If you struggle with late-night phone usage disrupting your sleep, Android 15 has a nifty new feature that could help. Google is opening up deeper integration that will allow third-party apps to create highly customized bedtime mode routines tailored to your needs.
At present, only Google’s built-in Digital Wellbeing app can adjust certain settings like enabling grayscale mode, implementing dark theme, dimming wallpapers, and disabling always-on displays when bedtime mode kicks in. However, the new ZenDeviceEffects API in Android 15 will expand this feature to other apps as well.
The API allows developers to create dedicated sleep apps or integrate sleep routine features into existing apps like automation tools. They will be able to programmatically switch between display choices such as grayscale, dark mode, brightness reduction, and ambient display suppression during scheduled bedtime hours.
This opens up a world of possibility for personalized wind-down routines triggered by time, location, phone charging state, or even tapping an NFC tag. The popular Tasker automation app is already experimenting with activating these new sleep-optimized display modes.
Third-party apps on current Android versions can only set do-not-disturb times to reduce auditory interruptions overnight. The ZenDeviceEffects API greatly extends on this, including visual modifications that have been scientifically proven to encourage better sleep by lowering blue light exposure.
Google itself currently offers basic bedtime mode scheduling and options within the Digital Wellbeing settings. But opening this up could enable much richer sleep hygiene experiences from companies dedicated to sleep tracking and optimization.
The ZenDeviceEffects API has already been publicly documented, suggesting it will indeed ship as part of the Android 15 release later this year after further developer preview testing and refinement.
NEWS SOURCE: Android Authority
