TikTok users frequently complain about spending hours on the platform, especially late at night. To address these concerns, the company is testing new sleep reminders, which include the ability to set up alerts when it’s time for bed and to mute notifications during the recommended seven hours of sleep. TikTok confirmed to TechCrunch on Friday that the new sleep reminders are being tested with a small group of users around the world.
According to screenshots shared by product intelligence firm Watchful.ai, the new feature appears in the app’s “screen time” settings. Participants in the test will notice a new “sleep reminders” option. According to the app, sleep reminders will help you “know if you reach your TikTok sleep time to help you get to bed when you want to.” After you choose a sleep time, the app will remind you to close it when the clock reaches that time. TikTok will also turn off push notifications for seven hours after you go to bed to help you avoid distractions.
According to a TikTok spokesperson, the company is constantly working on new ways to support users’ well-being, and this new tool expands on its current digital well-being features. The app first introduced screen time management tools in February 2020, and has since added new features to give users more control over their app usage.
Last June, the company released an in-app tool that allows users to schedule regular screen time breaks to help them control how much time they spend on TikTok in a single sitting. It suggests break reminders of 10, 20, or 30 minutes by default, but users can set custom reminders if they want to engage in longer or shorter sessions before being shown the notification. Teen accounts also have restricted nighttime notifications. Push notifications are disabled for users aged 13-15 beginning at 9 p.m., and for users aged 16-17 beginning at 10 p.m.
Read Also; COINBASE JOINS ELON MUSK IN CRITICIZING APPLE’S APP STORE TAX
TikTok’s addictive nature has been the subject of numerous psychological studies due to its unrivaled ability to distract and engage users via its advanced recommendation technology. As a result, it’s not surprising that TikTok is testing new tools to give users more control over their TikTok usage. As with any other beta feature, it’s unclear when or if TikTok intends to make the sleep reminders feature more widely available.
