How to Set Up Android Screen Time Limit? [2024]

If your kid has a phone, tablet, or computer, then you must have first-hand experience of Teenage digital addiction. Don’t panic because you are not alone. According to the Center for Internet & Technology Addiction, “up to 60% of teens show signs of Cell Phone Addiction”.

One of the major ways of preventing or addressing digital addiction is to implement a screen time limit. The Android app time limit regulates how long you spend on your phone. Android, just like iPhone, has an inbuilt app time limit setting.

Today, let’s discuss how to limit app time on Android.

Uncurbed app time has been associated with numerous health issues. Therefore, the screen limit inbuilt setting developed by Android called Digital Well Being is a timely improvement on Android devices. There are some benefits of limiting time on Android apps:

Uncontrolled exposure to digital screens has resulted in mental stress and anxiety. Therefore, limiting Android screen time will reduce mental anxiety and stress. You will be able to prioritize more relaxing activities during scheduled breaks.

Digital addiction causes mental stress, and this affects productivity. Unregulated app time is associated with incessant notifications, which makes concentration difficult. However, with the Android screen time limit, your productivity is enhanced to achieve more results.

Research has associated some cognitive decline with prolonged exposure to digital screens. Limiting Android app time will help kids focus on other engaging and brain-developing tasks. The scheduled limit will help them explore their creativity with activities like chess, puzzles, reading, touring, etc.

One major disadvantage of digital addiction is distorted sleeping habits. The blue ray emitted in devices affects the hormone that regulates sleep. To ensure an improved healthy sleep habit for your kids, you will have to limit their app time.

When you limit app time on Android for your kids, you increase their chances of making real-time friends. A few hours away from their phones will improve their social skills. It will also enhance their relationship with their friends and families.

Android devices have an app limit feature that limits users' app screen time. This will help you or your kids disconnect from social media and focus on more important tasks. Controlling app time will help you achieve a healthy work-life balance.

The following are ways to set up your Android app time limit:

The first way to set up an Android app time limit is to locate the digital well-being & parental controls in your Android settings. It will show you the daily digital usage chart. Viewing this might help you cut down on excessive phone usage. Do the following to locate the digital well-being section on your Android:

Step 1: Go to the Settings section on your Android.

Step 2: Scroll until you see Digital Wellbeing & Parental Control and Click on it.

Step 3: Tap on View Activity to see phone usage.

Setting the app limits for your Android apps also helps limit your screen time. App limits will regulate how long you can use some of the apps on your device. To do this:

Step 1: Go to the Settings section on your Android.

Step 2: Click on Digital Wellbeing & Parental Control.

Step 3: Click on App Timers to set time limits for your apps.

Setting a time will ensure that you stick with your app time limit. This will serve as a reminder and stop your access to the app pending the duration of the screen time limit you set. To set a app time limit:

Step 1: Go to the Settings section on your Android.

Step 2: Click on Digital Wellbeing & Parental Control.

Step 3: Click on App Limits to set time limits on Android apps.

Step 4: Tap on the Apps for which you want to set a time limit.

Step 5: Click on App Timer to schedule how long you want the app time limit to last.

Step 6: Click on Manage Notifications to regulate which notification permits the app to be used during the app time limit.

Once you click on the app, you will see the options for the App timer and manage notifications. Choose the App timer and set the usage limit for that app. Do the same for other apps that you wish to limit.

The focus mode under digital well-being and parental control is used to ensure complete concentration and focus. If you or your kids need to get some serious work done, then you can activate the focus mode feature on your Android phones. To set the focus mode:

Step 1: Go to the Settings section on your Android.

Step 2: Click on Digital Well-being & Parental Control under the settings of your Android.

Step 3: Click on Focus Mode.

Step 4: Select the Apps you want to silence by single-tapping the box opposite the apps. Once you have selected the apps, Click on Turn On Now or Set A Schedule (if you don’t want to activate focus mode immediately).

The bedtime mode helps you sleep better instead of getting disturbed by unimportant calls. It silences your phone. It also changes your phone screen to black and white when you need to sleep.

Activating the bedtime mode is better than putting your phone on airplane mode, which blocks out both essential and unimportant calls. You can customize the bedtime mode to only allow calls from starred contacts as necessary and repeat callers(which might be an emergency). To activate bedtime mode:

Step 1: Go to the Settings section on your Android.

Step 2: Tap on Digital Well-being.

Step 3: Scroll and Click on Bedtime Mode. You should see whether the bedtime mode is on or off. If it says bedtime mode is off, Click on Turn On Now.

Step 4: Click on the Bedtime Routine to set when it will be activated.

Managing your child’s app screen time effectively is essential for their well-being and development in today’s digital age. While Android’s built-in features are helpful, they often lack advanced options like real-time activity monitoring, app usage reports, customizable restrictions, and location tracking. That’s where third-party parental control apps come in handy.

There are various apps to manage screen time; however, not all of them effectively ensure adequate screen time limits. FamiSafe is one of the best screen time apps for Android to manage your app usage. It is a reliable parental control app that offers comprehensive tools to set limits, track activity, filter content, and ensure your child’s online safety, giving you peace of mind and complete control.

Key Features of FamiSafe:

1. Set screen limits and monitor time spent on each app.
2. Block inappropriate apps with one click.
3. Identify indecent content through the instant screenshot and trigger an alert.
4. Filter and block inappropriate websites for kid’s devices.

Step 1: Download the FamiSafe App on your devices.

Step 2: Connect your Kid’s Device and yours on the FamiSafe app.

Step 3: Navigate to the Screen Time feature.

Step 4: Choose either Downtime or Screen Time Limit.

Step 5: If you Select Downtime, which Restricts overall Phone Usage, then choose the start time and the end time to activate it.

Step 6: For the Screen Time Limit, choose whether to customize it or if it is a default everyday limit.

Step 7: Once activated, the screen will be covered by an overlay whenever it is the scheduled Downtime or Screen Limit.

Your digital well-being app time dashboard indicates how much time you spend on each app. It is an indication of how long you spend on your phone. For most people, the phone usage charts will surprise you. It will help you realize how much you need to set an app time limit.

Here’s what your Digital Wellbeing app time indicates:

• Total Screen Time: The cumulative time spent on your device for the day or week.
• App Usage: Breakdown of time spent on individual apps.
• Unlocks: Number of times you've unlocked your device.
• Notifications Received: Total number of notifications received.
• Focus Mode: Options to limit distractions by pausing apps.
• Do Not Disturb: Settings to help reduce app screen time before bed by enabling grayscale or Do Not Disturb.

The duration indicated in the circle is the duration you have spent on your screen. The color of the circle indicates the apps you have used within the duration indicated in the circle and which app you spent more time on. For example, you can check TikTok on Digital Wellbeing.

In this article, you will discover 5 ways to limit app usage on Android devices for yourself or your kids. Excessive app time can negatively impact your life. Therefore, you can use one of these methods to manage your time and develop healthy screen habits. Additionally, a reliable parental control app like FamiSafe can be a valuable tool for limiting app time and managing your kids' activities.

How much app screen time is healthy?

According to WHO, Children less than 1 should have no app screen time. While children aged one to 4 should have an hour of screen time. There is no recommended app screen time limit for adults; however, too much screen time for both adults and children can have damaging health consequences.

Can I limit app time while still making calls on Android?

Yes, you can. You can customize the app time limit only to allow calls from contacts starred as important and repeat callers(which might be an emergency).