How to check screen time on Android: Tips for parents and users

For both parents and users who want to have a healthy relationship with technology, it is important to know how to check screen time on Android.

As smartphones have now become indispensable part of our everyday life, it gets quite easy not to realize how much time we waste sitting in front of our screens.

In this article, we will explain simple steps to check and analyze screen time of your Android device. And also look at how to be mindful about your digital well being.

Why checking screen time on Android matters?

Parents need to keep a close eye on how much time children spend on the screen. As excessive screen time can negatively affect a child’s physical and cognitive development.

There has been a massive link between excessive screen time with eye strain, bad posture, and even delayed development of social skills.

Through tracking usage, parents can attain some control. And help maintain a balanced lifestyle either through some physical activity, face-to-face interactions or offline learning.

Checking screen time allows users to regain control of their time online and create room for more mindfull habits and life balance.

Should I monitor screen time for kids?

Yes, parents are strongly advised to monitor kids’ screen time. Excessive screen time for children carries with it significant risks that could have great effects.

These risks include:

• Impact on sleep. Screens emit blue light, which interfere with melatonin production. And make it more difficult to fall asleep, have poor sleep quality, and feel tired during the day.
• Health concerns. Sedentary behaviour is usually connected with excessive screen time, which may result in obesity and causes cardiovascular problems, among others.
• Mental health. Earlier studies have also shown that excessive screen time can worsen children and adolescent’s rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
• Behavioral issues. Children who spend so much time on the screens may also exhibit behavioral problems like irritability, aggressive behavior, and the inability to regulate their emotions.

Parents can reduce these risks and create a healthier digital environment by learning how to check screen time on Android and monitor children’s usage.

How to check kids’ screen time on Android?

Tools like FlashGet Kids and Digital Wellbeing make it easier to track your child’s screen time, thereby encouraging healthy habits.

Below, we’ll look at how to use both these tools to check daily screen time on Android and get a detailed screen time report.

Checking kids’ screen time by using FlashGet Kids – app usage report

FlashGet Kids is a parental control app dedicated to help parents monitor and manage their children’s Android device usage.

It provides an insight and controls that aid in responsible device use. With FlashGet Kids, here’s how you can check daily screen time on Android.

Download the FlashGet Kids app for parents on your phone, and register an account to start using the app. Also, download the kid version of the FlashGet Kids app on your child’s phone and bind them using the code generated on your phone.

Now you can launch FlashGet Kids and click Usage Report to check your kid’s app and phone usage.

Scroll to the bottom to view your child’s screen time report.

FlashGet Kids offers the following advantages.

• Extra features. On top of monitoring, FlashGet Kids lets you set screen time limit, ensures browser safety using safe search, and blocks access to some apps.
• Cross-platform support. Both Android and iOS devices are supported by FlashGet Kids, depending on which family devices you have.
• Comprehensive reports. It helps you generate detailed reports that give an overview of long term usage patterns.

Track daily screen time via Digital Wellbeing

Most Android devices come installed with built-in feature called Digital Wellbeing that lets users monitor and manage the amount of time spent on their screens.

It is not as comprehensive as the third party apps. However, it is a reliable way to check screen time.

This is how to check daily screen time on Android with Digital Wellbeing.

1. Tap on the “Settings” app on your child’s Android device.
2. Go to the bottom of the list and tap on Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls.
3. On the Digital Wellbeing dashboard, you will see a circle graph for the total amount of time spent on screen.
4. There is also a detailed breakdown of app usage when you tap the graph.
5. Scroll down to the list of used apps and time spent on each app.

Using Digital Wellbeing offers the following benefits:

• Built-in and free. Digital Wellbeing is available for most Android devices without any extra downloads or subscriptions.
• Basic monitoring. It is also a good starting place to help familiarize oneself with your general screen time habits.
• Easy access. It is very easy to access through the device settings.

How to monitor screen time for specific apps?

Monitoring your child’s screen time is also necessary to see what apps are taking up the biggest amount of their time.

FlashGet Kids and Digital Wellbeing are both effective methods of tracking and monitoring app usage.

Using FlashGet Kids – app list

With FlashGet Kids, you can get a report on each of the apps used, monitor how long these apps are used and also be able to set your limits accordingly.

This is how the app usage statistics can be accessed.

1. Launch FlashGet Kids on your device.
2. Go to the dashboard and click on Device Activity.
3. Under the App List, you will see the daily usage of your child’s android phone’s apps.
4. To get detailed information with relation to the particular app, you can click on see details.

Effects and advantages

• Comprehensive reporting. It provides details about the app usage patterns.
• Remote management. It enables parents to set up screen time settings from their own device.
• Customizable limits. You can determine limits specific to the individual or to the schedule (e.g., homework hours).

Via Digital Wellbeing

The built in feature, Digital Wellbeing, helps manage Screen Time for specific apps using timers on the dashboard.

