Digital Wellbeing on Android: The Complete Guide (2026)

By the Snitch team, behavioural science experts from Imperial College London #android#app-blockers

Everything Android's built-in Digital Wellbeing does, from app timers and Focus mode to Bedtime mode and Chrome site timers, and what it can't do.

Made by the team behind Snitch. Almost all of this is free and built into Android. Menu names vary by phone brand and Android version. How we write these guides

Digital Wellbeing is Android’s built-in screen time tool. Here’s everything it does, and what it doesn’t.

Find it

Settings, then Digital Wellbeing & parental controls (on Samsung, Digital Wellbeing and parental controls). Tip: turn on Show icon in the app list so it’s one tap away.

The dashboard

The chart at the top shows your screen time today, how often you unlocked, and notifications per app. Tap it to see app-by-app detail and history.

App timers

Set a daily limit per app. When it’s up, the icon greys out until midnight.

  1. Tap the chart (on Samsung, App timers).
  2. Find the app and set a timer.
  3. Choose a time.

Chrome site timers

Digital Wellbeing can limit websites too, but only in Chrome. Tap the chart, tap Chrome, then Show sites, and set a timer on the site you want to limit.

Focus mode

Pick distracting apps, then pause them all with Turn on now, or on a schedule (e.g. weekdays 9 to 5). Take a break pauses Focus mode for a few minutes.

Bedtime mode

Turns your screen greyscale and silences your phone at bedtime. Greyscale is surprisingly effective: feeds are much less fun in black and white. On newer Pixel phones, Bedtime has moved into Settings, then Modes. On Samsung, it’s Sleep, under Modes and Routines.

What Digital Wellbeing can’t do

  • Stop you turning it off. Every timer can be removed in seconds.
  • Involve anyone else. For adults there’s no “ask a friend” option. Parental controls are for parents managing children’s phones.
  • Block websites in other browsers. Site timers only work in Chrome.

When to add an app

If you keep switching timers off, you need someone else involved. Snitch works on Android and iPhone. You and up to 4 friends share a daily time pot, and the group decides on extra time. On Android it can also block sites like YouTube and Instagram in your browser. See more options in the best screen time apps for Android.

Get Snitch on Google Play →