Not everyone uses their phone the same way. Some people reach for it out of pure habit. Others do it to stay connected socially. A 2023 study by Wickord and Quaiser-Pohl looked at whether grayscale works differently for different types of smartphone users, and the results were striking.
The study
Published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports, the study titled "Suffering from problematic smartphone use? Why not use grayscale setting as an intervention!" tested grayscale as a tool for reducing problematic smartphone use. What made this study different from earlier research was its focus on user types. The researchers grouped participants based on their usage patterns and then measured how grayscale affected each group.
Habitual users saw the largest effect
The study found that grayscale was particularly effective for two groups: "habitual" users (people who pick up their phone out of boredom, routine, or idle moments) and "social" users (people who primarily use their phone to stay connected with others through messaging and social media).
For these groups, daily screen time dropped by roughly one hour. That is a significant reduction from a single passive change to the display settings.
How grayscale acts as a "nudge"
The researchers described grayscale as a behavioral "nudge." It does not block anything. It does not restrict access to apps. Instead, it increases a mild sense of annoyance when using the device for low-value activities. The phone still works normally, but it becomes slightly less enjoyable to scroll through content that relies on color to hold attention.
This is important because it means grayscale does not fight against your intentions. If you need to use your phone for something specific, you still can. But if you are reaching for it out of boredom, the reduced visual reward makes it easier to put the phone down again.
Why boredom scrolling is the main target
Habitual phone use is the pattern most people struggle with. It is the automatic reach for the phone when waiting in line, sitting on the couch, or lying in bed. There is no specific purpose behind it. The phone just happens to be there, and the colorful interface makes it rewarding enough to keep going.
Grayscale breaks this loop. When the screen is gray, the idle scrolling becomes less stimulating. You become more aware of what you are doing, and that awareness alone is often enough to stop.
What this means for your setup
If you recognize yourself as someone who picks up your phone without a clear reason, grayscale is likely to have a measurable effect on your screen time. The research supports using it as a default state, with exceptions for tasks where color actually matters.
That is the approach StayGray is built around. Keep grayscale on by default. Add exceptions for apps like maps, camera, or photo editors. Use timed color breaks when you have a specific reason for color. And let the schedule handle transitions automatically so you do not need to think about it.
The bigger picture
This study adds to a growing body of evidence that small environmental changes can shift behavior more effectively than willpower-based strategies. You do not need to delete social media apps or set up complex blocking rules. Sometimes, just making the screen a little less colorful is enough to reclaim a meaningful chunk of your day.
Reference: Wickord, L.-C., & Quaiser-Pohl, C. (2023). Suffering from problematic smartphone use? Why not use grayscale setting as an intervention! Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 10, 100294. doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100294