Facebook and Instagram start new feature to reveal how much time users spend in each app

A new set of features are starting to roll out to the Facebook and Instagram mobile apps on Wednesday to help you better manage how you spend time on the platforms.

The features include daily and weekly data on time spent within each app, a feature for temporarily muting push notifications, and a daily reminder system to notify you when you've hit a self-designated cut-off time for the day, the CNN reports.

"This is about giving people the tools and the insights for them to decide for themselves what they want to be doing," said David Ginsberg, director of research at Facebook.

According to Ginsberg, the features build on the changes Facebook made to the News Feed in January. Facebook said it would prioritize posts that "spark conversations and meaningful interactions," as well posts from family and friends. In a Facebook post at the time, CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote, "One of our big focus areas for 2018 is making sure the time we all spend on Facebook is time well spent."

The tools will be accessible on the Settings page within each app. All users need to do is to tap  "Your Activity" on Instagram and select "Your Time on Facebook” when visiting the social networking site.

But you'll still have to do some of the leg work to make sure you're happy with how you're spending your time. The features are not available on the Facebook Messenger app or the new IGTV app, a hub for long-form, vertical video. The tools aren't accessible via desktop yet, either.

"Over time we hope to bridge the both of them [desktop and mobile]," said Gretchen Sloan, head of communications at Facebook, during a press briefing.


The calculations of how much time you're spending on each app is specific to each device. So if you're using Instagram on your tablet and your phone, you'll have to add the two totals together. You also won't be able to view your historical data after the week has passed, so it may be difficult to see changes in your behavior.


You can receive a push notification once you've reached your selected cut-off time for, as an example, 25 minutes a day. However, you'll need to exercise some self control once you meet your daily quota. (The apps don't shut down after time is up).