# Decide what may interrupt

Alerts and leftover counts on apps badges are different claims on attention. Decide each one on its own.

Notifications and badges create two different claims on attention. An alert takes over the present moment. A badge leaves a visible reminder that something remains unresolved.

## Start here

### [Notifications off by default](https://live.freewithtech.com/practices/notifications-off-by-default.md)

Every alert competes for attention, so interruption should be reserved for communication and events that genuinely require a timely response.

**Start small:** Choose the app that interrupts you most and turn off its alerts.

### [Badges signal only priority](https://live.freewithtech.com/practices/badges-signal-only-priority.md)

Notifications decide when an app may interrupt. Badges should show only the items that still require a deliberate response.

**Start small:** Turn off the badge for the app showing your largest meaningless unread count.

## Related concepts

- [phone dumbification](https://live.freewithtech.com/concepts/phone-dumbification.md): Deliberately reduce a smartphone to chosen roles so it behaves like a focused utility.

## From the public trail

- [how gaming and coding shaped my digital journey](https://fwt.wtf/years-inside-screens?utm_source=live.freewithtech.com)
- [what I discovered on my tech reset journey](https://fwt.wtf/digital-wellness-values?utm_source=live.freewithtech.com)
- [how I cut out notification spam without missing anything](https://fwt.wtf/cut-the-spam-video?utm_source=live.freewithtech.com)

## Continue

- [Practice database](https://live.freewithtech.com/)
- [All positions](https://live.freewithtech.com/by.md)
- [Concepts](https://live.freewithtech.com/concepts.md)