How to Stop Doomscrolling: 8 Things That Actually Help

To stop doomscrolling, make the feed harder to reach and give yourself something else to do. Batch your notifications, switch your screen to grayscale, put a pause in front of the apps you scroll, and keep the phone out of your bedroom.

A few of these fixes have studies behind them, and they're linked below.

#What is doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling is scrolling through bad news or upsetting posts for a long time, even though it makes you feel worse. Many people keep going because they hope the next post will make them feel more informed or safer.

Most of us spend a lot of time in feeds. The typical internet user spends about 2 hours and 21 minutes a day on social media (DataReportal, 2025). And feeds are built to keep you there. We wrote about how in why social media is so addictive.

#Is doomscrolling bad for you?

The research points to yes, at least for how you feel. A 2024 study in Iran and the United States found that people who doomscrolled more also reported more existential anxiety, the uneasy feeling about life and death. The study shows a link, not proof that one causes the other.

Doomscrolling also takes time. An hour of scrolling is an hour you didn't sleep, talk to someone, or do something you'd planned.

#How to stop doomscrolling: 8 ways

These eight changes make the feed harder to reach and give you something else to do. Start with the one that fits when you scroll most.

#1. Notice when it happens

Most doomscrolling happens at the same times: in bed, first thing in the morning, or while waiting for something. Spend two or three days noting when you catch yourself. Those are the moments to plan for.

#2. Get notifications three times a day

In a 2019 experiment, people got their phone notifications in three batches a day instead of as they arrived (Fitz et al.). They felt more attentive, more productive, in a better mood and more in control of their phones.

Turning notifications off completely backfired. That group felt more anxious and worried about missing out. So it's better to batch notifications than to turn them all off.

On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Summary. Turn it on, pick the apps, and set two or three times a day to get them.

#3. Switch your screen to grayscale

Feeds are designed to look bright and rewarding. Take the color away and they get boring fast. In a study of college students, switching phones to grayscale lowered their screen time (Holte & Ferraro, 2020).

On iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters, turn them on and pick Grayscale. Then go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and pick Color Filters. Now a triple click of the side button (or the Home button on older iPhones) turns grayscale on and off.

#4. Put a pause in front of the apps you scroll

A short wait before an app opens is enough to turn an automatic tap into a choice. In a 2023 study, a 10 second pause cut how often people opened their target apps by 57% over six weeks.

You can add a pause with an app blocker, or block the apps at certain hours with Screen Time. Our guide on how to block apps on iPhone has the steps.

#5. Keep the phone out of your bedroom

Many people doomscroll in bed. If the phone charges in the kitchen, the late night scroll can't start. Use a cheap alarm clock instead.

If that's too much, set Downtime (called Screen Time Schedule on iOS 27) for the hour before bed. Then only the apps on your Always Allowed list work, like Phone and Messages. Our guide on blocking apps shows how to make it stick.

#6. Pick a time for the news

Checking the news all day keeps you on edge. Choose one or two set times, like after lunch, and read it then. A news site or a daily newsletter stops when you reach the bottom. That makes it easier to put down.

#7. Decide what you'll do instead, before the urge hits

The urge to scroll is easier to beat if the alternative is already chosen. Make it something as easy as opening an app. More on this below.

#8. Get someone else involved

It's easier to stick with a change when someone else knows about it. Tell a friend which apps you're cutting back on, or try it together.

#What to do instead of doomscrolling

Pick something that takes as little effort as opening an app. Some ideas:

• Put a book on your nightstand and read a few pages instead of reaching for the phone.
• Play a podcast or audiobook while you do the dishes or wait.
• Message one friend. Talking to one person usually takes a few minutes and then ends on its own.
• Go for a 10 minute walk when you notice the urge during the day.
• Write down what's worrying you. Putting it on paper gives the worry somewhere to go besides the feed.

#Apps to stop doomscrolling

Apps to stop doomscrolling add a pause or a block before a feed opens, so you don't have to stop yourself.

Ripple blocks the apps you choose by schedule, place or daily limit. You pick how strict each block is: a 10 second pause, a hard block, or ask your group, where a friend decides if the app opens. That way a friend knows when you're trying to cut back.

We compared them in detail in app blockers for iPhone.

#Sources

• DataReportal, Digital 2025: the state of social media, 2025.
• Shabahang R. et al., Doomscrolling evokes existential anxiety and fosters pessimism about human nature? Evidence from Iran and the United States, Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 2024.
• Fitz N. et al., Batching smartphone notifications can improve well-being, Computers in Human Behavior, 2019.
• Holte A. J. & Ferraro F. R., True colors: Grayscale setting reduces screen time in college students, The Social Science Journal, 2020.
• Grüning D. J., Riedel F. & Lorenz-Spreen P., Directing smartphone use through the self-nudge app one sec, PNAS, 2023.