Looks like Pokémon Sleep is getting an update soon
Summary
- Android 15 will offer third-party developers more access to Digital Wellbeing tools, like Dark Mode and Always On Display settings.
- More diverse digital-wellbeing apps will be available to Android users, allowing for better management of phone usage.
- Possibilities for creative app uses, like triggering Do Not Disturb in movie theaters, may soon become a reality with the upcoming update.
We’ve long known that overuse of our smartphones can be detrimental to our mental and physical health. Too much time on Reddit or Facebook can plunge you into funk, and too much blue light late at night may interfere with your sleep. That’s why it was refreshing when Google started rolling out its Digital Wellbeing app back in 2019 which helps you track how you use your phone and set limits on your use. Up until now, third-party developers have been limited in how they can use the Digital Wellbeing tools, but that may be changing with Android 15.
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As of now, third-party apps can only make Do Not Disturb schedules using Android’s Digital Wellbeing APIs, but when Android 15 lands later this year, they’ll be able to more fully make use of the tools Google has been keeping to itself (via Android Authority). Specifically, third party apps will be able to make changes to the screen such as turning off the Always On Display or enabling Dark Mode. Granted, developers have found workarounds to enabling those features, but now those functionalities will have official support.
This is good for every Android user because it will allow more diversity in digital-wellbeing apps, and users won’t be locked into using the Google app to manage things like Bedtime mode and Focus mode. There are some Digital Wellbeing tools that are still locked away from third-party developers, however, things like disabling touch interactions and adaptive brightness.
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Personally, I don’t need another app to manage my phone usage at night but I can imagine some creative uses for apps with access to this functionality. I could see a cinephile app triggering Do Not Disturb, Dark mode, and Grayscale mode when you enter a movie theater, so that your phone won’t ring, and if you do have to use it, it will be less disturbing to other movie goers (it looks like Google’s way ahead of me on this one). All this was featured in the second Developer Preview from Google last month, so it appears to be a question of when, rather than if, this happens.
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