Grayscale on Android has changed my routine

2024 is the first year that I take my New Year’s resolutions seriously. I recorded several of them and even continued working on them until the end of January, beating my previous record. These are modest goals, but I have made good progress. Compared to last year, I’m eating better, drinking less, and exercising more. The one thing that has eluded me until recently is my bedtime routine. I didn’t intend to sleep consistently on time, so I finally decided I needed a little help from my phone.

You won’t be surprised to learn that it was mine. Android phone this regularly derailed my otherwise healthy day at the final hurdle. Even if I started to calm down, I would lazily reach for my device while lying in bed and suddenly find that the 45 minutes had disappeared. It took me a while to realize that this was a serious problem, and once I realized it, I decided to try the Android Digital Wellbeing settings. It was the night mode that ultimately made me ignore my device, and I can’t recommend it to anyone who has the same problem.

Night Mode is a tool you can use to plan your nightly routine. It consists of several elements, such as putting the phone into silent mode, turning on dark modeand darkening the wallpaper, but the really transformative aspect for me was the grayscale. This feature removes all color from your phone’s display, making everything black and white. This makes the screen less attractive, which reduces the temptation to scroll endlessly.

There is research behind this, although you realize this very quickly yourself. Bright colors, especially blue and red, stimulate the brain and help you stay alert. This is especially problematic at night, as bright, attractive screens make it difficult to relax before bed. Grayscale mode counteracts this by dulling the experience, making apps like social media and gaming less attractive.

Without bright colors, I’m less inclined to check notifications or mindlessly scroll before bed. If I do reach for my device while I’m laying down, seeing the monochrome display immediately reminds me that I need to put it down again.

If you want to try the night mode, it’s very easy to activate. Settings menu directions may vary depending on the device, but on my OnePlus 10 Pro you simply navigate to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls > Night Mode.. Once there, you can set your schedule—I’m fully aware that my 9:00 p.m. bedtime isn’t exactly rock ‘n’ roll—and customize your settings. Necessarily also check Tune chapter to make sure that grayscale is one of the display options that should be activated.

However, I only have one gripe about this feature. When it’s active, the notification offers you the option to pause it for 30 minutes or turn it off completely with one tap. I believe this is a flaw in the app’s design, as it only takes a brief moment of poor discipline to select one of these options and have the colors fill back in. I try to abstain, but not everyone can control themselves.

That said, if Google ever needs a rep to promote sleep patterns, I’d be happy to apply. I’m just satisfied that I can hit my 2024 goal with a couple of months to spare. If I can make my debut for England before December 31st, my promises will be fulfilled.