Staying away from your phone right before bed is tough, but as most of us know, that late-night scrolling can seriously derail your sleep. This is why so many smartphones nowadays provide some sort of Digital Wellbeing app, such as the one Google currently has, that helps you combat this by implementing a “bedtime mode” feature. Every OEM has their own take on it, but the most helpful are the ones that include additional options to not just quiet your phone down, but also to adjust your screen settings to minimize blue light exposure.
Now, As discovered by Mishaal Rahman in collaboration with the folks at Android Authority, Android 15 will make bedtime mode even more powerful. Currently, Google’s Digital Wellbeing is the only app that can change certain screen settings to minimize distractions. With Android 15‘s update, third-party apps will gain that same ability, which paves the way for developers to create customized sleep routines tailored to your specific needs.
Google’s flavor of bedtime mode, which can be found within the Digital Wellbeing app’s settings, lets you create a fixed schedule or trigger the mode when your phone starts charging past a certain time. Once active, bedtime mode can turn on “Do Not Disturb,” silencing distractions while ensuring important calls or alarms still get through. You can also tweak your display by going grayscale, activating dark mode, turning off the always-on display, and dimming your wallpaper.Currently, Android allows third-party apps to create “Do Not Disturb” schedules, but those same apps can’t access most screen-altering options. With the new update, Android 15 will include the ZenDeviceEffects API, letting external apps toggle things like grayscale, dark mode, reduced screen brightness, and suppression of the ambient display.
Tasker, a top-tier Android automation app, is already experimenting with these new sleep-focused features. The expanded access will allow for more fine-tuned control. Imagine a bedtime routine triggered not by time, but by tapping your phone on an NFC tag. The possibilities for customized routines are endless.
Image Credit: Android Authority
As noted by the source, since Google unveiled the ZenDeviceEffects API in a public blog post upon the release of Android 15 Developer Preview 2, it is unlikely that it would disappear before Android 15‘s full release. However, changes are always possible, especially with some features like dark mode toggle not quite working yet.