I already know I’m addicted to my smartphone, and if you’ve ever absentmindedly reached into your pocket and switched on the screen without realising it, you’re probably just as hooked as I am. These devices have become so ingrained into our lives that it’s hard to tell how often we check them, but a new Android app lets you dig into the data to see exactly how much time (and battery life) you’re wasting on a daily basis.
Photo: Google
Phone Usage Monitor has two main features. The first, called App usage statistics, does a pretty straightforward job of tracking how often you check the applications on your phone. It can show you how much time you’re wasting on Facebook and Twitter on a daily basis — probably even more than you realise.
The app’s second feature, Device events, is a little more interesting. Phone Usage Monitor can track all the other ways you use your smartphone, noting every time you turn the screen on, connect to a Wi-Fi network, plug in to charge, and more.
After a few days of tracking, you might notice that you’re constantly switching the screen on for no reason, or that your phone keeps trying to connect to public Wi-Fi networks (both of which waste precious battery life).
If you want to get super granular, Phone Usage Monitor is more than up for the task, but you may want to think twice before you’re buried in a deluge of information. The app can easily generate a new notification every minute — which just goes to show how often we all use our smartphones.
Thankfully, it’s easy to pick and choose which apps and activities you want to track and which it should ignore.
Phone Usage Monitor is available for free in the Google Play Store with the option to upgrade to an ad-free version for $2.59.
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