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

TikTok is rolling out more screen time controls to help users manage how much time they are spending in the app. With the change, the company is adding a new in-app dashboard that will more closely track how long people are spending in the app.

The dashboard will show statistics like how much time you spend in the app, when you sue the app most and how often it’s opened. Additionally, TikTok users will now be able to set screen time limits for how long they can use the app in any one sitting.

Previously, the the app has offered screen time controls that time out after a designated daily limit. But with the new setting users can, for example, opt to have the app remind them to “take a break” if they have had it open for an extended period of time.

The changes come as TikTok and its peers have about their apps’ impact on teens. Earlier this year, lawmakers in the Senate introduced that would increase the study of social media in an effort to put up more “guardrails” to protect younger users.

Notably, TikTok now says it’s introducing additional screen time restrictions for teens between the ages of 13 and 17. Teens will now see weekly “digital well-being prompts” and get additional screen time reminders when they have spent more than 100 minutes in the app on a single day.