In the past couple of years, millions of employees transitioned to a work-from-home (WFH) setup. This new setting can pose some obstacles for the average person. However, remote employees with an iPhone can implement the nifty hacks below to increase productivity and perfect their WFH routine.
Use Grayscale to Make Your Phone Less Attractive During the Day
Like most people, you might spend a lot of time scrolling through your iPhone. Maybe you like keeping up with the latest news, playing games, or using social media.
Your iPhone can feel like it begs for your attention during the workday, decreasing productivity and making it challenging to focus. Thankfully, there’s a simple yet effective way to reduce the urge to scroll.
Consider changing your iPhone to grayscale, which removes the vivid colors that can entice and keep your eyes locked on your screen. Removing neuron-stimulating colors is scientifically proven to help de-motivate users to check and stay on their phones mindlessly.
Simply visit Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > toggle Color Filters on and select Grayscale.
Set Up a Do Not Disturb Routine
A critical feature Apple included in iOS 15 is Focus. With the Focus setting, you gain more control over what notifications, calls, or messages come through on your iPhone during your workday. You can even set up a Work Focus routine, which turns on when you start and off when you wrap up for the day.
Focus Mode can also synchronize between your iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac. When you go to Settings > Focus, you can select Share Across Devices, so your notification settings will be the same on your phone and computer. This can minimize the number of calls or messages on your screen, making you less tempted to answer.
Connect Your Mouse to Your iPhone
Another iPhone hack worth trying out is connecting a mouse to your iPhone. The easiest option is to join a Bluetooth mouse to your phone, but you can also use a wired one with a USB dongle. If you’ve purchased essential WFH computer accessories like an ergonomic mousepad or Bluetooth mouse, consider using your iPhone as an extra display.
iPhones will automatically detect a Bluetooth mouse if it’s in pairing mode. If you want to control your mouse tracking and speed, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch > and adjust the slider based on your preferences.
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Use App Limits to Manage Distractions
Even before the pandemic, around 85% of companies reported higher employee productivity with a remote or flexible work arrangement policy. In order for these statistics to remain true, however, managing distractions is a vital part of any WFH routine.
One way to do so on your iPhone is to use the Screen Time setting. This will show you how much time you spend on your phone daily, allow you to set app time limits, or even lock specific apps you routinely use. The Screen Time feature in your Settings is the best place to manage any iPhone distractions keeping you from getting work done during the day.
Utilize Text Replacement Settings
If you spend a lot of time during the day sending emails, you know how annoying it can be to type out each individual message. On your iPhone, you can use the Text Replacement feature as a hack to help your WFH routine.
Visit Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. From there, you enter a phrase and an optional shortcut, which will expand into the word or phrase you’re trying to include in your email. It’s a good time-saving trick worth trying out.
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Use Siri as a Transcriptionist
People often forget Siri is a valuable digital voice assistant that can help streamline some of your daily work activities. One helpful hack enables Siri to read and write emails or check messages. Just click the microphone button on your phone’s keyboard to use Siri as a transcriptionist.
Or, you can visit Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Speak Screen to have Siri read your messages to you.
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It’s always best to double-check any messages or emails before sending them out, as Siri may not be 100% accurate all the time.
Use a Multi-Device Keyboard
Without a keyboard, it would be virtually impossible to get anything done while you WFH. There are tons of wireless keyboards to choose from—some with stylish keys, soft-press buttons, or keyboard covers that can make typing a breeze. Another type of keyboard to level up your WFH setup is a multi-device keyboard.
An iPhone keyboard can be hard to type on, especially for larger fingers. You can set up Universal Control to type on your iPhone if you have a Mac. If you have a PC, you can buy a multi-device keyboard and connect it following the product’s instructions.
Use Your iPhone to Optimize Your WFH Productivity
There’s no denying that separating your personal life from your work life is challenging, even if you work in a traditional office setting. Consider using these iPhone hacks to increase productivity, limit distractions, and improve your WFH routine.