TikTok adds new screen time controls to remind users to take breaks

TikTok is introducing new screen time limits to help users keep track of how much time they spend on the app. With the update, the firm is introducing a new in-app dashboard that will track how much time users spend in the app.

The dashboard will provide information such as how much time you spend in the program, when you use it the most, and how frequently you use it. Users of TikTok will now be able to set screen time limitations for how long they may use the app in a single session.

Previously, the app had screen time controls that would time out after a set amount of time had passed. Users can, for example, choose to have the app remind them to “take a break” if they have kept it open for a lengthy amount of time with the new setting.

The modifications come as TikTok and its competitors face criticism about the influence of their apps on teenagers. Senators introduced a bill earlier this year that would expand research on social media addiction in order to put more “guardrails” in place to protect younger users.

Notably, TikTok has announced that it will be imposing extra screen time restrictions for kids aged 13 to 17. When teens spend more than 100 minutes in the app in a single day, they will now receive weekly “digital well-being prompts” and additional screen time reminders.