1. On your Android device, launch Settings app.
2. You need to tap on ‘Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.’
3. It displays chart of daily screen time for all the apps together.
4. Click the chart or any app from the list below it.
5. Next to each listed app, tap “Set timer”. Decide on a daily limit as to how long they will spend in that particular app.
6. You can also view data about notifications received and the times opened.

Effects and advantages

• Simple setup. It has an easy to use interface which makes it available for people without extensive technical knowledge.
• Customizable timers. It allows setting the limits for each application separately.

How to set screen time limits for kids on Android?

It is vital to set screen time limits on kids mobile devices, so as to support a healthy balance between screen time and other activities.

Both FlashGet Kids and Digital Wellbeing provide features to help limit the overall device usage and access to specific apps. Step by step, here is how to set these limits.

Set screen time limits with FlashGet Kids

With flashGet kids you get features for setting screen time limit and limiting the app usage.

Follow these steps to set these limits.

1. Launch the FlashGet Kids app on your device.
2. Go to the usage limits on the dashboard and choose Screen time limits.
3. Under ‘Add limits’ select ‘Limit Type’ which you want to configure.
4. You can specify ” Timespan Limits” and “Available Time Limits.” Go to ‘Available Time Limits’ to choose how long the kid can spend on the screen. Select “Timespan Limits” to specify the timespan when the child can not be on their screen.

The following are the effects and benefits of using FlashGet Kids to regulate screen time.

• Customization. You can set screen time limits for your child based on his or her age, needs, and family preferences.
• Remote management. Management of all settings can be done from your parent device remotely.
• Flexibility. In terms of screen time management, FlashGet Kids offers very high level of flexibility.

Control screen time for kids with Digital Wellbeing

Digital Wellbeing also empowers you to set up screen time limits, but its features are not as comprehensive as FlashGet Kids.

Let us look at on how to set up screen time limits using Digital Wellbeing.

1. Tap Settings on your child’s Android device.
2. Go to ‘Digital Wellbeing & parental controls’ and tap it.
3. Daily screen time by all apps is portrayed in a chart on the dashboard.
4. Next to each listed app, tap on “Set timer”.
5. Enable Bedtime mode to shut off notifications and lower the display brightness during listed sleep hours periods.

Using Digital Wellbeing gives you the following effects and advantages.

• Built-in and accessible. It is readily available on most Android devices.
• Simplicity. Also the interface is generally easy to navigate.
• Focus on self-regulation. Self regulation is encouraged through visual representation of usage and the use of timers.

How to check your own screen time on Android?

It is easy for Android device users to check screen time and handle their digital interactions better.

Follow these steps to review your screen use information.

1. Open the Settings app from your Android device.
2. Locate Digital Wellbeing in the Settings menu.
3. To view your daily screen time results click on the Dashboard button in the app.
4. Tap an apps below the graph to see which apps take up your most time on the device.

The dashboard shows today’s screen time. Click on the middle of the chart to check yesterday’s screen time or choose past days to view weekly information.

Digital Wellbeing usually display screen use data for a week only. For monthly reports or more detailed historical data, third-party apps are needed.

How to set screen time limits for myself on Android?

You can control device use using screen limits on your Android device to boost work performance and maintain wellness.

Follow these steps to create personal limits on your Android device.

1. Go to Settings where you will find Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.
2. From the dashboard select either the screen time graph or an individual app name under the displayed list.
3. You will find all available apps by pressing “Show all apps” at the bottom of the screen.
4. To control your app usage tap the hourglass icon for each application or navigate through the App timers section.
5. Set the daily limit of time you plan to use the app (such as 30 minutes).
6. Select OK to save your selection.

Some apps to check and control screen time on Android

Here are some of the best Android apps to track and monitor screen time. Offering distinct options to help parents and users control their device usage growth.

• FlashGet Kids (free). FlashGet Kids is specially designed for parental control to monitor and limit children’s screen time.
• ActionDash (free). It offers a detailed insight into how one uses the app with customizable dashboards to view screen time data on different apps and categories.
• Family Link. It’s primarily a parental monitoring app, but folks can make the most of it by setting limit rules on their devices if needed.
• StayFree (free). A very good app for monitoring screen time on various devices (Android, Windows, Mac).
• YourHour ( $89.95 per year). It offers personalized recommendations that are based on usage patterns in order to reduce phone use effectively.

There are a range of varying apps which provide various features depending on what you are looking for. From simple tracking to more advanced features such as blocking or scheduling.

Key takeaways

Knowing how to check screen time on Android is not only a matter of numbers and time. The idea is to promote a better relationship with technology.

Whether you have a role in guiding children’s digital habits or simply want to improve your screen time balance. There are great tools available for controlling screen time usage.

The idea is not to completely ban digital screen time, but to come up with mindful digital habits that are beneficial.