Google has silently rolled out a new Digital Wellbeing feature called “Screen time reminders” which can notify you with a small pop-up in case you have spent a considerable amount of time in a single app. The pop-up shows you the time you have spent so far using the app.
A user can use the feature by going into Settings > Digital Wellbeing > Screen time reminders > Turn on “Use reminders” on their device. You can check or uncheck the apps for which you want the feature to be enabled or disabled, respectively. Because Digital Wellbeing is integrated in most Android skins, including those from OnePlus, Nothing, Motorola, etc., the feature should likely be available on your device excluding Samsung phones which have their own set of Digital Wellbeing tools.
Once enabled, the feature displays a pill-shaped notification at the top of the screen when you’ve spent an extended period on a selected app. The notification shows your usage time, encouraging you to close the App and use your time more effectively. If you tap on the pop-up, the Digital Wellbeing app will ask you if you want to turn off the reminders for that particular app.
As per Google, these reminders are “occasional” and there’s no option to control their Frequency of appearance. We feel it’s a neat feature to distract the user from doomscrolling on apps like Instagram and TikTok which can lead to time wastage and reduced productivity.
Meanwhile, in news related to Google, the company is also working on a feature called “Shielded Email.” It would work similarly to Apple’s ‘Hide my Email’ feature, which essentially protects your email ID from spam. The feature will hide your email and create a temporary one that will forward emails to your original email ID.