Mindlessly scrolling through your phone can be pretty exhausting, and if you’ve been caught in the doomscrolling net, you would be aware of how difficult it is to stop. But using your iPhone’s Shortcuts app, you’re able to trigger a few easy actions that help you battle the infinite scroll of doom.
Before you set these up, I recommend creating an app folder on your home screen to bundle apps you deem to be responsible for your doomscrolling problem, which can add an extra layer of protection. Here are the best shortcuts to help you combat doomscrolling without much effort.
1Set a Pomodoro Timer
Pomodoro timers are great focus tools to get into the productive zone and look away from your screen, with break intervals acting as a relaxation timer. I’ve found my focus sessions fare better when I have a Pomodoro timer on my phone near my work set up, since it acts as a tangible goal to accomplish. While there aremany third-party Pomodoro timersand focus apps you can try, a native Pomodoro is at your disposal.
A Pomodoro timer is available in your Shortcuts app gallery, so before you try out fun interfaces, you may want to give this a shot. To access it, go to Shortcuts > Gallery > Get Stuff Done >Start Pomodoro> Set Up Shortcut. Here, you’re able to configure the shortcut for aFocus Mode(Work, Do Not Disturb, and so on). Then, tap “Add Shortcut.” You can activate the shortcut using Siri (example usage: “Hey Siri, start Pomodoro”) or by adding it to your home screen.
You can add any shortcut you want to quickly access on your home screen by going to the “Shortcuts” tab in the Shortcuts app, tapping the three dots on an action, then tapping the drop-down next to it and selecting “Add to Home Screen.”
2Do a Mood Check
Doomscrollingis often born out of boredom and distraction, especially with certain apps (like social media) that can quickly trap you in an endless scroll. So, before you tumble down that rabbit hole, something that can help is to do a vibe check by writing down your thoughts, either in a notebook or by using a shortcut to journal any obstacles you may be facing while working towards a better screen time.
I like to automate my mood check for apps that I find myself opening too often during work or focus sessions. First, save the “Mood Journal” shortcut from the Shortcuts Gallery in your Shortcuts folder (as outlined for the Pomodoro shortcut). To set up the automation, go to Shortcuts > Automation and tap the “+” (plus) button. Click on “App,” choose an app, and select “Is Opened.” Tap Run Immediately (which I find more effective than “Run After Confirmation”) > Next > My Shortcuts > Mood Journal. When you open the app you assigned to this shortcut, you will be prompted to speak or write your thoughts and journal your mood.
3Play a Buzzer Noise When a Doomscrolling App Is Opened
This might seem like a silly shortcut to use, but it can be effective in stopping doomscrolling (even ifit’s shaming you into it), especially if you tend to skip or overlook softer cues. When you set up a buzzer (or other notification-based sounds of your choice) to be triggered when opening a distracting app, it can quickly jolt you back to focus and close the app, signaling it as a negative action.
To use this shortcut, create an automation and click App > Choose (select your apps) > Is Opened > Run Immediately. Click Next > New Blank Automation and search for “Play Music” (Apple Music). You can then tap on “Music” in the shortcut command and add a buzzer or other sound effect that you’ve saved in your iTunes library, then tap “Done.”
you may always delete a shortcut that you’ve set up if you find other ones more effective. To delete automated shortcuts, go to Shortcuts > Automation and swipe left on a shortcut, then tap “Delete.” In your shortcuts folder, you can tap on a shortcut, click the drop-down menu, and tap “Delete.”
4Redirect to an Anti-Doomscrolling Note
This shortcut is a two-step process that you may use with a Notes (or other note-taking app) template. By redirecting your attention to an anti-doomscrolling note when you open a distracting app, it may be easier for you to break out of the doomscrolling trance and reduce your screen time. I use a note filled with links to articles that I’ve been putting off, so I can spend my time reading something productive. However, your version of an anti-doomscrolling template might look different. A few examples include a note with positive affirmations, a list of goals you may be working towards, or questions that check your progress for the day.
Once this template is ready, open Shortcuts and tap on Automation > App > Choose and select your app(s). Then, select Is Opened > Run Immediately > Next > Blank Automation and search for “Open Note.” In the automation command, tap on “Note” and select the anti-doomscrolling note you’ve created, then tap “Done.” Now, every time you open your chosen app(s), you’ll be redirected to your Notes template and cut any unproductive time you may have spent on the doomscrolling app.
