Google To Mandate Digital Wellbeing For All Devices Running Android

Smartphone addiction is real, and it has consequences just like nicotine addiction, including changing the way your brain functions, preventing you from work/study, and put a heavy toll on your real social life.

To deal with this issue, several companies have come up with measures to help users strike a healthier balance between screen time and their real life. Google has its own solution, which comes in the form of Digital Wellbeing.

From the 3^rd of September, 2019, Digital Wellbeing will become a mandatory feature that all manufacturers must add to their devices.

Digital Wellbeing was introduced last year for Pixel phones, and then to other devices running Android. What it aims at is to help you monitor your screen time by allowing you to set daily limits on apps, switching the phone gray at night, and many other features.

XDA Developers found a Google Mobile Services document dated back the 3^rd of September, 2019 laying down the rules for all manufacturers who wish to use Google services and apps.

The document has specific terms. Any existing and new devices that have Android 9 or 10 out of the box or are upgraded to Android 9 or 10 after the said date must have parental controls and digital wellbeing app. Plus, the solution must be made prominent by being put at the top level of the setting app. Google does give manufacturers some flexibility though. They can choose either Google’s Digital Wellbeing app or their own.

With Google’s effort, it is expected that Android users will be more aware of what smartphone addiction can do their health, as well as helping them break from the alluring of screens.