Google I/O 2018: New Android controls to help you spend less time on phone

After Facebook, Google to announce new features that help you control your phone addiction.

This anticipated shift is reportedly due to the increased public scrutiny of the industry that revolves around the so-called negative consequences of technology products that are used by people. (Shutterstock)

Google is expected to launch a set of new controls for its mobile operating system at its annual developer conference "Google I/O" scheduled to kick-off on Tuesday. The new Android controls are aimed at helping users manage the time spent on their mobile devices.

In his keynote address in US' Mountain View city in California, Indian-origin Chief Executive Officer of Google, Sundar Pichai, is expected to emphasise the theme of responsibility, The Washington Post reported late on Monday.

Growing concerns
This anticipated shift is reportedly due to the increased public scrutiny of the industry that revolves around the so-called negative consequences of technology products that are used by people.

"Some of the criticism centres on the suspected addictive nature of many devices and programmes," the report said.

Facebook has also announced a few similar initiatives to help users spend less time on the social networking platform. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had revealed that the time people spent on Facebook had gone down by roughly 50 million hours every day.

"2017 was a strong year for Facebook, but it was also a hard one. In 2018, we're focused on making sure Facebook isn't just fun to use, but also good for people's well-being and for society. We're doing this by encouraging meaningful connections between people rather than passive consumption of content," said Zuckerberg while presenting Facebook's Q4 earnings in February this year.

Google is a step ahead
However, when it comes to family controls, Google is a step ahead with "Family Link" -- a suite of tools allows parents to regulate how much time their children can spend on apps and remotely lock their child's device.

Its rival Apple offers "do not disturb" modes that limit an iPhone's function overnight or while driving.

Google might also announce new capabilities to its Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Google Assistant to make its products more interactive and helpful. It might also launch the latest version of Android operating system, called Android P. An early iteration of Android P was released to developers and anyone who owns Google's Pixel phones in early March.

According to the media reports, the next OS might be called "Android Popsicle".

In March, Google released the first developer preview of Android P that was mostly focused on the changes that will affect developers and not on user interface (UI) adjustments.

Google added a built-in support for a notch cutting into the display at the top of the screen, called "display cutout support". The company also tweaked the look for the "Quick Settings" panel and the notification drawer with rounded corners.

(with inputs from HT Correspondent)