Where to find your screen time data on Android
Android keeps a record of how much time you spend on each app and on your phone overall. You can see this information in your phone's settings — the exact location depends on which version of Android you have and which manufacturer made your phone, but the process is similar across most devices.
The most common place to find screen time is in Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls (or sometimes just Digital Wellbeing). This feature has been built into Android since version 9. If you have an older phone or a manufacturer like Samsung that customizes Android heavily, the menu might be labeled differently — Samsung calls it Digital Wellbeing and Screen time — but the information is the same.
Open your Settings app, scroll down until you find the Digital Wellbeing option, and tap it. You will see a graph showing your total screen time for today, and below that a list of every app you have used, ranked by time spent.
Key Takeaways
- Android's Digital Wellbeing feature shows your total screen time and breaks it down by individual app, updated throughout the day.
- You can find this in Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls on most Android phones, though Samsung and other manufacturers may use slightly different names.
- The screen time data resets at midnight each day, so you are always looking at the current day's usage unless you swipe to see previous days.
- You can set app timers that lock you out of an app once you hit a daily limit, which requires you to manually unlock it if you want to keep using it.
Understanding what the screen time numbers actually show
The time shown for each app is the total time the app was actively in use — meaning it was on your screen and you were interacting with it. If you open an app and then switch to another one, the timer stops for the first app. If you lock your screen, all timers stop.
The total screen time at the top of the page is the sum of all app usage, not the total time your phone was powered on. If your phone is sitting on a table with the screen off, that time does not count toward your screen time, even though the phone is technically on.
One important detail: the numbers update throughout the day, but they are not always live. There can be a delay of a few minutes before an app's time is recorded, so if you just closed an app, wait a moment and refresh the page to see the updated number.
How to see screen time from previous days
By default, Digital Wellbeing shows you today's usage. To see how much time you spent on your phone yesterday or earlier in the week, swipe left on the graph at the top of the screen. Each swipe takes you back one day. You can usually go back about a week or two, depending on your phone.
This is useful if you want to spot patterns — for example, whether you use your phone more on weekends or whether a particular app's usage has been climbing. The data does not go back indefinitely, so if you need a record from months ago, you will not find it here.
Setting app timers to limit your usage
Below the list of apps, you will see an option to set app timers. Tap the app you want to limit, then tap the timer icon. Set the number of hours and minutes you want to allow per day. Once you hit that limit, the app will become grayed out and you will not be able to open it without manually unlocking it.
The timer resets at midnight. If you set a 30-minute limit on social media and you use it all up by 2 p.m., you can still unlock it manually to use it again, but you will have to make a conscious choice to do so. The app does not re-lock until the next day.
Be aware that app timers only work for apps you have set them on. They do not prevent you from using your phone overall — they just lock individual apps once their daily limit is reached.
Why your screen time might not match what you expect
Screen time does not include time spent on your phone's home screen, lock screen, or in the system settings. If you spend 10 minutes scrolling through your home screen looking for an app, that time is not counted. Only time spent inside an actual app counts.
Some apps also report their usage differently. For example, if you are listening to music with the screen off, the music app may not count that time, or it may count it differently than an app you are actively looking at. Background processes — things happening while you are not using the app — are not included in the screen time count.
If you have multiple user accounts on your phone, each account has its own screen time data. You are only seeing the usage for the account you are currently logged into.
Checking screen time for a child's device
If you set up parental controls on a child's Android phone, you can see their screen time from your own device using Google Family Link. Open the Family Link app on your phone, select the child's account, and tap Screen time. You will see a breakdown of their daily usage and can set app limits remotely.
The child will see a notification when they are approaching their app limit, and the app will lock once the time is up. They can request more time, which sends a notification to you asking for permission. This is different from the app timers on an adult's phone, where you can unlock the app yourself without anyone's permission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see screen time for apps I have already deleted?
No. Once you uninstall an app, its historical screen time data is deleted along with it. Digital Wellbeing only shows data for apps currently installed on your phone. If you want to keep a record of an app's usage before you delete it, take a screenshot of the screen time page.
Does screen time include time spent in web browsers?
Yes, but only the time you spend in the browser app itself. If you open Chrome and browse for 30 minutes, that 30 minutes counts toward Chrome's screen time. However, the browser does not break down which websites you visited or how long you spent on each one — it only shows total time in the app.
Why does my screen time say zero for today?
This usually means you have not used any apps yet, or the data has not updated. Try closing the Digital Wellbeing page and opening it again. If you have used your phone but it still shows zero, wait a few minutes — there can be a delay before usage is recorded in the system.
Can I turn off screen time tracking?
No, you cannot disable Digital Wellbeing entirely on most Android phones. The tracking happens automatically. However, you can choose not to look at it — the data is collected whether you check it or not, but you are not required to use any of the features like app timers.
Is screen time the same as battery usage?
No. Screen time shows how long an app was actively displayed on your screen. Battery usage shows how much power an app consumed, which is different — an app might use a lot of battery while running in the background, or use very little battery even if you spent a long time in it.