For those who are wondering just how much time they are spending (or wasting) on their smartphone, there is an app that does just that, at least for Android. It is called Phone Usage Monitor, and it tracks both phone usage and its associated battery consumption.
The app basically has two important features. The first is called App Usage Statistics, and it breaks down phone usage by app, so users can see how much time every day they are spending actively using such apps as Facebook and Twitter. It further lets users know exactly when they started and stopped an app between two given dates, and it also lets them know when they last used an app.
The second important feature of Phone Usage Monitor is called Device Events, and it tracks all the other ways a phone gets used, along with the associated amount of battery that gets consumed. For example, it tracks whenever a phone gets charged, when it attempts to connect to WiFi and every time the phone gets turned on. This is useful for discovering ways batteries get wasted, such as if the phone is constantly trying to connect to WiFi. This in turn can help smartphone users make their device more energy efficient.
The app can create lots of data. Perhaps too much data. Fortunately, users can fine tune exactly what data they want to see. They can customize which apps they want to track, as well as which events they want to track.
Phone Usage Monitor is available right now at the Google Play store, and its ad-supported version is completely free of charge. For those who do no like ads, there is also a paid version of the app available at the Play store for $1.99. The app is still in its early stages, so users should expect at least a few stability problems. There is also a thread at the XDA Developers Forum about the app, for users interested in more technical information about it. To download the app, click here.
