ADHD and Smartphones

[Kill_Smartphone]

The internet has long made my ADHD worse, but increasingly so with the advent of the smartphone. Having a smartphone in my pocket and on my bedside table when I wake up has been crippling. My willpower isn't enough. I need a way to customize my smartphone.

There are apps that I 'need' and want and it's easy for me to download these and not others. I'm not on social media, so it doesn't consume any of my time, but Google does! I need a phone without the power to bring me to whatever website and search endlessly for anything and everything under the sun. I want Google to power the specific and limited functions of the apps that I download, but nothing more. If I want to go to a website or to use a search engine, I want to decide if it's important enough to turn on a computer. I want to live with that inconvenience.

Am I the only one? Can someone please make a phone that doesn't have such a grip on my/our attention?

[Salah_09]

I had the exact same questions that you did and there is only one app as far I have researched:

- BlockerHero

There is absolutely no way you can get around this app in terms of disabling or uninstalling it. I have used it for over a year and I have not found a way to get around it. It has very good features to prevent uninstall, disabling, reseting your settings etc.

Only way is to get around it is when your accountability partner approves your request to uninstall or when you get the site admin to do it - but they take a while and the inconvenience is probably enough to prevent you.

Install this now and let me know how awesome it is.

[cheflulu in reply to Salah_09]

The only one I found was an adult content blocker. Is that the same one?

[Strudelcat123]

I use a phone lock box. It isn't exactly what you are searching for, but it helps with the amount of time you spend on your phone. I got it on Amaz**. Once I realize I'm heading down the rabbit hole, I set the timer, put my phone in the box, then lock it up. I get whatever amount of uninterrupted time I set on the timer. I also use a blocking app like Salah_09 suggested. I think mine is called AppBlock. Best of luck!

[Withorwithoutyou in reply to Strudelcat123]

Appreciate these tips, and wish I had them yesterday. I lost a full day looking at houses for sale, analyzing, thinking about what I wanted. This isn’t the priority in life right now. Meanwhile I had woken up wanting to tidy and declutter to step into spring. I noted the hours passing and somehow felt compelled and justified but really we don’t have the ability to move for many months, probably a year.