How to Make Your iPhone Black and White (And Why You Should)
My Experience With a Black and White iPhone Display

I’ve tried to turn my phone black and white twice in my life. The first time didn’t stick, and it was back to color within a week.

The second time I tried was eight months later; I switched it to black and white and felt relief.

What it was like the first time

Two minutes after changing my phone screen black and white, two emotions hit me: relief and unease.

The relief was the kind you feel when you put on sunglasses on a bright summer day. I could see again.

The source of the unease wasn’t easy to identify. I spent the next ten minutes fooling around on my phone, feeling somewhat distressed. It felt like wandering around my own house in total darkness. I knew where all the steps and doors were but still couldn’t orient myself.

After that, it got weird. Spontaneously, the colors in the room around me became brighter. I felt an urge to go outside and enjoy the world — even though it was 8 PM on an Ohio winter night, pitch black and cold out.

Text messages felt constraining in a way they never did before. I texted a few people on the black and white screen. It felt like trying to talk to my loved ones through a paper towel tube. People say that texting is not meaningful in the same way in-person interaction is, but I never felt that way until now.

Suddenly, the idea of scrolling through Instagram photos seemed preposterous. Of course looking at a picture isn’t like the real thing. In my head, I’ve always known that. But the muted black and white screen made it feel real. It suddenly seemed that much more important to travel while I’m young and I can.

Half an hour later, I had an anxiety attack. Real, acute anxiety — the kind you get when you come home to find the doorknob broken and the door standing ajar. (It’s unclear whether this is because my brain thinks my phone is broken or my brain is jonesing for the LCD-triggered dopamine hit. I don’t think it matters).

My physical reaction took me by surprise. We never realize how something has wormed its way into our lives until it’s gone.

What it was like the second time

A non-event. It wasn’t until two weeks later that I’d even noticed I’d left it that way. I changed it back, and it looked way too bright, the visual equivalent of eating a chocolate bar for dinner. My eyes felt sick.

I turned it back to black and white. Relief. I went about my day.

Why were these experiences so different?

The first time I tried this, I was still not what you would consider a digital minimalist. My relationship with my phone was mindful, but not minimalist. I was careful with my social media and email notifications, but I left my phone cluttered with apps I regularly used. Duolingo, Instagram, Snapchat, and all the apps I used sucked with a black and white display.
['Megan Holstein']
['iPhone', 'Mindfulness', 'Technology', 'Apple', 'Productivity']