Facebook and Instagram apps get dashboard to monitor usage

Facebook is adding a dashboard to its app that allows users to see how much time they spend on the social network. The tool is also coming to Instagram. Users can set to receive a notification when a certain time is exceeded.

The dashboard will come to the Facebook and Instagram apps and will be accessible via the settings page. With Instagram the function is called Your Activity and with Facebook it’s Your Time on Facebook. When users click on this, they see a dashboard with the average time spent in the app per day. Usage is tracked per device; if users have multiple devices on which they use the accounts, the time will not be added up.

By clicking on the graph, the total time per day becomes visible. Below the dashboard is an option in which a daily reminder can be set if a certain time is exceeded. The apps will then send a notification if users spend more time in the app than the specified limit. There will also be a new option to mute notifications from the apps.

It was already announced in May that Instagram would get the function. Now it appears that Facebook is getting the same tool. In an announcement Wednesday, Facebook says it will soon make the functionality available in the apps.

Google and Apple also announced similar tools earlier this year. For example, Android P gets a dashboard that provides insight into the use of apps. In iOS 12, there’s the Screen Time menu, which shows app usage statistics.