Google’s Android Pie Includes Time Well Spent Features

Google has included Time Well Spent features in the brand new Android update.

Android Pie is the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. At the moment, it has only been made available to Google Pixel phones

The main features to be added to the software are the variety of Digital Wellbeing controls.

A new dashboard will show users how long they have spent on their phone. A breakdown of the time spent in each app will also be displayed.

Users will be able to set time limits on specific programmes. They will receive a warning when they near the limit, and will be locked out once the restriction has been passed. However, the lockout can be overridden.

Android owners will be encouraged to use their device less towards the end of the day. Studies suggest that using smartphones or tablets late at night can introduce sleeping problems.

Wind Down mode will switch the screen from colour to greyscale at a predetermined time. Do Not Disturb mode is also activated at this time, so no new notifications will be displayed on the device,

The features are a step in the right direction, but people need to be educated on their benefits and how to use them properly.

Psychologist and Sleep Therapist, Dr Nerina Ramlakhan told the BBC: “These are good measures, but there are still going to be a lot of people who don’t think they have a problem.

“So, there will still need to be a lot done to educate people about the pitfalls of becoming unhealthily dependent on the use of their phones and apps.”

Facebook and Instagram have made Time Well Spent features available to users’ profiles. Apple have also announced that screen time controls will be implemented into iOS 12, which is expected to be released next year.

Other new features that were added to the new Android update include improved notifications and a longer battery life.

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