The new Google Android 9.0 Pie update saw the addition of features that have been collectively grouped together under a section called Digital Wellbeing. One such feature is the ability to track the amount of time spent on your Android device and it has been adopted for Google’s video streaming service, YouTube.
Similar to the implementation that was done on the operating system, the said feature on YouTube also tracks the amount of time spent watching videos on the service, and giving you the option of setting reminders to take a break if you’ve been watching for too long. YouTube Music and YouTube TV apparently doesn’t count toward the tracking of your ‘time watched’, according to The Verge.
That said, YouTube didn’t say if there will be a detailed breakdown of which video you watched or for what duration did you watch it. From the looks of it, there’s only the general viewing time which the feature tracks for up to seven days.
The YouTube app also now silences notifications between 10pm and 8am by default. This means your phone won’t ring, nor will it even vibrate. This is something that you can disable, or adjust to fit your own schedule.
Speaking of options, you can also opt out of the whole tracking business altogether which is rather understandable, considering it’s also a privacy concern. YouTube says that this new addition is already being rolled out to users, so keep a look for it on your device very soon.
