Technology has evolved immensely over the past few decades and will continue to grow in the coming years to change our lives for the better. One of the most amazing inventions that humankind has seen in this course of technology is the smartphone. It has helped us in many aspects of our life and will continue to do so if used responsibly. It allows us to stay connected to the ones closest to us and assists in carrying out daily tasks, no matter what the profession is, be it a student, businessman, or even wage worker. Smartphones have no doubt become an integral part of our lives and are indeed an extraordinary tool when it comes to boosting our productivity. Still, there comes the point where excessive usage can lead to problems that people may or may not be aware of.
But its addiction can cause our efficiency to decrease and incompetence to increase. Also, it might be harmful in other ways, because the excess of anything is dangerous. I bet it’s not wrong calling smartphones a smaller version of Idiot Boxes. So don’t you think it is better to keep a check on our screen time before it screws us? After all, excessive dependence on it can hamper your productivity.
How to Check Screen Time on Android
Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and various other social media apps were invented to make interaction with our friends and family easier. They are overall making the smartphone experience much more enhanced, proving that smartphones can be used for other things apart from just professional work.
How to Check Screen Time on Android Option 1: Digital Wellbeing Option 2: Third-Party Apps (Play Store) #1 YourHour #2 Forest #3 Less Phone #4 Quality Time Option 3: Keep Your Kids Phone under Supervision
However, excessive usage of these apps can lead to lesser face to face interactions. And sometimes, we get so addicted that we cannot survive without frequently checking our phones for notification, and even if there are no new notifications, we would casually browse Facebook or Instagram. Controlling the amount of time we spend on our smartphones is important, and this can be done by keeping track of the apps that are most frequently used. This can be done through in-built tools if you’re using Stock Android or third-party apps.
Option 1: Digital Wellbeing
Google has come up with its initiative to help us understand the importance of “actual interactions” with other people and to limit our phone usage. Digital Wellbeing is an App designed for your wellbeing, to make you a little more responsible and a little less obsessive over your phone. It allows you to keep track of the amount of time you spend on your phone, the estimated number of notifications received daily, and the apps you use frequently. In short, it is the best application to check screen time on Android. The app tells us how dependent we are on our smartphone and assists us to limit this dependency. You can easily access Digital Wellbeing by navigating to Settings then tap on “Digital Wellbeing.” Digital Wellbeing shows the usage by time, along with the count of unlocks and notifications. Other exclusive features, such as the Do Not Disturb mode and Wind Down feature, are also present, which switches to Grayscale or Reading mode while dimming your screen and makes it a little easier for you to stare into your mobile screen at night. Also Read: How to Use Your Smartphone as a TV Remote
Option 2: Third-Party Apps (Play Store)
To Install any of the below third-party apps from Play Store, simply follow the below-listed steps:
Navigate to the Google Play Store and search for the particular app. Now click on the Install button and make your Internet is working. Once the installation is complete, click on the Open button to launch the application. And now you are good to go!
#1 YourHour
Available on the Google Play store, the app gives you a variety of fun features that can help you track and control your smartphone usage. The app also lets you know which category of smartphone addiction you fall under and assists in reducing this addiction. The constant reminder in the notification bar helps in situations where you start browsing your phone for no reason.
#2 Forest
The app justifies and promotes interactions among others when you are with them and helps in establishing better habits regarding your phone usage. If you’re looking to change your habit of excessive usage of your phone, then this app is for you. Forest has been creatively developed to improve our focus and provides a way to track our focused moments.
#3 Less Phone
This particular Android launcher caught my interest while I was browsing through the play store, searching for apps to limit screen time. This app was released with the sole purpose of minimalizing phone usage by limiting access to time-wasting apps. The launcher has a simple interface with access to only a few necessary apps such as Phone, Directions, Mails, and Task Manager. The app restrains us from using our Phone so that we spend more time with friends and family.
#4 Quality Time
The Quality Time app is just as delightful as its name. It is an essential and easy to use app that records & monitors the time you spend on various apps. It calculates and measures your hourly, daily, and weekly summary reports. It can keep a count of screen unlocks and track the total usage as well.
Option 3: Keep Your Kids Phone under Supervision
If you are a parent, then it is evident for you to worry about your child’s activities on their phone. Maybe they’re playing too many games or perhaps have become social media’s wild child. These thoughts are quite daunting and can even become your worst nightmares. So it is better to keep a check on them, and anyways, it’s okay to be a little nosey sometimes. FamilyTime app easily lets you check screen time on the Android phone of your child. This app will lock your child’s phone once the set time is up. You won’t have to worry about them being up all night on their phones because as the clock crosses a particular hour, the phone will automatically lock itself, and the poor kid will be left with no choice but to sleep. How to use the FamilyTime app 1. Download and install the app for Play Store. Once the installation is complete, launch the app. 2. Now create an individual profile for your kid and choose the profile you want to track then tap on the Settings button. 3. Right below the Family Care Section, you will see a Schedule Screen Time. 4. Next, navigate to three pre-defined rules, those are, Homework Time, Dinner Time, and Bed Time. If you click on the Plus icon, you will be able to create new rules. 5. You’d like to start by giving the rule a name. Then, set a start and end period and make sure you determine the days for which these rules are applicable, spare the weekends if you want. Make as many rules as you want for each profile and each kid. It’s just too good to be true, right? 6. Your job is done here. When the rule time starts, the phone will lock itself and will only unlock once the rule time is over. Smartphones indeed play an essential role in our lives and will continue to do so, but after all, it is a material object. The above few methods prove to be effective in keeping a track you’re screen time to minimize the usage, but no matter how effective the app is, it is left to us i.e., we have to be the ones to bring a change in this habit through self – realization. Recommended: Fix Google Maps Not Working on Android Spending too much time in front of the phone screens can genuinely wreck your lives. Keeping a tab on Screen Time can be beneficial for you as this can help us not only increase your efficiency but productivity as well. Hopefully, the above suggestions will help you out. Let us know!
