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Technology has been an amazing addition to our lives. Our smartphones now provide us with instant access to the internet, allowing us to keep up to date with the news, order shopping online, and communicate with loved ones across the globe.

However, there is also a darker side to our phones. More and more people, across all age groups, are realising the growing problem of smartphone addiction. And it’s something we’re all guilty of. Whether its slyly checking your phone at work or scrolling through social media in the midst of a conversation, we can’t seem to help reaching for our phones.

If, like many, you want to cut down the amount of time you spend on your phone you first need to understand just how often you reach for your device. So, here’s a roundup of the best phone usage tracking apps – prepare to be shocked at just how much time you spend looking at your hand-held screen!

Moment

Moment for iOS devices lets users track iPhone and iPad use for themselves and their family. You can monitor the screen time of all your family, identify the apps you use the most, and set daily limits. The Coach will also give you advice on how to use your phone less.

It also has a feature allowing you to have a screen-free family meal for 60 minutes. If anyone picks up their device in that time, an annoying alert will go off, letting everyone know someone has slyly reached for their phone! This is a great way to track your child's location with your phone.

Just beware – your kids will also be able to see if you’ve gone over your daily limit!

( OFFTIME )

( OFFTIME ) is one of the best Android apps if you’re looking to unplug and take some time off from being constantly connected. It lets you track your usage, customise connectivity by restricting app usage, informs you if you go over your limit, and enables you to create profiles to block calls, texts or notifications.

You can also set VIP contacts, such as your boss or your mum, so they remain unblocked, and you can send out a customised auto-reply so your loved ones know why you aren’t answering their call.

QualityTime

QualityTime will provide you with in-depth stats from how often you entered your PIN, the number of screen locks, total phone usage, and individual apps.

It breaks the data into hourly, daily or weekly reports, enabling you to pinpoint when you use your phone the most and which apps you access most frequently.

You can set alerts, set restricted periods, and even schedule breaks from your phone. If you’d like to exclude callers from being blocked, you can put them in a whitelist of contacts.

Space

Available for both iOS and Android, Space aims to provide users with a more mindful approach to their screen time. It will ask you to complete a short questionnaire regarding your screen habits and then select a user type based on the best match.

You can use the app to lock your screen, set time goals, and provides you with a “moment of Zen” prior to opening apps. It will also send you notifications when you near your screen limit and will reward you with different achievement badges for meeting daily goals.