The Buddy System
A SwipeBuddy guide
Where does the time go?
A few minutes of short videos at a time doesn't feel like much. Add up a year of them, then see how a small weekly step down gets the time back without going cold turkey.
Not sure? Your iPhone's Screen Time report in Settings shows it.
Why step down instead of quitting
Small steps stick
Cutting a few minutes a week is barely noticeable, so you keep doing it. Cutting everything at once tends to last until the first bored evening.
A limit that holds
A reminder is easy to dismiss. A limit that actually blocks the feed when it runs out takes the willpower out of it: when it's gone, it's gone until tomorrow.
Keep the good parts
The aim isn't zero. A daily budget leaves room for the videos you enjoy and takes away the ones you scroll past without noticing.
Make the plan stick
SwipeBuddy sets a daily limit for TikTok, Reels and Shorts that really blocks through Screen Time, and can step it down every week toward your goal, the same way as this plan.