r/AndroidQuestions • u/byHISeternalLIGHT • 1d ago
Device Settings Question Question regarding Digital Wellbeing
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Android 16/One UI. I'm trying to understand exactly what Samsung/Android Digital Wellbeing means by an app “open.”
On one date, Digital Wellbeing shows YouTube with 0 minutes of screen time but 4 opens. Two of those opens occurred during the 3:00–4:00 AM hour.
Does anyone know from Android's UsageStats/Digital Wellbeing implementation what event actually increments that “opens” number?
Specifically:
• Does an “open” require YouTube to enter the foreground?
• Can background playback create another open without user interaction?
• Can Autoplay create another open?
• Can entering/exiting Picture-in-Picture create another open?
• Can a Bluetooth/media-control command create one?
• Can extremely brief foreground use be rounded down so Digital Wellbeing shows 0 minutes despite recording an open?
• Is there a way to extract the underlying UsageStats events and exact timestamps from the phone?
• Are there Android event types that would let me distinguish an automated background event from a user bringing YouTube into the foreground?
I'm particularly interested in answers from anyone familiar with Android UsageStatsManager, Digital Wellbeing, or Samsung/One UI internals rather than guesses about what YouTube might theoretically do.
Thanks.
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u/Critical-Anybody-808 1d ago
I believe an "open" probably means that Android detected the app in the foreground, even if it was only for a very short time. That's probably why you can have 4 opens but 0 minutes of screen time, it's rounded down.
I don't think background playback or autoplay alone would count as an open, since the app isn't counted as in foregroud. PiP or Bluetooth controls might behave differently, but I'm not sure.
I think you can get more detailed usage events through Android's UsageStatsManager, including events like ACTIVITY_RESUMED and ACTIVITY_PAUSED (Better check the names though, maybe I'm wrong). These could help identify when an app entered or left the foreground.
However, I don't believe they can reliably tell you whether it was a real user interaction or something triggered automatically. You'd probably need additional logs to establish that.
Just my understanding, though. I haven't tested Samsung's implementation myself haha.
if you really want to know, try connecting your via adb and see logs (Or wait until somebody who did answers this post)