD scheduled from evening to morning, but I turn my phone off or put it in airplane mode over night.
- Remove all non-essential apps, no social media (don’t have Facebook or Instagram and recently deleted my WhatsApp account), apps that I rarely use or offloaded (not for space reasons but to keep them sleeping until I need‘em)
- Typically my Mobile Data is turned off and I only use it if I am traveling for the full day and need connectivity on the go. Otherwise, as soon as I leave my house or office, I am offline and don’t have a urge to check my phone every few minutes.
- …there is more but I need to dive into that in a follow-up post.

This might sound overly restrictive to some/ many of you. For me this setup works very well and does everything I need to do without interrupting me all the time.
Curious to hear your thoughts or other tips that you have for a minimalist phone.

 

[Warped9]

Tough to define what could be considered minimal use given it’s a matter of perspective. Seems many people I know can be on their phone whenever they’re not actually working or doing something they have to focus on. And we hear of people claiming they do everything on their phone, whatever that may mean.

For myself I have an iPhone 8+ that I really like and will keep until I might feel the need to upgrade. I am always a number of generations behind as I find it more affordable that way—in a phone I don’t need the latest and greatest. This is my third iPhone. Before this I had a 6 and before that a 4. Before that I had a Samsung flip phone. The 4 is actually still in use as a glorified iPod. My father had been using it, but after he passed away I reclaimed it, removed the SIM and used it to refplace my old mint green iPod that died on me after ten years of faithful use.

When I’m at home I rarely look at my phone. I leave it on vibrate because thats how I have it set at work. At home if someone calls then my iPad will ring like an old-fashioned phone letting me know there’s a call (the phone and iPad are synched). At work I sometimes use my phone to look things up when helping customers. During break and lunch I will check any emails or texts.

I don’t have Twitter account or a Facebook app. My Facebook I can access through Safari. I have one or two little games on hand I sometimes use if I have to wait somewhere like a doctor’s office or the garage for my car. I have a Gas Buddy app for keeping tabs on the price of gas. I have a Flip app that helps me keep tabs on specials for grocery items. I occasionally use Google Maps for directions or locating some place or other. The camera is handy to have on hand although I’m not one for taking countless pointless pictures.

So phone, email, text and Safari are what see the most use.

I often tell people most phones do all the same things and they can do a million things you will likely never need, but if they do the half dozen things you need then you’re good.

 

[NoBoMac]

Tough to define what could be considered minimal use given it’s a matter of perspective [...] most phones do all the same things and they can do a million things you will likely never need, but if they do the half dozen things you need then you’re good.

This.

Will add, from my perspective, can be too minimal in that it can add more work.

To what @Warped9 said re: perspective and to use Notifications as an example, one's too many Notifications might be just right. In my case, I too have many Notifications off, but to add to OP's list, I also have Calendar, Reminders, my 3rd -party podcast app, ESPN to get notifications for my favorite teams, call blocker, Wallet/Apple Pay, Mail. But COVID is off. Right amount for me.

Having to turn off/on data, imo, is extra work that is not needed, since I only burn through about 2GB data/month (wifi is everywhere).

From one of the OP images, looks like there are seven screens in the folder. To me, lots of swiping to find what you want in there or via the Launcher. For me, the attached is minimal and functional, as all my heavy hitters are 1-2 gestures away.

So, a long winded echo of "matter of perspective".

 

[kamikazeeMC]

I like having a clean home screen, wish I could put the folders on the bottom. Only the second one has a second page, but rarely used. The second home screen is also rarely used apps.

 

[rocketbuc]

I did doublecheck and notifications for upcoming calendar events are also turned on but vibrate only.

Regarding the folder layout, you’re right that there is lots of scrolling to access the all the apps. Good point. The last 3 screens are almost never used as those are Apple stock apps and weather and such things that I access via widgets.

 

[Reno Raines]

I have an 8+ and will keep it for awhile. I have no social media and really just use my phone for calls, texts, and music. I have an iPad for anything else.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I did doublecheck and notifications for upcoming calendar events are also turned on but vibrate only.

Regarding the folder layout, you’re right that there is lots of scrolling to access the all the apps. Good point. The last 3 screens are almost never used as those are Apple stock apps and weather and such things that I access via widgets.

Your OP sounds like someone who may have struggled with phone addiction at some point, and has aggressively turned the corner in the opposite direction.

I consider myself a phone minimalist in regards to actual use. However, I haven't gone to the extremes you have to make it harder to use the phone should I need to.

