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Google's Digital Wellbeing may add Mindful Nudge reminders

By Johanna Romero

Published: Oct 30, 2024, 10:21 AM

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A hand holding up a Pixel 9 Pro with the front screen displayed

Pixel 9 Pro XL. | Image credit — PhoneArena

Google is reportedly working on a new feature for its Digital Wellbeing app that could help users be more mindful of the time they spend on their phones. The feature, called "Mindful Nudge reminders," is designed to provide users with gentle nudges to help them break wasteful binge sessions on certain apps.

Evidence for the upcoming feature was found in an APK teardown of Digital Wellbeing v1.19.688167517.beta. The teardown revealed several strings referencing the new feature, suggesting that it will allow users to enable reminders for specific apps. The number of apps that can be enabled appears to be limited.

Once enabled, users will receive reminders or nudges, showing that they have been browsing the set app for some time. This should help break wasteful binge sessions and snap users back to reality. Users will be able to tap on the reminder for more information or choose to stop showing it for that app.

A screenshot of the mindful nudge reminder options

Digital Wellbeing's upcoming 'Mindful Nudge' feature. | Image credit — Android Authority

The Mindful Nudge reminders are not yet live within the Digital Wellbeing app, but they are expected to be released in a future update. Google has not yet announced a release date for the feature.

This feature is similar to Apple's Screen Time features on iOS and ecosystem devices. However, Apple's features include stricter per-app limits. Google's Digital Wellbeing is taking a softer approach with Mindful Nudges, but it has other tools like Screen Time and Focus mode that you could use if you want stricter app limits.

I think this is a great idea, and I'm excited to see how it works in practice. I'm a big fan of Digital Wellbeing, and I think this new feature could be a valuable addition. I'm also glad to see that Google is taking a softer approach with this feature. I think it's important to give people the freedom to choose how they use their devices. I'm hopeful that this feature will be successful and that it will help people to be more mindful of their time spent on their phones.

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Johanna Romero is a Senior News Writer at PhoneArena, covering mobile technology news across Android, iOS, wearables, and the Google ecosystem she knows best. Drawing on 15 years in IT and tech support from 2007 to 2022, she brings a user-friendly eye for the practical features and lesser-known tricks readers care about. Google named her an official #TeamPixel member in 2022, and she also reviews the latest devices on her YouTube channel, JoJo the Techie.

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