Jun 18, 2025
Tobias Sanchez Garcia

Make your phone less attractive with greyscale when in a Monk Session

Colorful app icons and interfaces are designed to capture your attention. Using greyscale mode during a Monk session can make your phone less appealing, reducing the temptation to use distracting apps.

Set up Color Filters on your iPhone

First, you need to enable Color Filters in your iOS Accessibility settings. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters. Turn on Color Filters and select Greyscale.

Create an Accessibility Shortcut

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and select Color Filters. Now you can triple-click the side button to toggle greyscale mode on and off. This is helpful for manual control, but let's automate it.

Automate with Shortcuts

Open the Shortcuts app and create a new automation. Select 'App' as the trigger and choose Monk. Configure it to turn on Color Filters when you open Monk, and create a second automation to turn off Color Filters when you close Monk.

The science behind it

App developers use bright colors to trigger dopamine release in your brain, making apps more addictive. Removing color reduces this effect, helping you maintain focus and make more intentional choices about your device usage.

Updated June 18, 2025