How to Check How Much Time You’re Spending on Your Phone

Have you ever wondered how much time you spend on your phone? Perhaps you’re curious how your daily usage compares to other members in your family. You may think you have a pretty good idea, but you just might be surprised by how often you use it.

How many times a day do you pick up your mobile phone? How many minutes a day do you use social media and other apps? There’s an easy way to find out depending on your phone’s operating system (OS).

The steps to find this data but will vary depending on whether you have an Android or iOS device. Most handset manufacturers use the Android phone operating system, including Google, Samsung and Motorola. While Apple phones run exclusively on iOS.

Everyone has a preference when it comes to which phone to buy. But as of June 2020, Statcounter found that Android had 74% of the global market share compared to 26% for iOS

Finding phone usage stats on an Android operating system

Phones that use the Android operating system have phone usage stats under the “Digital Wellbeing” section. Through it, users can access various daily and weekly phone usage stats as well as parental controls. Users can see how much time is spent on apps and set timers and daily limits for individual websites.

Follow these steps to access the Digital Wellbeing settings for Android:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap “Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.”
3. Under “Your Digital Wellbeing tools,” tap “Show your data.”
4. Note: the first time you open Digital Wellbeing, you’ll need to set up your profile.

For more advanced features, visit the Android support page.

Finding phone usage stats on an iOS operating system

The same phone usage stats found on Android devices are also on Apple phones but the name of the tool and path to find the data differs. Apple calls its usage monitoring app “Screen Time.” In addition to showing the time spent on apps, parents can set up a passcode to secure settings they set up for their kids to limit screen time on specific apps or websites.

How to access the iOS Screen Time settings:

1. Go to “Settings.”
2. Tap “Screen Time.”
3. Tap “Turn On Screen Time.”
4. Tap “Continue.”
5. Select “This is My iPhone” or “This is My Child’s iPhone.”

For more advanced features, visit the Apple support page.

Mobile phone usage has increased during the pandemic

With social distancing measures currently in place for much of the country, people are turning to their phones for connection more than ever. A recent report found that the coronavirus crisis has greatly increased cell phone usage, with 56% of people using their mobile devices more, and 46% spending an additional four or more hours every day.

Public safety guidelines have also affected people’s work-life balance. Before COVID-19, people found it challenging to disconnect from work when away from the office. But with the physical boundary between work and home temporarily gone for many, the challenge is even greater. And as some employees start or end their workday earlier or later than usual, they find themselves checking their phones more often during traditional non-work hours.

Try using SMS marketing

As people spend more time on their phones, businesses are seeing the benefits of connecting with them in that way—by texting. Whether they use it for sales and marketing or customer service and support, communicating by text is both convenient and affordable. Don’t just take our word for it—see for yourself. Sign up for a free Twilio account to get started with SMS marketing.

You can build personalized experiences tailored to your customers’ needs using Twilio Studio, our easy-to-use drag-and-drop visual builder. It lets you start conversations, handle responses, and create intuitive workflows—all to improve the customer experience.