Short answer
Short answer: Trust distance, not willpower. Put the phone in another room; if you can't, in a bag, face down. Silence notifications for the whole session, switch the screen to greyscale, move social apps off the home screen. Instead of banning the phone, move it to the break and cap it with a timer. Set these up once and you stop having to decide every day.
The problem is not looking; it is the phone being there
In a 2017 experiment with about 800 participants, Adrian Ward and colleagues at the University of Texas had people put their phones in one of three places: on the desk, in a pocket or bag, or in another room. All phones were silenced and nobody touched them. Even so, people whose phones were on the desk scored measurably lower on working memory and fluid intelligence tests than those whose phones were in another room. The researchers called it "brain drain": ignoring the phone costs attention continuously.
So deciding "I won't look" is not enough. If the phone is in view, the cost is already being paid. The fix is distance, not willpower.
9 methods, easiest first
1. Put it in another room
The single most effective method. Having to get up and walk kills most of the urge. If someone else is home, hand it to them; handing over is more binding than locking.
2. Get it out of sight
If another room is not possible: in a bag, a drawer, or at least face down behind you. In Ward's experiment even a phone in a pocket beat one on the desk.
3. No notifications for the whole session
Focus mode on iPhone, Do Not Disturb on Android. Set it up once so it switches on automatically for your 25-minute sessions. You can allow calls from one or two people for emergencies; do not allow messaging apps.
4. Switch to greyscale
Colour is the strongest pull apps have. Turning on greyscale in accessibility settings makes the phone a boring device. Schedule it to switch on during study hours.
5. Move social apps off the home screen
No need to delete them. Move them to the second or third page inside a folder. Having to search for them breaks the "just a quick look" reflex; most opens are reflex, not decision.
6. Don't ban the phone; move it to the break
Bans grow desire. Make the rule: none during the session, allowed in the break, with a timer. Three of the five break minutes can go to the phone; when the timer rings, it goes down. This makes the 25 minutes more bearable.
7. Keep the timer somewhere other than the phone screen
If the timer lives on the phone, you have a perfect excuse to keep the phone on the desk. Use a kitchen timer, or start the app and turn the phone face down at a distance. Pomi's timer keeps counting with the screen off and the app in the background: start it, flip it, move it away.
8. An interruption notebook
When the urge to "quickly search this" or "message them" arrives mid-session, write it on paper. Writing it down usually dissolves the urge; if not, do it in the break. The least known and most useful rule in Cirillo's original method.
9. Write your reason and stick it to the back of the phone
It looks simple, but it works: "Med school in June." The one sentence you see when you pick the phone up. Occasionally that is enough.
How useful are blocking apps?
Forest, Flora, Opal and similar apps gamify putting the phone down: leave the app and the tree dies, or apps lock. They work well in two situations: when the phone cannot go to another room (dorm, bus, studio flat) and when gamification motivates you. For most people, another room is both free and more effective. We compared the options in the Forest alternatives article.
Pomi's approach
Pomi does not lock your phone; it is designed for you to start the timer and move the phone away. The plant added to your garden and the points scored for your city when the session ends are the visible reward for "25 minutes without looking". If you are in a room with friends, reaching for the phone while everyone's timers are running feels a little harder; social pressure works in your favour there.
A two-minute setup
- Create a focus mode that switches on automatically during study hours.
- Set up a greyscale shortcut.
- Move social apps into a folder.
- Put paper and a pen on the desk (interruption notebook).
- Next session, leave the phone in another room. Strange on day one, normal by day three.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it hard to study with my phone on the desk?
Research shows that a phone in view lowers working memory performance even when it is silent and face down. Ignoring it costs attention continuously. That is why the most effective fix is putting the phone in another room.
Should I turn my phone off completely while studying?
Putting it in another room is usually enough and easier to sustain than switching it off. In focus mode you can allow calls from one or two people for emergencies; messaging apps should not be exceptions.
Do phone blocking apps work?
Yes when you cannot move the phone to another room, or when gamification motivates you. For most people, physical distance is both free and more effective. Forest, Flora and Opal are the best-known examples of this category.
What if my Pomodoro timer is on my phone?
Start the timer, then turn the phone face down and move it away. Apps like Pomi keep counting with the screen off and in the background. A kitchen timer or a watch works too.
Can I check my phone during the break?
Yes, with a timer. At most three of the five break minutes should go to the phone, and it goes down when the timer rings. A ban during sessions plus limited permission in breaks keeps the rule sustainable.
Sources
- Ward, A. F., Duke, K., Gneezy, A. & Bos, M. W. (2017). Brain Drain: The mere presence of one's own smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2(2).
- Thornton, B., Faires, A., Robbins, M. & Rollins, E. (2014). The mere presence of a cell phone may be distracting. Social Psychology, 45(6).
- Cirillo, F. (2018). The Pomodoro Technique. Currency.
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Transparency note: This article was written by the developer of Pomi. Information about other apps is based on their public store listings at the time of publishing; prices and features may change. Spotted a mistake? Email us and we will fix it.