TikTok has introduced a new feature called “Well-Being Missions”, designed to encourage users to adopt more balanced digital habits, while ironically making you use the app even more.
The feature uses short, interactive games and digital badges to reward users for activities promoting mindfulness, since earning badges is somehow better than leaving your phone screen.
The Well-Being Missions start with tasks that introduce users to TikTok’s Digital Well-Being tools, such as screen time insights and activity reminders. In the coming months, TikTok plans to add breathing exercises, calming audio tracks, and additional missions that aim to help users pause and reflect during app use.
While the feature is promoted as a “digital health effort”, the gamified system keeps users within the app, which shows it is only pretending to help while getting even more engagement under the name of “mindfulness”, rather than helping reduce screen time.
TikTok reports that around 40% of users who encountered the entry point for Well-Being Missions chose to explore the feature, despite no in‑app promotion.
The new approach comes after TikTok scaled back or replaced some of its traditional digital well-being features, such as clear screen time management tools. Instead of prompting users to step away entirely, the platform now focuses on in‑app activities to maintain user attention while promoting a sense of control.