 

[MagicMouse3]

Hello everyone! I 'm trying to use my phone in a more minimalistic way too. So this thread is really informative!
I'm currently also deleting some of my social media profiles or at least deleting the apps from my phone. Like @Warped9 I'm also just checking a few of them through safari, but I'm trying to reduce that too. I also started deleting a lot of games that I had on my phone so I'm not tempted to use it when I'm bored.
In addition to the apps that some of you also listed (like Mail and calendar and stuff) I'm having some apps on the phone that I need for my work. Like communication apps and such.
A real big game-changer was to switch off all the notifications (except for phonecalls and my work-related stuff during my shifts). Now I'm just checking in on my emails or WhatsApp whenever I got time for it. If someone texted me, I can answer but I'm not rushed to answer immediately. Thats really calming to me!
Anyways your ideas are really inspiring, now I want to rearrange all the apps that I have left too, your home screens look really cool!

 

[Warped9]

Yeah, notifications are something I basically don’t use any of except email and text.

 

[eyoungren]

View attachment 1778605

I like having a clean home screen, wish I could put the folders on the bottom. Only the second one has a second page, but rarely used. The second home screen is also rarely used apps.

I was on Android for a year and got used to the app drawer. Apple has a similar thing now, so with certain exceptions, no apps go on my home screen. The exceptions go into that middle folder there in my dock for easy access.

Why have wallpaper if you can't see it?

 

[kamikazeeMC]

Why have wallpaper if you can't see it?

Exactly!

But damn, clean your emails ahahaha.

 

[eyoungren]

Exactly!

But damn, clean your emails ahahaha.

LOL. It's multiple email accounts, several of which I get email I don't care to reply to so it sits.

 

[rocketbuc]

Great points everyone!

I agree that one can be too minimalist and by “hiding” apps in the folder structure loosing a lot of time to swipe and find them. Will take that into consideration, most of the time I am using the search to open apps. The reason is not a previous phone addiction but a deliberate decision to limit the time that I am spending on my iPhone each day.

 

[rocketbuc]

LOL. It's multiple email accounts, several of which I get email I don't care to reply to so it sits.

Why don’t you just deactivate the batch icon for mail from Notifications? Will removes the counter. Getting anxious just looking at it - even though they are not my emails. LOL

 

[eyoungren]

Why don’t you just deactivate the batch icon for mail from Notifications? Will removes the counter. Getting anxious just looking at it - even though they are not my emails. LOL

I could I suppose, but it just doesn't bother me. With few exceptions, I deal with most of my mail on my computers, so whatever is showing on my phone isn't usually relevant.

 

[Jonas-S]

I was not thrilled with the App Library to begin with.
But now that the feature can not be disabled, I might as well get the best out of it.

I have no icons on the home screen at all, everything is in the App Library. Has shortcuts to individual apps, such as. mail in the Widget Menu, I also have access to functions with Back Tap, and the rest in the Control Center.

Pure black screen. Quiet ... and boring. But I like it that way.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I was not thrilled with the App Library to begin with.
But now that the feature can not be disabled, I might as well get the best out of it.

I have no icons on the home screen at all, everything is in the App Library. Has shortcuts to individual apps, such as. mail in the Widget Menu, I also have access to functions with Back Tap, and the rest in the Control Center.

Pure black screen. Quiet ... and boring. But I like it that way.

View attachment 1785484

Simple works. For those with phone addiction, (not saying you suffer) setting the screen in this way may act as a small deterrent in playing on the phone all the time.

 

[Jonas-S]

Simple works. For those with phone addiction, (not saying you suffer) setting the screen in this way may act as a small deterrent in playing on the phone all the time.

Another smart way to alleviate "screen addiction" is to remove the colors. Set the screen to display only black and white colors. Heard it on the radio not so long ago.

 

[rocketbuc]

Another smart way to alleviate "screen addiction" is to remove the colors. Set the screen to display only black and white colors. Heard it on the radio not so long ago.

Jonas
This is also something I typically have turned on during the day. Under "Accessibility", I have set up "Colour Filters" under the "Accessibility Shortcut" (3 times home button on my iPhone 6) so it is easy to turn on/off in case I need colors for navigation, etc.

It is much easier on my eyes and things are easier to read without colors "jumping at you" all the time.

 

[rocketbuc]

Any other ideas, inputs or suggestions?

 

[rocketbuc]

May 2023 Update: I updated my iPhone 6 to a 13 mini about a year ago. App Library and Focus Modes really helped to reduce visible icons on the Home Screen. New setup is limited to Phone app and no other screens. To operate the phone in a minimal way, I always search for apps. Works great and keeps my screen time down to an absolute minimum.