Grayscale your phone to watch less: how to set it up

Quick answer

Red notification dots, bright thumbnails, colorful icons. Turn them gray and the phone gets a lot more boring. People cutting back on screen time mention this trick a lot.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

Open 125x

iPhone

Open Settings, then Accessibility, then Display & Text Size.
Tap Color Filters, turn them on, and choose Grayscale.

Apple notes that color filters change how pictures and videos look (Apple Support). To flip it on and off fast, go to Accessibility Shortcut and select Color Filters, then triple-click the side button (Apple Support).

Android, at bedtime

Open Settings, then Digital Wellbeing, then Bedtime mode.
Set a bedtime routine.
Under screen options at bedtime, turn on Grayscale.

Your screen turns black and white during bedtime hours (Android Help). Steps vary a bit by phone.

Make it work for you

Leave it on all day and use the shortcut for photos and maps.
Or use it only in the evening, when scrolling is worst.
Combine it with an app limit. See set a daily YouTube limit.

How 125x fits

Grayscale makes thumbnails less grabby. 125x helps from the other side: every video from your subscriptions comes with a summary, so you choose by what's in it instead of by the thumbnail.

FAQ: questions people ask

Does grayscale reduce screen time?

Many people say a gray screen makes apps less tempting. It works best with other limits.

How do I make my iPhone black and white?

Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text Size, Color Filters, then choose Grayscale.

Can I turn grayscale on quickly?

On iPhone, add Color Filters to the Accessibility Shortcut and triple-click the side button.