How to do a one-week digital detox without unplugging completely
A digital detox doesn't have to mean switching your phone off. If you want it to last a week, keep calls, messages and maps, and cut the parts that eat the time: Reels, Shorts, TikTok's For You feed and the habit of checking. Plan it the evening before, block the feeds instead of relying on willpower, and decide what you will do with the free evenings. Two studies found real benefits from two- and four-week breaks, and both also show how hard it is to stick to one.
Written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo, so read the minulo part with that in mind. The two studies and Apple's help pages below were opened and checked on 2026-10-24. This page isn't medical advice.
| Keep | Cut or hide | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Calls, texts, WhatsApp, LINE, KakaoTalk | Reels, Shorts and For You feeds | The feeds take the most time. Messages are how people reach you. |
| Instagram DMs, if your friends use them | Instagram's home feed and Explore | You can keep one without the other. |
| Maps, banking, school and work apps | Social apps on your Home Screen | An icon you can see is an icon you will tap. |
| Music, podcasts, an e-book | Video apps in bed | You have something to do instead of scrolling. |
Why switching the phone off rarely lasts
The class group chat, a change to your shift at work, a parent asking when you will be home. Turn the phone off and you miss all of them, so on day two you turn it back on and the feeds come back with everything else. A week is easier if you keep what other people need from you and cut what you don't need from them.
What studies found
In a large experiment by Allcott and colleagues (American Economic Review, 2020), people who deactivated Facebook for the four weeks before the 2018 US midterm elections reported higher subjective well-being. They spent more time watching TV alone and socializing with friends and family, and they used Facebook much less even after the experiment ended.
In a 2025 trial by Castelo and colleagues (PNAS Nexus), 467 iPhone users blocked mobile internet for two weeks while keeping calls and texts. Their sustained attention, mental health and well-being improved, and daily screen time fell from 314 to 161 minutes. But only 25.5% blocked on at least 10 of the 14 days, and screen time rose again to 265 minutes afterwards.
Both studies cut more than most one-week detoxes do, and both relied on volunteers. Together they suggest a break can help, and that keeping it going is the hard part.
The week, day by day
- The evening before. Open Settings > Screen Time > Daily Average and write down your daily average and top three apps. Tell the two or three people who message you most that you will be slower to reply.
- Day 1. Move social and video apps off the Home Screen into the App Library. Hide Reels, Shorts and For You feeds, or delete the apps you don't need for messages.
- Day 2. Set a Screen Time schedule (Downtime with Block at Downtime) for the evenings, so the decision is already made. Charge the phone outside the bedroom.
- Day 3. Pick something for the time you get back: a walk, a book, cooking, a game with friends. An empty evening tends to fill up with the phone again.
- Days 4 and 5. Notice when you reach for the phone without deciding to, and what you were doing just before. For many people it is boredom, waiting, or putting off a task.
- Day 6. If you miss something, give yourself a planned hour for it at a set time.
- Day 7. Look at Screen Time again and compare. Keep what helped, such as hidden feeds or a phone-free bedroom, and drop the rest.
Keep messages, drop the feeds with minulo
minulo is an iPhone app made for this kind of week. It opens Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and other networks with Reels, Shorts, Explore and For You hidden, while DMs, search and regular videos keep working. Hiding is free. It can also lock the official apps with Screen Time, so tapping the icon sends you to minulo. A free block lasts up to 2 hours and you can start another straight away. Schedules and Hard Mode are Pro.
Two limits to know: while minulo blocks an official app, that app's notifications don't arrive, and minulo can't change the official apps themselves. It is iPhone only.
After the week
Many people slip back once the week is over. The 2025 trial saw the same thing: screen time rose again after the two weeks. So keep the changes that don't need willpower every day: feeds that stay hidden, apps off the Home Screen, a charger outside the bedroom.
How do you do a digital detox for a week?
Keep calls, messages and the apps you need, and cut the feeds that take the most time. Write down your Screen Time before you start, hide or delete the feed apps, set Downtime for the evenings, plan what you will do instead, and compare your Screen Time at the end of the week.
Can you do a digital detox without giving up your phone?
Yes. Removing the endless feeds and keeping messages is a detox most people can keep up. In a 2025 trial, people kept calls and texts and blocked only mobile internet for two weeks, and their attention and well-being improved.
What are the benefits of a digital detox?
In a 2020 experiment, people who deactivated Facebook for four weeks reported higher well-being and used Facebook less afterwards. In a 2025 trial, two weeks without mobile internet improved sustained attention, mental health and well-being. Both studies used volunteers, and many found it hard to stick to the break.
What should I do instead of scrolling during a digital detox?
Decide before you start. A walk, a book, cooking, exercise or seeing friends all work, as long as it is planned. In the 2020 Facebook study, people spent the time they got back watching TV and with friends and family.
Can I keep Instagram DMs during a digital detox?
Yes, with minulo on iPhone. Turn on Every tab but DMs for Instagram and only DMs and notifications stay, while Reels, Explore and the feed are hidden. Hiding is free.
Sources
- Allcott H., Braghieri L., Eichmeyer S. and Gentzkow M. (2020). The Welfare Effects of Social Media. American Economic Review 110(3)
- Castelo N. et al. (2025). Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. PNAS Nexus 4(2)
- Apple: Get started with Screen Time on iPhone
- Apple: Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances on iPhone
- App Store (US): minulo
