Last month, Google revealed a suite of new Android P features called ‘Digital Wellbeing’ focused on giving users an easy method to view how much time they’re spending using their smartphone.
Now, it looks like Apple has similar plans for the iPhone and iOS 12. According to Bloomberg’s often-reliable Mark Gurman, iOS 12 — which is set to be revealed at WWDC on Monday — will include a new ‘Digital Health’ settings section.
iOS 12 is rumoured to feature “a series of tools” that outline how much time you’re actually spending using your iPhone or iPad, including the ability to view specific app usage.
Learn how we’re supporting #DigitalWellbeing so everyone can enjoy technology that improves life and doesn’t distract from it → https://t.co/IsaUmj4vl9 #io18 pic.twitter.com/v8APGLWHCU
— Google (@Google) May 8, 2018
You can already do this now by navigating to your phone’s battery settings and tapping on apps to see how long they’ve been on-screen, but it looks like Apple has plans to expand this functionality.
It’s likely that the full version of iOS 12 will launch this coming September, which is just a few weeks after Google typically releases the new version of Android to Pixel smartphones and other devices.
Other iOS 12 features include a new version of Apple’s augmented reality platform, ARKit, as well as an emphasis on stability, speed and responsiveness — three key ingredients Apple’s mobile operating system has been lacking.
For more information on what to expect from WWDC, check out my comprehensive round-up of everything we expect to see next week at Apple’s Developers Conference.
Source: Bloomberg
