Tensio
Setting and limiting screen time on Android
With Digital Wellbeing, Android provides its own features for analysing and limiting smartphone use. They create transparency about one’s own usage but reach their limits when it comes to reducing it over the long term.
As of October 2026
Viewing screen time
On most Android smartphones, the feature can be found under “Digital Wellbeing” in Settings [1]. On Samsung Galaxy devices, it is likewise located in Settings under “Digital Wellbeing” [2]. The term “Screen Time” refers to the corresponding feature on the iPhone but is also commonly used in connection with Android.
- Open Settings and select “Digital Wellbeing”.
- Tap the chart. Under “Screen time”, usage is shown for each app.
Android also shows how often individual apps were opened and how many notifications were received [1]. Menu items may vary depending on the manufacturer and Android version.
Limiting usage with built-in tools
App timers
An app timer limits the daily usage time of individual apps. It is set up under “Digital Wellbeing” and “App timers” by tapping “Set timer” next to the app, choosing the duration and confirming with “OK”. When the time is up, the app closes and its icon is greyed out. Timers reset every day at midnight [1].
Focus mode
Focus mode pauses selected apps so that they cannot be opened while it is active. A schedule can be set so that the mode switches on automatically at fixed times, for example during working hours [1].
Bedtime mode
Bedtime mode is activated according to a schedule or while the device is charging in the evening. Optionally, it displays the screen in greyscale and switches to a dark theme [1]. The device remains fully usable.
Limitations of the built-in features
All of these features can be switched off again at any time without any obstacle. App timers can be deleted, and Focus mode explicitly offers the option “Take a break” [1]. The limit therefore remains voluntary and is only effective as long as it is not lifted at the critical moment.
The need for more effective solutions is well documented. Allcott, Gentzkow and Song estimate that self-control problems account for 31 per cent of social media use. Participants who were able to set limits on their future screen time in advance reduced their usage substantially [3]. Whether the effect of such commitments depends on how easily they can be reversed was not specifically examined in the study.
Note. If smartphone use significantly impairs everyday life, neither limits nor a financial stake are the appropriate means. In this case, professional counselling or medical support is advisable.
Binding limits with Tensio
Tensio is an Android app that combines screen time goals with a financial stake. The app does not block any features but checks at check-in, based on the phone’s usage data, whether the set limit has been observed. If it has been exceeded, 80 per cent of the stake goes to an organisation chosen in advance. The limit can therefore still be exceeded, but only with a consequence set in advance.
- Limits for total screen time, for example a maximum of two hours or 90 minutes a day, and for the usage time of individual apps.
- A phone curfew from a time of your choice, with a tolerance of five minutes.
- Usage data is analysed exclusively on the device. Only whether the check-in was successful is transmitted to the server.
Screen time goals in Tensio are currently available on Android only, and the minimum stake is €2.49. How Tensio verifies goals
References
- Google: Manage how you spend time on your Android phone with Digital Wellbeing. Android Help, accessed 27 October 2026. support.google.com/android/answer/9346420
- Samsung: Use Digital Wellbeing features on your Galaxy phone or tablet. Samsung Support, accessed 27 October 2026. samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00085547
- Allcott, H., Gentzkow, M. & Song, L. (2022). Digital Addiction. American Economic Review, 112(7), 2424-2463. doi:10.1257/aer.20210867
