Until now, the feature was limited to Google’s Pixel phones.
What you need to know
- The “Heads Up” Digital Wellbeing feature is finally rolling out to several non-Pixel phones.
- It began rolling out to Google Pixel phones in April this year.
- The feature aims to save users from the dangers of distracted walking.
Google’s Pixel phones started receiving a new Digital Wellbeing feature called “Heads Up” earlier this year. As per XDA Developers, the feature has now started hitting a number of non-Pixel Android phones, including the OnePlus Nord N200 and the ASUS ZenFone 8.
However, it doesn’t look like Heads Up is available on the best Android phones from all leading OEMs just yet. What is also unclear is exactly when the feature began expanding to non-Pixel phones.
To check if the feature is available on your Android phone, download and install the latest version of Google’s Digital Wellbeing app from the Play Store. The feature can be found under the Reduce Interruptions section within the Digital Wellbeing settings. Since Samsung uses its own version of Digital Wellbeing, the feature won’t be making its way to Galaxy phones.
If you find the feature in Digital Wellbeing settings, tap on the “Heads Up” option to begin the setup. Once you are done, tap on the toggle to get reminders to stop using your phone while you’re walking. After you enable Heads Up, you can expect to receive notifications like “Watch your step,” “Look up,” “Stay Alert,” and “Look Ahead”. As can be seen in the screenshots below, the feature requires Location and Physical Activity permissions to work properly. However, the feature can still send you reminders by recognizing your physical activity, even if you deny the location permission.
It is important to note that the Heads Up feature can only remind you to pay attention while you’re walking. You must still be cautious, as “Heads Up doesn’t replace paying attention.” The feature was first spotted in a teardown of Digital Wellbeing beta v1.0.342229637 by XDA Developers in November last year.