It’s no secret that we all spend way too much time on our phones. Whether it’s chatting with our friends, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, playing “just one more round” of Angry Birds, or simply zoning out and refreshing the various social feeds that command most of our idle time. According to Hackernoon, the average adult employs over 4 hours on their phone every day, with certain demographics spending even more time. Thankfully, Apple is taking steps to help us be more mindful of our smartphone screen time.
Even though we just discussed some new features of iOS 11.4, we already have our sights set on iOS 12 of which is scheduled to arrive this fall. According to CNBC, iOS 12 is currently available to beta testers and app makers in order to see how their apps will interact with the new operating system.
Screen Time Is Coming to iOS 12
There hasn’t been a whole lot of news about the new iOS yet, however, we do know that a new feature called “Screen Time” will accompany the update. Screen Time will essentially show us how much time we spend using apps. It also has the ability to limit how long you can use an app each day in case you’re looking to cut down on your daily dog video or meme intake.
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How to use Screen Time on iPhone and iPad in iOS 12
- Open Settings
- Tap on Screen Time
- Tap your device at the top of the page
- You can view your Screen Time data for the current day or the previous 7 days
Pickups
Screenshot via 9to5MacSure, time spend in apps is currently available in iOS 11, however, the Screen Time platform is looking to deliver a much more granular level of data, including “pickups”. Did you know that the average millennial picks up their phone more than 150 times per day?
Pickups will show you how often you pick up your phone each day, breaking it down to average pickups per hour, per day and etc. You’ll even be able to view the longest phone sessions as well as see an average number of notifications received per hour. Screen Time is shaping up to be the Google Analytics equivalent for iPhone usage.
Downtime
Similar to “Do Not Disturb”, Downtime will cut you off from apps during certain times of the day or night. So if you regularly find yourself in YouTube black hole during the work day, or can’t help yourself from refreshing Instagram for an hour before going to bed, Downtime should help you curb these urges.
READ MORE: Six Features Worth Checking out in the New iOS 11.4 for iPhone (June 2018)
App Limits
App Limits will let you restrict how long you spend in various app categories such as games, social media and messaging services. For example, if you only want to spend 30 minutes on social media during your workday, you can easily set App Limits for the social networks you engage most in.
Always Allow
On the flipside, the apps you add under the Always Allow category will always be available during Downtime. Apps one might add to this category could include Phone, Messages, and Facetime, however, it’s totally up to you.
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Screen Time for Family
If you’re a parent, you probably have noticed that your kids are spending too much time on their phones. Thanks to Screen Time, you can now remotely control the time they spend within certain apps on their iPhone or iPads.
How To Download iO 12?
As mentioned previously, iOS 12 is currently available in beta mode. So if you’re an app developer and would like to get familiar with Apple’s latest iOS, then you’ll have to register as a developer within Apple’s online developer portal.
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