How to Use Android Screen Time and Digital Wellbeing
By Site Editor · Updated August 28, 2026 · 6 min read
Android has built-in tools to show you how much time you spend on each app and let you set limits. This guide explains how to find and use Digital Wellbeing to build healthier phone habits.
1. Where to find Digital Wellbeing
Settings → Digital Wellbeing & parental controls. The dashboard shows your total screen time today, a breakdown by app, and how many times you unlocked your phone. If you do not see it, your phone manufacturer may have named it Screen Time, Wellbeing, or placed it under a different settings section — try searching "wellbeing" in the Settings search bar.
2. Set daily time limits on specific apps
In the Digital Wellbeing dashboard, tap any app to see your daily usage and set a timer. Once you hit your limit, the app's icon goes grey and tapping it shows a reminder that your time is up. You can dismiss the reminder to keep using the app, but the friction makes you more intentional. Social media, YouTube, and games are good candidates for limits.
3. Use Bedtime Mode to wind down at night
Digital Wellbeing → Bedtime mode. Set a schedule for when it activates — for example, 10 PM to 7 AM. Bedtime mode turns the screen to greyscale and can silence notifications during those hours. The grey screen is surprisingly effective at making the phone less appealing at bedtime since colourful apps lose their visual pull.
4. Turn on Focus Mode to block distractions
Digital Wellbeing → Focus Mode. Select apps you want to pause — usually social media, news, or games — and tap Turn on now or set a schedule. While Focus Mode is active, those apps are greyed out and notifications from them are silenced. You can take a break from Focus Mode for a set time if you need to check something urgently.
5. Use the unlock count to change habits
The dashboard tracks how many times you unlock your phone each day. Most people are surprised by the number — it is common to unlock 80–100 times a day without realising it. Watching this number go down over a week is a concrete sign that Digital Wellbeing tools are working. You can also enable a notification that reminds you when you have spent a certain amount of total screen time.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bypass an app timer after it runs out?
Yes — you can tap the grey app icon and choose to ignore the timer for the rest of the day. Digital Wellbeing is designed to inform and prompt rather than enforce strict locks. If you want stricter limits that cannot be bypassed without a PIN, look at the parental controls section or a dedicated app like Family Link.
Does Digital Wellbeing track usage across all my Google accounts?
Digital Wellbeing tracks usage on the device itself, not per account. If multiple people use the same phone under different accounts, usage is tracked together at the device level, not separately per user.
Will using greyscale (Bedtime Mode) save battery?
Slightly, on AMOLED screens — greyscale means some pixels display less colour, which reduces power draw compared to fully saturated colours. The battery saving is modest, but the main benefit of greyscale is making the screen less visually stimulating at night rather than saving significant power.