5Start an App Block Session
This is a shortcut that requiresa third-party app blocker(my recommendation isOpal, which does a good job of integrating with your iPhone’s native features as well) that supports Shortcuts. You can personalize this shortcut for an app, time of day, or location, but my favorite use of it is to assign it to a Focus Mode.
To create this shortcut, open Shortcuts and then head to the Automation tab and click on any Focus. Tap When Turning On > Run Immediately > Next > New Blank Automation. Now, search for your third-party shortcut (in my case, it’s “Start Session” through Opal), tap on it, and click “Done.”
6Trigger a Screen Time Tracker at Sunset
One more use I get out of third-party blocking apps is triggering a shortcut about my screen time in the evening, so I can plan the rest of my night and see if I need to put my phone down.
Open Shortcuts and go to Automation > Time of Day > Sunset (or any time of day you deem best for your productivity). Tap Daily (for Repeat) > Run Immediately > Next > New Blank Automation. Search for your screen time tracking shortcut using the third-party app (for Opal, I use “What is my screentime today?"), then select “Done.”
7Distract With a Learning Shortcut
There are ways to combat doomscrolling with resources on your phone, includingfree learning appsthat can lead to better use of your screen time andreduce brain rot. But there are a few learning shortcuts that you may trigger without the use of a third-party app, which can act as mini blurbs of information before you begin scrolling on a distracting app. I find that when I look at a learning app or resource before opening a doomscrolling app, I tend to spend less time on mindless scrolling and often get distracted by what I find interesting about the insight.
In your Shortcuts gallery, you may find a good collection of learning-based shortcuts appropriate for this trick. A few of my favorites include:
Once you’ve added a learning shortcut to your folder, go to Automation > + (“plus”) > App > Choose. Select doomscrolling apps, then tap Is Opened > Run Immediately > Next > My Shortcuts and find your saved shortcut. Alternatively, you can create a blank automation and find learning actions for third-party learning apps that support Shortcuts integration.
8A Location-Based Focus Mode
Focus Modes keep your iPhone distraction-free from notifications, and you can enable them from your Control Center. Buta shortcutto trigger these when you reach a location (like your place of work, home, or library) will verify Focus is on, even if you forget to enable it.
To set this up, create a new Automation and tap Arrive or Leave (depending on which location you’re setting up). Customize the location (you can search an address or tap your current location), then select a time range if needed. Tap Run Immediately > Next > New Blank Automation, and search for “Set Focus.” Once you select this, you can customize the Focus Mode in the shortcut command. Finally, tap “Done” to save the automation.
9Lock Your Screen During Wind Down
I always have a difficult time with mindless scrolling at night when I get ready for bed, so I’ve made sure to cut my screen time during these hours with two shortcuts that force me to put down my iPhone. The first one automatically locks your phone when Wind Down time starts, which you can set up onApple Health.
In the Shortcuts app, go to Automation > “+” (plus) > Sleep > Wind Down Begins > Run Immediately > Next. Click “New Blank Automation” and search for “Lock Screen.”
10Shut Down Your Phone Automatically at Bedtime
The second shortcut, which fully puts an end to your screen time for the day, involves stricter action when your bedtime begins, but it’s also the most effective shortcut I’ve used to reduce doomscrolling.
Open Shortcuts and go to Automation > “+” (plus) > Sleep > Bedtime Begins > Run Immediately > Next. Tap on “New Blank Automation” and search for Shut Down, then select “Done.” Now, whenever your set bedtime strikes, your iPhone will automatically switch off.
Instead of using Wind Down time or Bedtime, you can also set your custom time (for instance, before your work starts) by clicking on “Time of Day” instead of “Sleep” in the automation step. The “Lock Screen” or “Shut Down” shortcuts can be used in an automation geared towards opening a distracting app as well.
The Apple Shortcuts app is a treasure trove of actions aimed atrescuing your unproductive days.Setting up automationsbased on location, time of day, and apps is, in my experience, the most effective way to trigger actions that you might otherwise overlook, so don’t hesitate to experiment with different combinations and fill in blank automations according to your needs.
