A recent study found that the average person spends more than 3-4 hours daily on their mobile device – that’s a lot of time spent looking at a computer screen! Naturally, one can get carried away with spending time on social media, watching videos, talking to friends and family, or playing video games. The time you spend using your smartphone and other online apps may therefore need to be monitored and managed.
Fortunately, both iPhones and Android devices now include tools to help you take control of your digital wellbeing and track your daily smartphone usage. In fact, you can set up daily app usage limits on both platforms to limit your smartphone usage on a daily basis.
If you’re having trouble controlling your smartphone usage and wondering how to stop yourself from endlessly scrolling through social media feeds, keep reading to find out how to set up daily app usage limits on both Android and iOS.
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What is the Function of the Daily App Usage Limit?
The primary purpose of this feature, as the name implies, is to limit the amount of time you spend on a specific app. When you set up daily app usage limits on your phone, it will notify you when you’ve spent the amount of time you want to spend on any app for the day. You’ll also have the option to change or cancel the reminder at any time.
So, if you believe you’ve been spending too much time on any app, the steps in the next two sections will help you set up daily app usage limits.
How to Set Up Daily App Usage Limits on Android Using Digital Wellbeing
If you use a Samsung, Motorola, Nokia, or Google Pixel, you are an Android user. Android OS has a Digital Wellbeing feature built in, to set timers for apps on your phone. Digital Wellbeing options can be found on your phone’s Settings page, or they may come pre-installed.
In any case, here’s how to use Digital Wellbeing to set up daily app usage limits on Android:
- Open your smartphone’s Settings app.
- Scroll to the bottom and select Digital Wellbeing and Parental Control settings.
- The statistics for your app usage will be displayed in the next window. The statistics will show how long you have unlocked your smartphone, how long you have used an app, and how many notifications you have received from each app.
- Tap on the app name you want to set a daily usage limit from the stats.
- Click App Timer
- Set the timer to the desired duration and press OK
- Repeat these steps to set usage reminders for additional apps.
How to Set Up Daily App Usage Limits on iOS Using Screen Time
From iOS 12, Apple added the Screen Time Apple feature to keep tabs on how much time is spent on screens while using your phone. Screen Time, similar to Digital Wellbeing on Android, can be used to set up daily app usage limits on your iPhone. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the iPhone Settings app.
- Navigate to Screen Time > Enable Screen Time.
- Click on the screen time after enabling it
- In the next window, you’ll be able to see how much time you’ve spent on your phone. The See All Activity options will display detailed statistics based on per-app usage.
- Click on App Limits
- Select Add Limit
- Choose a category to find the app you want to set a daily usage limit. You can also select multiple apps from the list.
- After you’ve decided on the apps, click Next
- Tap Add after setting the timer for the desired duration.
Please note that you can use apps normally after the timer has been set. If you launch an app after you’ve used it for the specified time, you’ll receive an instant message informing you that you’ve reached the app’s limit. You can then tap Yes or snooze the timer by selecting a file and Ignore Limit to choose if you absolutely need to use that app in an emergency.
In summary, it’s very exciting that you can now set daily app usage limits on Android and iOS. If you follow the steps outlined above, you will find it to be a simple and straightforward process.