Framing our phones as glossy portraits of the world comes at a cost: we spend more time gazing instead of gaining utility.
"Is the picture going to appear in black & white?" asks a stand-byer I've asked to take a photo of myself & family by a pond.
"No." I assure him. "The photo will be fine–it's just my phone set to black & white."
In puzzlement asks: "Why?"
I grin: "It's an older phone."
A few years ago, on the recommendation of a colleague, decided to experiment with setting my phone to black and white—also known as grayscale. At first, the experience felt unreal, limiting, even annoying. The lack of color seemed almost debilitating. But as time passed, I became increasingly aware of its unexpected benefits. To my surprise, the change positively affected both my health and productivity—enough that I now believe more people should take this lifestyle shift seriously.
Life is in color, why forgo it?
Our phones are designed to virtually emulate the world as vividly as possible. Take iPhone 17 screen for example: when displaying HDR images, shows you around 1.07 billion colors at once. That level of visual richness is impressive—but also powerful in how it captures and holds our attention.
Turning off color makes your phone's influence immediately visible.
How to switch to grayscale
📱 iPhone:
- Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size → Color Filters → Grayscale
🤖 Android
- Settings → Accessibility → Display → Text and Display → Color Correction → Grayscale
Less screen time
People spend the tune of 8.5 hours of screen-time a day. With about 8 hours devoted to sleep, that means nearly half of people's waking lives are spent staring at a display.
Framing our phones as glossy portraits of the world comes at a cost: we spend more time gazing instead of gaining utility.
Switching to grayscale dulled my phone’s hypnotic pull. The once eye-candy appeal of social media became noticeably less seductive. My phone grew… kind of boring—and that’s the point. Once you finish what you intended to do, you’re far less likely to linger and scroll in search of dopamine hits.
Longer battery life
Color pixels drain more energy than grayscale ones. Personally found my phone lasting twice as long as before. Over time, a considerable extension of your phone’s lifespan.
Notifications without panic
Without the vibrant reds of notifications, alerts stop resembling tiny emergency signals 🚨. They become simple prompts—requests for action without the artificially induced sense of urgency.
"She loves me, she loves me not"
One amusing side effect: you can no longer tell whether messages have been read at a glance. WhatsApp’s infamous double checks—gray for sent, green for read—become indistinguishable. The result? Less anxiety while waiting for replies.
Goodbye Eye Strain, Hello Comfort
Bright, colorful displays can cause eye fatigue and headaches, especially in low light. A grayscale screen is gentler, offering a more relaxed viewing experience without harsh glare.
Final thoughts
Yes, grayscale photos and videos look strange at first. You’ll be tempted to switch back to color “just to check.” But over time, your brain adapts—and you may even start to prefer it.
Are you ready to strip your phone’s colors away—and rediscover life’s true colors?
Discuss on HN.