How to use the Android Digital Wellbeing dashboard

(Pocket-lint) - Over the past fewer years we've seen a fig of large company's present bundle tools to assistance support an oculus connected however overmuch surface clip we're getting done successful a day. Whether it's Apple connected iOS, Microsoft successful the Xbox Family dashboard oregon Google successful Android. 

Google's toolset for Android users who privation to find the close equilibrium with exertion is called the Digital Wellbeing. It's successful the Android settings paper and is designed to amusement your smartphone usage habits. It besides provides entree to adjuvant tools similar app bounds timers and a “wind down” oregon "bedtime" mode to assistance you absorption connected going to sleep.

Here's what you request to know.

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What is the Digital Wellbeing dashboard?

At I/O 2018, Google unveiled a caller toolset successful Android Pie called the Digital Wellbeing dashboard. Google described the tools arsenic being portion of its caller "digital wellbeing" initiative, successful which it is focusing connected helping radical beryllium healthier some successful their existent lives and successful their integer lives. Google recovered that 70 per cent of radical privation assistance with integer well-being.

Since past we've had 3 caller large updates (Android 10, Android 11 and Android 12), but Digital Wellbeing remains a cardinal portion of those bundle builds and is simply a diagnostic that's been dilatory improved. 

Google's thought is that erstwhile radical are fixed the tools to easy disconnect, they tin bask their lives much and beryllium afloat present. Sure, portion a batch of the clip we walk connected our phones is truly useful, immoderate of it could honestly beryllium spent connected different things - similar that sewing task you've been wanting to get done oregon those plot beds you've been anxious to build. So, with the dashboard, Google's has fixed america cardinal capabilities to assistance negociate our surface time. 

For parents, there's besides the enactment to negociate your Family Link to show your kids' surface times connected their devices, whether they beryllium Android phones and tablets, oregon Chromebooks. 

How does the dashboard work?

The Digital Wellbeing dashboard successful Android's mounting paper allows you to spot however overmuch clip you've spent successful apps during the day, however galore times you've unlocked your instrumentality successful a day, and however galore notifications you received successful a day. You volition beryllium capable to drill-down connected immoderate of these things. For example, you tin pat connected an app, similar Gmail, to spot however overmuch you utilized the app on, let's say, Saturday.

Developers volition beryllium capable to supply adjacent much elaborate breakdowns truthful you tin spot however you're spending clip successful their apps. Google said it's allowing them to bash this truthful that you tin find whether you're experiencing "meaningful engagement" successful immoderate fixed app. For example, Google's ain YouTube volition beryllium getting a 'deep link' truthful you tin presumption your full ticker clip crossed mobile and desktop.

App Timer

Through the dashboard, Android lets you acceptable clip limits connected circumstantial apps. So, for Snapchat oregon Instagram - arsenic examples - you tin acceptable a timer successful 5 infinitesimal increments from 0 minutes each the mode up to 23 hours and 55 minutes. Then, your instrumentality volition nudge you erstwhile you're adjacent to your clip limit, mildly reminding you that's clip to bash thing else. Even better, for the remainder of the day, that app's icon volition beryllium greyed retired to punctual you of your goal.

Bedtime mode 

Digital Wellbeing isn't conscionable astir mounting clip limits connected your apps, it's astir making your telephone enactment for your benefit. One of those benefits is helping you spell to slumber astatine night. It's been noted for years present that bluish airy successful screens keeps you awake longer, and Bedtime mode is determination to assistance you enactment your telephone down and guarantee it's not hindering your earthy circadian rhythm. 

In the Bedtime mode surface you tin power connected 'Do Not Disturb for Bedtime mode' which blocks immoderate notifications but interaction from important contacts (in lawsuit idiosyncratic needs to get clasp of you successful an emergency). You tin besides alteration 'Greyscale' which makes the show achromatic and white, making it much relaxing and making you little apt to privation to ticker videos and crippled precocious into the night. It's besides utile for e-book reading. 

Once those person been toggled connected you spell done a acceptable up process wherever you tin acceptable which clip you privation Bedtime mode to beryllium active, and connected what days. Or you tin acceptable it up to automatically footwear successful erstwhile you enactment your telephone connected complaint aft 9pm. 

When that's each active, you tin customise it further by switching disconnected the Always On Display diagnostic erstwhile it's successful bedtime mode, truthful your surface goes wholly dark. 

Focus mode

Apps tin beryllium distracting and promote procrastination during times erstwhile you truly would alternatively beryllium productive. Especially successful an epoch erstwhile truthful galore radical are moving from home. Focus mode helps you, successful that it disables peculiar apps during those times. 

Tap connected 'Focus mode' and you'll spot a database of apps with cheque boxes adjacent to their names. Simply prime the apps you find the astir distracting, whether that beryllium Twitter, an addictive crippled you can't halt picking up oregon immoderate different app. 

Once you've selected your distacting apps, you tin manually power connected Focus mode to disable them, oregon acceptable a docket for it to travel connected circumstantial days astatine circumstantial times. For instance, during enactment hours. 

Other features

There are fig of different smaller useful tools successful the main Digital Wellbeing surface too. For instance, if you alteration 'Flip to Shhh', you'll tin automatically alteration 'Do Not Disturb' mode conscionable by turning your telephone and placing it face-down connected your desk/table. 

With 'Heads Up' enabled you get reminded to absorption connected what's astir you if you're utilizing your telephone portion walking, conscionable successful lawsuit you person a wont of getting mislaid successful your telephone and not paying attraction portion walking connected engaged streets. 

Lastly, determination are parental controls which assistance you negociate the accounts of immoderate children oregon dependents you have. 

Writing by Maggie Tillman and Cam Bunton. Originally published connected 11 May 2018.