Introduction to Google’s New Feature
Google has created a clever button that could reduce energy bills for millions of television owners. The feature was discovered by Telly Sleuths on Google TV, one of the most popular systems that provide televisions around the world. Google TV and Android TV are Google creations that serve as the "at home" for their television and operate their apps and settings. They regularly receive Google updates that add new features to improve your television, even after you’ve bought it.
The New Sleep-Timer Feature
Gadget fans with eagle eyes have dug into the test version of one of these updates and uncovered a clever upgrade. The new feature allows you to set up an advanced sleep-timer for your television so that it no longer plays all night. Falling asleep while watching television is very common, even if what you’re watching isn’t boring. Android TV currently offers a very simple sleep-timer, but it’s very difficult to find, buried deep in the energy settings of your television. A clever workaround is to ask the integrated Google Assistant to "turn off the TV in x minutes".
Benefits of the New Feature
With the new version, however, you can plan sleep-timers, add time, pause, and even receive notifications if it’s about to shut down. There’s no word on when the feature will arrive, but it would be very practical. If you don’t run your TV all night, you’ll save money on energy bills. It also means you’ll get a more relaxing sleep. Additionally, you won’t risk something loud coming on the TV that might wake up your partner or other people at home, which could even help you avoid a few rows at home.
iPhone Sleep-Timer Alternatives
As you wait for the new feature, there are some clever iPhone sleep-timers to try. The first is built directly into the official Apple Podcasts app. Just go in, start playing something, and then look at the media playback screen in the app. You should see a small crescent moon symbol in the lower right, which has three "z"s next to it. Tap on it, and you can set up a sleep-timer for that podcast. You can select times ranging from five minutes to an hour.
Using the iPhone Clock App
There’s a very similar function that also works for music on your iPhone. It’s integrated into the standard iPhone Clock app, and you may have missed it completely. You can use the timer in the Clock app to prevent music from playing after a certain time. For example, you could play peaceful rain noises and then have it switch off so it doesn’t run all night. This saves energy and might give you a little peace. Start playing music, then go to the Clock app and go to the Timers tab. Set a timer for a long time, such as an hour, and when it ends, don’t choose a sound. Instead, scroll down, tap the Stop Playing option, and start the timer. When it ends, the timer won’t make a sound, and your music will simply switch off completely.
