How to Make Your Phone Less Distracting

Key takeaways

• Boost productivity by using iPhone’s Focus or Android’s Work Mode as Ed Baig suggests.
• Customize notifications so only select contacts can reach you during work or sleep hours.
• Reclaim your attention with easy, built-in settings that minimize digital distractions automatically.

Summary

Learning how to make your phone less distracting can be a game changer for your productivity and peace of mind. AARP Tech Writer Ed Baig highlights simple yet powerful features on both iPhone and Android devices, such as Focus or Work Mode, that help silence unwanted notifications during critical times — whether you’re working, sleeping or simply aiming for more quality time offline. With just a few taps in your settings, you can allow calls and messages only from select contacts and mute the rest, creating a customized boundary that guards your attention.

Ed Baig recommends setting up dedicated modes for work hours and sleep, so your phone automatically minimizes interruptions when it matters most. These built-in tools are free, easy to configure, and designed to help you reclaim your time and boost your focus. After all, your phone should support your goals, not derail your day — or your night’s sleep.

The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Full Transcript:

[00:00:00] Suppose you’re trying to work. You’re focused, and then buzz, buzz, ping. You open one message, and suddenly you’re a dozen clicks away from where you started.

[00:00:09] It happens to all of us, but is it preventable? Yes. Here’s how to make your phone less distracting.

[00:00:18] There are tools in your smartphone that can help, and they are free. For example, there’s a function that will allow you to block messages

[00:00:26] and notifications while you are working, sleeping, driving or just trying to get less screen time.

[00:00:32] Here’s how it works. On an iPhone, go to settings, then focus, and here you can create a new mode for your phone.

[00:00:42] Let’s make a work mode. Now you can choose who or what can get through. I’ll add my wife, my kids and of course my boss.

[00:00:54] But I don’t want any other distractions, so I’m going to silence all the apps. Finally, I’ll set a time for this mode to be active. Since it’s for work,

[00:01:03] I’ll say from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. Now my phone will automatically switch into work mode during those times.

[00:01:11] Android phones have very similar capability. On a Samsung Galaxy, go to settings, modes and routines.

[00:01:19] Then choose from options like sleep, driving, work, or create your own and follow similar steps.

[00:01:26] Once you’ve mastered how to do this, I strongly suggest creating a sleep mode and putting an end to late night calls and pings.

[00:01:34] After all, your phone should help you, not hijack your attention or your sleep.

[00:01:41] For more tech advice, go to aarp.org/TechGuru