The Screen Attention feature was discovered in the latest beta version of Android 10.0 (Q). A new way to monitor whether you are still looking at your screen.
Screen Attention in Android Q
One of the biggest irritations about smartphone use is that the screen goes off while you are reading or viewing something. The new Screen Attention feature in Android Q offers a solution.
The idea of Screen Attention is that the selfie camera is used to follow your eyes. This way Android can see if you are still looking at your screen. If this is the case, the screen stays on. If the camera sees that you are looking into the distance, the screen will turn off. This way you will not be disturbed if you want to watch something, and your battery will not be unnecessarily drained if you are not working with your phone.
This function is of course not entirely new. Various smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung have been offering their own version for years. It is the first time that Android gets the feature built-in.
Privacy and availability
You must first enable the function in the settings menu under ‘View’. The function works on the device itself so that images are never sent to Google.
It remains to be seen whether the function will become available to everyone. Although Screen Attention can work on all Pixel smartphones, for example, it is quite possible that Google will announce it as an exclusive feature for the new Pixel 4 later this year.
Problems with fourth beta
The rollout of the fourth beta of Android Q has been temporarily stopped because some Pixel devices get into a boat run. That shows that downloading beta software is always a risk. However, many Android users cannot wait for the update. Why? Check our overview for all Android Q features.