# Gabriel Kanev > Source: https://gkanev.com/posts/trying-out-the-monochrome-on-my-smartphone/ > Machine-readable version - 2026-09-06 --- Skip to main contentESCI’m experimenting with enabling monochrome/grayscale mode on my Android device to reduce smartphone usage. No app required - just the built-in developer options. ## The Goal Decrease daily screen time from roughly 2 hours down to around 1 hour. The grayscale filter removes the dopamine-triggering color cues that make apps so sticky. It’s not a silver bullet - checking games, emails, and messages still happens regardless - but it changes the texture of the experience. ## How to Enable Monochrome on Android - Go to **Settings → About device** (or About phone) - Select **Software information** - Tap **Build number** seven times to unlock Developer options - Enter your security pattern/PIN when prompted - Go back to **Settings → System → Developer options** - Scroll to **“Simulate color space”** - Select **“Monochromacy”** That’s it. Your screen is now grayscale. ## Next Steps I’ll revisit this in a few months and report whether it actually moved the needle on screen time, or whether it’s just an interesting experiment that doesn’t change behavior in practice. My suspicion: the reduction will be real but modest. The color is part of the hook, but it’s not the only hook. Share[X / Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgkanev.com%2Fposts%2Ftrying-out-the-monochrome-on-my-smartphone%2F&text=Trying%20Out%20the%20Monochrome%20on%20My%20Smartphone)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgkanev.com%2Fposts%2Ftrying-out-the-monochrome-on-my-smartphone%2F&title=Trying%20Out%20the%20Monochrome%20on%20My%20Smartphone) ## Navigation - [About](/about-me/) - [Uses](/uses/) - [Now](/now/) - [Resources & Guides](/resources-and-guides/) - [Speaking](/speaking/) - [Writing](/posts/) - [Work & Experience](/work/) - [Projects](/projects/) - [Books](/books/) - [Research Publications](/research-publications/) - [Contact me](/contact-me/) - [Home](/) - [Design Kit](/design-kit/) - [FAQ](/faq/) - [Sitemap](/sitemap/) - [Sustainability](/sustainability/) - [Product Strategy](/product-strategy/) - [Consulting](/consulting/) - [Performance Audits](/performance-audits/) - [Audits & Assessments](/audits/) - [Sponsoring](/sponsoring/) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/mrgkanev/) - [X (formerly Twitter)](https://twitter.com/mrgkanev/) - [GitHub](https://github.com/mrgkanev/) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@mrgkanev/) - [RSS](/rss.xml) - [Atom](/atom.xml) - [JSON Feed](/feed.json) - [Privacy Policy](/privacy-policy/) - [Terms & Conditions](/terms-and-conditions/) - [Accessibility](/accessibility-statement/) --- Generated by astro-inference | https://gkanev.com/llms.txt