It’s clear I need boundaries, but setting them is easier said than done.
Its too easy to set the limit on my iPhone and then endlessly ask for 15 more minutes.
Other screen time apps and built-in features are too easy to ignore or snooze.
Schedule downtime or focus periods.Want to focus on work without distractions?
Roots lets you schedule screen-free periods.
Reports and analytics.Roots provides usage patterns, helping you see where most of your screen time is going.
You will see a personal Balance Score, like a sleep score for your phone usage.
Then you choose the app or apps that you find most distracting and want to set a limit for.
I, of course, selected TikTok and gave myself a daily limit of 30 minutes.
I was like, Wheres the override?
By now you should know there is none.
So far, its been 20 days and I havent used any of my cheats.
Will I care enough to follow up with that video tomorrow?
So far the answer is always no.
My pro solution is I dont often kick off the app to take in those stats.
It just works in the background to keep track and shut off the forbidden app.
I do like that Roots give you the option to not count certain apps toward your daily usage.
I listen to podcasts or music apps for hours while driving and working.
I dont need those counted against my screen-time balance, so I deactivated them.
The bottom line
you’re free to use Roots for free and get two app limits.
For a more complex digital detox, Roots Plus is probably a better bet.
Compare the subscription investment to the time you will regain for offline activities.
The Scroll Stopper idea came from a friend sharing an article with me about tackling phone addiction.
One tip suggested using a rubber band around your phone as a physical speed bump to slow scrolling.
I tried it and was surprised by how effective it was alongside app-blocking with Roots, Jarvis said.
it’s possible for you to try this trick with a rubber band or a scrunchie.
I put several Scroll Stoppers around my phone to make scrolling as annoying as possible.
This is especially useful at bedtimemidnight scrolling is my downfall.
