Short of joining the 5am club (I’m really not a morning person), I’ve been looking for ways to streamline my workflow, and I’m happy to say I’ve finally found one: side-mounting my phone to my laptop.
Before you use one of those dubious sideways glance emojis and click off onto the next story, please hear me out. It really does make a big difference to my workday, I swear.
First and foremost, side-mounting my phone helps boost my productivity. With my phone side-mounted to my PC I can receive and make phone calls hands-free, read my incoming texts and notifications with just a flick, and more easily keep an eye on apps like X (formerly twitter) for news stories as they’re breaking, without the cumbersome process of finding and picking up my phone off my desk, or alternatively finding the right tabs on my laptop.
Using my phone like this I can also more easily multi-task. For example, I can keep writing the stories I’m working on for PCWorld, while I’m simultaneously in a Teams call or product briefing where I’m not expected to contribute anything but just listen, so it’s a real time saver, too.
Side-mounting my phone to my laptop also helps keep me on point. Since my phone remains at eye-level, I’m less prone to losing my train of thought like I previously was when I had to scramble around for my phone, then regain my attention, reposition my hands on my keyboard, and find the place where I left off in my work — now I simply have to look to the right side of my laptop screen for whatever I need my phone for.
But the best thing about my new setup? I can now use my phone as a second screen. This comes in very handy when I need to compare and contrast hardware specs in stories. Plus, my second display isn’t limited to being with me just at my desk in the office — it can be used wherever I happen to be working from.
There are a range of different phone side mounts available, for which you can expect to pay about $13 to $15. Some of the best are universally compatible with all cellphone types and magnetic. That makes them so easy to set up, you simply have to mount your phone on the end of a magnetic arm that you then attach to the back of your laptop.
It’s worth noting, though, that with some iPhones older than iPhone 12 and all Android phones you will need a magnetic case, magnetic ring, or magnetic adapter if you want your phone to stick to the magnetic arm.
The holder’s arm usually comes adjustable so that you can position your phone exactly where you want it for maximum efficiency — yes, those accessory suppliers have thought of everything.
So, if you’re like me and don’t do early mornings well without at least a jug of coffee but you still want to kick-start your workflow, my advice is to ditch the 5am wakeups and get yourself a phone side-mount instead. Trust me, you won’t regret it.