Google’s ‘Time well spent’ initiative for Android launched at Google I/O with Android Pie earlier this year is moving to Google Assistant, with the Home app now showing Digital Wellbeing settings.
The update to the Home app is quite limited at this stage, with only a few users on reddit noting its appearance in the Settings of their updated Home app. The Digital Wellbeing setting in the Home app includes two options you can configure: Filters and Downtime.
According to the Google Support page for Google Home, ‘only the person who set up the Google Home device can set up and manage Digital Wellbeing’, so you’ll need to be aware of that. Filters and Downtime allow you to reclaim some control on when Home will respond, with Google describing Filters and Downtime like this:
Filters
Filters can help you place limits on how people in your household can use Google Home. You can use Filters to do things like block access to music with explicit lyrics, or define which video services are available.
Downtime
With Downtime you can help your family take a break from Google Home. When your Google Home devices are in Downtime, they will not respond to most commands or questions. During Downtime, you also will not receive notifications from your Google Home devices. Alarms and Timers will still work.
At this stage the updated setting hasn’t appeared in our Google Home app as yet, but with the launch of Google Home Hub today it should be arriving very soon.
Do you have the Digital Wellbeing feature in your settings?
I have the option but I don’t think I’ll be using it. No kids at home so no need to filter media, and I use the Home to control lights and fans, so don’t want it muted either.