Revealed
SWITCH IT OFF
Apple’s iOS 12 update will make you use your iPhone LESS – here’s how
Ever feel like you spend too much time on your phone? Now you can finally be free...
APPLE has announced a brand new set of tools to get you to use your iPhone or iPad less.
It might sound wacky, but the next big iPhone update will include a host of features to let you get on with your own digital detox.
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These features include bulk notification ditching, a new Do Not Disturb tool, and a brand new dashboard that tells you how much you're using your phone – and lets you set usage limits, too.
The announcements were made at today's Worldwide Developer Conference, an annual Apple event in California.
Speaking at the event, Apple software chief Craig Federighi said: "Today we’re announcing a comprehensive set of built-in features to help you limit distraction, focus and understand how you’re spending your time."
There are three key new features, which we'll explain in detail below.
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Do Not Disturb
There's now a new Do Not Disturb feature that will let you shut out notifications during bedtime.
This means you won't get any buzzing notifications overnight – and you won't wake up to any notifications either.
You'll only be bombarded with notifications once you decide to see them in the morning.
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"In the morning you’re gently eased into your day, you can tap when you want to start getting your notifications," explained Federighi.
He also revealed that you can set an ending time for Do Not Disturb, so that the feature will shut off when you leave a particular location or when an event ends on your calendar.
Grouped Notifications
Perhaps the most underrated announcement at this year's WWDC is grouped notifications – a feature already available on Android.
Rather than being bombarded with 50 WhatsApp notifications for individual messages on your lock screen, they'll all be grouped together.
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"Notifications are grouped not just by app, but by topic or thread," said Federighi.
"You can tap in and look at a particular group.
"With a single swipe, you can triage a whole group of notifications away."
You'll also get the option to customise your notifications with a new Instant Tuning feature.
Press in on a notification and you'll be able to send future pop-ups from that app straight to the Notification Centre, bypassing the Lock Screen.
And Siri will even suggest turning off notifications for apps you're no longer using.
Screen Time
Finally, there's Screen Time, which is basically like a digital health report that shames you if you're using your phone too much.
"Every week you get a detailed activity summary that tells you how you used your iPhone or iPad," said Federighi.
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It'll include a summary of the time you spent in apps, and even how many times per hour you pick up your phone.
It'll also show which apps are sending you the most notifications.
But perhaps the best feature of Screen Time is the ability to set app limits for yourself.
For instance, you could choose to only allow yourself two hours of Instagram each day – if you dare.
"During the day, you'll receive a helpful notification letting you know time is almost up," Federighi revealed.
You can grant an extension if you like, but nobody likes a quitter.
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The Screen Time feature also syncs across iPhone and iPad, so limits will apply to total usage across devices.
There are additional controls for parents, too.
"We know this is something that can help families achieve the right balance for them," Apple's software boss told WWDC attendees.
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Children will get their own activity report, but parents will get a copy on their devices too.
You then have the option of creating allowances for your kids.
This means you can keep the iPhone unusable completely, or only allow access to certain apps – like the phone caller.
"You can also limit access to only movies, apps and websites that you deem age-appropriate," said Federighi.
Apple's new features will land with the upcoming iOS 12 update for iPhone and iPad.
However, that update likely won't become available until September, sadly.
Do you think Apple's new iOS 12 features are a good idea? Let us know in the comments!
Faster and more responsive
Apple launched iOS 12 on September 17 promising improvements across its system.
The new operating system means your camera will launch 70 per cent faster enabling you to take snaps quicker when you are on the move.
Your phone’s keyboard will also appear 50 per cent faster while typing has been improved to make the function more responsive.
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