Following Apple and Google, which both have launched features for iOS and Android that allows users to track their smartphone usage, Facebook in early August announced a similar feature that would tell you exactly how much time you waste on its social networks, including Facebook and Instagram. That feature is now rolling out on Facebook, and you might already be able to use it.
Called “Your Time on Facebook,” the new feature seems like an unexpected addition to the kind of service that makes more money the more time you use the app. But Facebook said months before its August announcement that it favors meaningful interactions inside the app over an increase in usage and user numbers. Also, just because it exists, the time tracking feature won’t necessarily cut down on your Facebook usage, unless you actually take the time to customize it and abide by your own rules.
You’ll find “Your Time on Facebook” under the Settings & Privacy menu, which is in the More tab inside Facebook. Once in there, you’ll be able to see how many minutes you’ve spent on Facebook on average, but also the exact amounts of time every day of the past week. That’s also where you can set up daily limits as well as a reminder that will tell you to stop using Facebook once that daily threshold is reached.
Under the Manage Your Time tab, you’ll find ways to edit your preferences for notifications, News Feed content, and Friend Requests.
If you still can’t see “Your Time on Facebook” inside the Facebook app, it simply means that Facebook hasn’t rolled it out in your region for the time being. The company told TechCrunch that it rolls out new features slowly so it can stop if any serious bugs are found, but the rollout will continue over the next few weeks. Also, make sure you update Facebook on iPhone and Android to get the new feature once it reaches your area.
On Instagram, you also have a Your Activity tab where you can check your time on the social network, a feature that was first released last week.
