Snore and cough detection for Digital Wellbeing on Android is finally on its way

Google’s 2nd generation Nest Hub integrated something called Sleep Sensing using its onboard Soli chip back when the device first shipped, and this feature allowed the smart display to detect sleep patterns like how long you rest, the quality of that rest, and more. Additionally, something called “Cough and snore detection” came with that, making it easy to see (with a Fitbit Premium subscription, of course) how you could improve your well-being while your conscious mind slumbered.

With that being a thing, Google is now seeking to extend that same functionality to Android, as we reported back in May. Well, 9to5Google has unearthed new code strings in the latest Digital Wellbeing app (version 1.2.x) on handsets that indicate that it’s finally on its way.

Via its APK Insights report, 9to5 says that “Cough and snore detection” will become a part of “Bedtime mode” on Android, which seems fitting since it’s meant to operate while you’re asleep and should be set up or activated manually prior to the time when you call it quits for the evening.

<string name=”cough_and_snore_awareness_notification_content”>See how much you cough or snore during your scheduled bedtime</string>

APK Insights, 9to5Google

You heard that right – detection for your nightly nasal habits must be activated by you, and can not be toggled automatically. This is likely because it requires microphone permissions to listen to you while you slumber, so it’s important that you’re aware of when your privacy is being willfully invaded. Just keep in mind that the detection will only occur during those hours you’ve previously specified in the app.

Another code string discovered shows that you will be able to view sleepy statistics once you come back to in the morning. Things like how many times you’ve coughed and the average time you spent snoring can help you prove to your significant other that you’re not crazy, or to seek help from your doctor for your apnea if they’re in fact correct about your habits.

<string name=”cough_and_snore_wind_down_promo_card_message”>Customize your display, automatically turn on Do Not Disturb, and track coughing and snoring during your scheduled bedtime</string>

APK Insights, 9to5Google

At this time, there’s no way of knowing if this feature will be exclusive to Pixel phones or if it will be rolled out to all Android users running the latest version of the app, but we’ll likely find out soon enough. As there’s no guarantee that APK Insights will lead to released features, it more often than not indicates that they will, and more importantly, that they’re just a fortnight or so away.

I have to be honest and say that as a millennial, the idea of letting our technology listen to us while we’re unconscious and collect data on us – even if it is for our benefit – feels a bit dystopian. It’s Just a funny thought as we watch smart home technology evolve. I remember a movie back in the early 2000s called Smart House on the Disney Channel that dealt with a similar topic, and I think that so long as we maintain control over our privacy and such we’ll be fine, but the more control we give away and the cozier we become with such things, the less weird it may feel to us. Perhaps there are some boundaries technology shouldn’t cross (and some curfews), but that’s just my tinfoil hat speaking.