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Verdict: Some techie cool kids manually switch their phones to gray as a way to avoid distraction, but making it automatic is much more effective.
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Turn your phone face down to "shush" — Flipping your phone onto its face will turn on "do not disturb" mode, which silences calls, buzzes and other visual notifications. (You can add certain VIP contacts that still break through.) That seems way easier than activating a phone setting, though it’s not clear how a phone might get confused when it’s in your pocket or bag.
Verdict: Why haven’t phones had this from the beginning? But remember: It’s still not polite to put your phone on the dinner table.
"Time spent" dashboard — Android P’s system software will come with a dashboard that’s like a calorie counter for your digital life. It shows you many times you’ve unlocked your phone, how much time you spend looking at it, as well as a breakdown on how much time you spend with each app. You can also set time limits for apps, after which their app icons will appear grey on your screen and won't upen unless you go into settings to unlock them.
Verdict: Do you really want to know how much time you’re wasting on Instagram? This data might horrify you, but knowing is the first step to doing something.
Android P includes a dashboard to track how much time you spend on your phone.
The changes are welcome, but there’s more the tech companies could do, especially given how much data they collect about us. The new Android features don’t much help for distracted walkers (now a menace in many cities), for example. There’s also a wider social ill: why do friends and bosses expect us to always be online, ready to reply at a moment’s notice?
Google said the updates are part of a broader new digital well-being initiative that’s just beginning. That includes changes to a range of products such as YouTube, which will now remind you to take breaks, and smarter ways to manage Android notifications.
To get Google’s new features, you’re going to need an phone running Android P. That’s not likely to come with an update to most phones for some time. But if you just can’t wait (or have a spare phone), you can download a beta version today on select phones including the latest from Google, Nokia, Sony, Oppo and OnePlus.