digital wellbeing
Latest
Instagram test reminds you to 'take a break' from non-stop scrolling
Instagram is testing a 'take a break' feature that reminds you to stop scrolling — but not much else.
Pixel-only Photos and Gboard features are coming to more Android devices
Google is bringing a suite of Pixel features to other Android phones, including Locked Folders in Photos and a 'fix' for distracted walking.
Android's latest feature reminds you to avoid distracted walking
Google is rolling out a 'Heads Up' feature on Android that will remind you to stop using your phone while you're walking.
Google will make clearer when you've edited a selfie
Truth is, lots of images online are edited, and some smartphone cameras turn on some sort of filter or smoothing effect by default.
Google's Bedtime wellness feature is no longer a Pixel exclusive
Now any Android phone running version 6.0 or higher can get the Bedtime features.
YouTube can tell you to stop watching and go to sleep
YouTube's bedtime reminder feature is available on iPhone and Android as of today.
Google's experimental apps shame you into taming phone addiction
Google is still exploring ways to help you cut back on phone use, and this time it's relying primarily on one tactic: guilt. The company has introduced the experimental Android apps Activity Bubbles, Envelope and Screen Stopwatch, all three of which shame you into reduced phone time. Envelope is by far the strangest -- you print a paper envelope that, along with the app, forces you to use your phone as a simple call- or photo-only device until necessity or temptation leads you to tear the seal. It only works for the Pixel 3a at the moment, but it may be a cheaper alternative to buying a simple secondary phone just to rein in your habits.
Focus mode comes to Android to limit distracting apps
The big problem with owning a smartphone is that every temptation is just a finger tap away -- ooh, Twitter! -- making it hard to knuckle down on a single task. Earlier this year, Google promised to remedy this with "Focus mode," a new tool that stops you -- ooh, YouTube! -- opening apps that could distract you. You just select which apps like -- ooh, better check Facebook -- you find distracting, and lock them down until you choose to release them.
Google’s new apps are about reining in screen time
Back at I/O 2018, Google introduced Digital Wellbeing, a feature in Android that the company designed to help users manage their smartphone usage. Today Google has introduced five new apps -- called Unlock Clock, Post Box, We Flip, Desert Island and Morph -- that complement the platform in trying to get you to look at your phone less.
Google forces Android phone makers to offer digital wellbeing tools
All recent and upcoming Android devices will have digital wellbeing tools. According to Google's GMS agreement seen by XDA Developers and 9to5Google, the tech giant now requires devices that run its platform to have a digital wellbeing solution, including parental controls. The rule covers products that launched with Android 9 Pie or Android 10, and those that upgraded or will upgrade to either OS, after September 3rd.
BBC's smart keyboard helps kids live healthy digital lives
The BBC wants to help kids have healthy and positive interactions online, and it's hoping its new Own It app will do just that. The app is centered around a keyboard that pops up whenever a user begins to type. If the message is negative, the app can offer support, give advice and recommend talking to a trusted adult.
ActionDash 3.0's new 'Focus' mode keeps Android users on task
At I/O earlier this year, Google announced that Android Q will upgrade the recently added Digital Wellbeing feature with a Focus Mode to quiet attention-grabbing apps so you can get things done. However, there's a way to get that feature, and a few other tweaks, well ahead of the official Android Q release. Action Launcher developer Chris Lacy has released version 3.0 of ActionDash, which already provided the kind of monitoring and feedback you'd expect from the Wellbeing service, and now has a Focus mode that you can toggle on or off with a quick settings tile. It can temporarily shut off access to whatever apps you select -- news, Twitter and Facebook are probably a good start -- with a splash screen that pops up if you try to open them.
How to manage your child’s screen time
In an age when we all have a tiny computer in our pockets, it's important that we learn to limit screen time in favor of actual human interaction and productivity. It's even more essential that we limit media consumption for children, especially since they're being exposed to things like phones and tablets at an increasingly younger age. Those devices are part of kids' lives earlier than ever, so it's important to keep tabs on how often they use them or watch TV. There are a number of reasons why you should do this as a parent, and, ironically, there's also a range of tech available to help with the task.
