Use Android’s built-in settings to cut your phone usage time in half

“Something is wrong on my phone.”

I was talking to a friend about how the battery life is a Google Pixel 9 Pro slowly degraded over time.normally my phone works all day but in the middle of the evening i had to recharge. That’s when it dawned on me that I was the problem.Between scrolling through Instagram and obsessively checking my email, I was using my phone way too much.

Android has some built-in tools grouped under the “Digital Wellbeing” banner, including a bedtime routine, a notification manager, and timers that let you set limits on how long each app is allowed to be open.I’ve known about this feature for years about wasn’t it the first time it was announced? still in 2018. Did I use this stuff consistently? Not really.

I’ve used a few productivity hacks over the years. I deleted the Facebook app on my phone and now only use it on my laptop. I also charge my phone in the kitchen, which helps avoid using it in bed. However, these methods were not enough. My phone still died around 8pm every day. I had to control my usage. This is how I finally broke the spell.

Set timers on your most used apps

Google includes app usage timers on all Android phones that allow you to set strict limits for individual apps. To access the timers, just go to Settingsthen search Digital Wellbeing. Features look a little different a Samsung Galaxy phone than they are connected Pixels and other Android phonesbut everything works the same. I usually check at night to see my daily stats. There is a panel on the main settings screen that shows the total usage time for the day and which apps are the main culprits. You will also see the total number of phone unlocks and the total number of notifications received during the day.

Start with app timers. Setting hard time limits may seem a bit draconian at first, but timers work because they automatically shut down the app for us and take us out of our day-to-day worries Are we on TikTok or browsing the web too much? In his book DependentProductivity expert Nir Eyal says we’re not actually addicted to our phones, a clinical term that should be reserved for more serious issues obsessed. The dopamine hit we get from almost every social media “like” or comment fuels our obsession.

I started with an app timer in Google Chrome, and to be honest, it was painful. I set the time limit to 45 minutes and it seemed to hit that threshold every day at lunchtime, the screen turns gray as a warning that the app is about to close. I increased the timer to 90 minutes and it seems better was working. When you reach the limit, you should reset the timer or use the browser on another device. It works to curb your usage because you try hard to beat the limit you set and have to live with it.I also set limits for the Gmail app, Messages, Instagram and TikTok.

Alas, setting time limits meant that my total usage time went from four hours and 30 minutes a day. I was getting an hour of my life back every day. That’s not bad, but I wanted to cut back on my screen time even more. so I resorted to some radical techniques.

Take some radical steps

Google includes a few other settings that make your phone less attractive. For example, Android’s sleep mode dims the screen and makes everything black and white. To find this option, go to the Digital Wellbeing settings, search Bedtime mode and set the usage period to start around 8pm. This also turns off notifications until the next morning. For me, it was a visual reminder to put the phone down and stop scrolling by the hour.

Unfortunately, I was still using my phone a lot. The appeal of notifications. What do they need? Again, we want the dopamine hit that comes when we hear those voices. We feel useful when we respond , but the downside is that we’re glued to our screens more.