Ebb guides
These guides cover the habit Ebb was built for: opening a feed without deciding to. They explain how to add a pause before an app opens on iPhone, why one-tap limits fail and what the words doomscrolling and brain rot mean. Each one has steps, a table and sources.
Coming soon to iPhone
Which guide should I start with?
If you want a plan, read how to stop doomscrolling. If you want the iPhone mechanics, read how to run a Shortcut when an app opens. If you already tried Apple's limits, read about the Screen Time Ignore Limit. For the vocabulary, see what is brain rot.
Guides for specific apps and settings
For one app at a time, see how to limit short-video apps on iPhone and why short-video apps are addictive. For Apple's own tools, see how to check Screen Time, Downtime, Focus modes and the notification summary.
If you want a stronger wall, locking apps on iPhone lists what iOS allows. If Screen Time keeps letting you through, read why Ignore Limit fails.
Guides for habits and routines
Habit guides include how to stop checking your phone, a phone-free morning routine, how to stop scrolling in bed and taking a social media break. The Pomodoro technique is covered in using it on iPhone.
Guides that check popular claims
Several guides separate evidence from folklore: the goldfish attention span myth, is doomscrolling bad for you, what dopamine detox means and whether grayscale helps.
How to Run an iPhone Shortcut When an App OpensThe App trigger in Shortcuts, step by step, with the settings that matter and what to do when it flashes.How to Stop Checking Your PhoneEight habits for fewer phone checks, starting with measuring pickups and ending with scheduled check-in windows.How to Stop DoomscrollingSeven steps that add friction before the feed opens, with sources and a table of what works.How to Stop Scrolling in BedA night plan to stop scrolling in bed: charge the phone elsewhere, use Sleep Focus, add a late pause and prepare a replacement.How to Take a Social Media BreakA seven-day social media break plan with a prep day, daily prompts, a return plan and ways to keep friends in touch.How to Use Downtime on iPhone Without Locking Yourself OutHow to schedule Downtime on iPhone, choose Always Allowed apps, set a passcode and keep it from becoming a nuisance.iPhone Focus ModesHow to build Work, Sleep and Personal Focus modes on iPhone, with schedules, allowed contacts and a first-week plan.iPhone Shortcuts Automation Not Running? 8 FixesEight checks for an iPhone personal automation that does not fire, plus what the app-open trigger can and cannot do.Is Doomscrolling Bad for You? What the Evidence SaysWhat the research on doomscrolling can and cannot show, how to read the claims, and simple limits for news.Notification Summary on iPhoneHow to set up a scheduled notification summary on iPhone, which apps belong in it and how to avoid missing urgent alerts.Pomodoro Technique on iPhoneHow to run Pomodoro on iPhone with the Clock timer and a Focus, plus a sample day and what to do with breaks.Screen Time Ignore LimitWhy one tap beats the limit, how to harden it with a passcode and what adds friction earlier.Screen Time Not Adding Up on iPhone? Common CausesFive checks for Screen Time totals that look too high, too low or inconsistent, in the order to try them.The Goldfish Attention Span MythWhere the 9-second goldfish claim came from, what goldfish can really do, and how attention actually works.What Is Brain Rot? Meaning, Origin and What to DoMeaning, a 1854 origin, the 2024 Oxford pick and practical steps for your own feed.Why Are Short-Video Apps So Hard to Put Down? 6 ReasonsSix design features that keep a feed going, with the psychology in plain terms and a few ways to add a stop.Frequently asked questions
Are these guides about Ebb only?
No. They cover the wider habit and the iOS tools around it, and mention Ebb where it fits.
Who writes them?
The developer of Ebb. Facts come from public sources such as Wikipedia, and the app's behavior comes from the app itself.
Is Ebb available now?
Not yet. It is in development and not on the App Store.
Keep exploring
Ebb FeaturesThe gate, the focus game, pass costs, Instead, the Scroll Receipt and duel cards.Ebb SupportFast answers on the Shortcuts gate, subscriptions, data export and erase.How to Limit Short-Video Apps on iPhoneThree ways to limit a short-video app on iPhone: Screen Time App Limits, a passcode, and a pause before the app opens.How to Stop Checking Your PhoneEight habits for fewer phone checks, starting with measuring pickups and ending with scheduled check-in windows.