MindPhone: Mindful Reflection at Unlock Can Reduce Absentminded Smartphone Use

We present MindPhone, a mindfulness-based intervention to tackle absentminded and excessive smartphone use. At unlock, MindPhone prompts one of two questions: what the user intends to do with the smartphone, or what the user intends to do in the real world after using their smartphone. Users may respond actively by writing, or passively by mentally reflecting. We evaluated the effectiveness of the two questions and two response modes in a mixed-method, 2x2 mixed field study with 28 participants over two weeks. Our results show that the real-world prompt significantly reduces absentminded use and encourages a quicker return to the real world, independent of the response mode. Asking about smart phone use intentions raises awareness of reasons for smartphone use. For everyday use of MindPhone, users wish to set the question and response mode based on context. We discuss including awareness of the physical world in future smartphone use interventions.