Build a Screen-Time Dashboard

Create a Google Sheets dashboard with stacked columns and a daily trend line.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

A week of screen-time numbers can feel like a wall of figures. The useful story is how each day is divided plus where the total rises or falls.

In this project, you will turn seven days of fictional screen-time data into a compact dashboard in Google Sheets. Its two charts reveal category composition across the week plus the daily total from Monday to Sunday.

What You'll Build

Open your finished dashboard to see each day's category mix beside a clear line tracing the weekly total.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A formatted seven-day table that keeps every day, category, total, plus day type easy to scan.
A stacked column chart that shows how learning, social media, plus entertainment contribute to each day.
A line chart that makes the weekly rise, Saturday peak, plus Sunday drop easy to spot.
Secret Mission: Add a slicer that switches both charts between weekdays plus weekends.

Are there any prerequisites?

You need a Google Account plus a browser on a Mac. Your spreadsheet saves in Google Drive, so no coding or software installation is required.

Before We Start

A useful dashboard begins with a clear question. Before you touch the data, commit to showing how screen-time categories shape each day and how the total changes across the week.

Set Up Your Screen-Time Sheet

Clear charts depend on clean source data. Google Sheets needs consistent labels and numeric values in a predictable structure.

In this step, you will create the spreadsheet in Google Drive. You will turn the seven-day data into a formatted table with a fixed header row.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a named spreadsheet in Google Drive.
Add the complete fictional screen-time dataset.
Prepare a formatted header row that stays visible while you scroll.

Create the spreadsheet

Google Sheets saves every change automatically in Drive. Naming the spreadsheet gives it a clear identity in your account.

Visit sheets.google.com/create in your browser.
Sign in with your Google Account if the browser asks.
Select the spreadsheet name in the top-left corner.
Enter 7-Day Screen-Time Dashboard.
Press Return to apply the name.
Wait for the save status to confirm that Google Sheets has stored the spreadsheet in Drive.

Good start. Your named spreadsheet is now stored in Google Drive and ready for its source data.

Spreadsheet not opening?

Confirm your Google Account is active in the current browser window.
Reload the new-sheet page after sign-in completes.

If the blank spreadsheet still does not load, help me open a new Google Sheet.

Add the seven-day dataset

Tidy tabular data gives each row one clear subject. Here, every row represents one day while each column stores one type of information.

Select cell A1.
Fill A1:F8 by pasting the tab-separated dataset below into the selected cell:

Day	Learning	Social Media	Entertainment	Total	Day Type
Monday	45	75	90	210	Weekday
Tuesday	60	60	75	195	Weekday
Wednesday	80	45	60	185	Weekday
Thursday	70	55	80	205	Weekday
Friday	50	90	120	260	Weekday
Saturday	100	120	150	370	Weekend
Sunday	90	100	110	300	Weekend

What does this data structure do?

Each row holds the screen-time record for one day.
The category columns separate Learning, Social Media, and Entertainment minutes.
The Total column stores the combined daily duration.
The Day Type column classifies each day as a Weekday or Weekend.

Wait for Google Sheets to finish saving the pasted values to Drive.
Inspect the lower-right cell of the populated table.

You should see Weekend in cell F8. The complete table should span A1:F8.

Data pasted into the wrong cells?

Clear the pasted content if the entire dataset appears inside one cell.
Select A1 before pasting the dataset again.
Check that the first row contains six separate headers from Day through Day Type.

If the rows or columns still look wrong, help me fix my pasted Google Sheets dataset.

Prepare the header row

A formatted header separates labels from daily values. A frozen row keeps those labels visible as you move through the sheet.

Click the row number 1 at the left edge of the sheet.
Click Bold in the toolbar.
Click Change cell fill color in the toolbar.
Choose a fill color that keeps the header text readable.
Open View in the top menu.
Choose Freeze.
Choose 1 row.
Wait for Google Sheets to save the formatting to Drive.

✔️ Awesome, I've got everything!

Your spreadsheet should be named 7-Day Screen-Time Dashboard. Double check that the dataset fills A1:F8 before continuing.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the full code

Compare your full sheet with this reference:

Day	Learning	Social Media	Entertainment	Total	Day Type
Monday	45	75	90	210	Weekday
Tuesday	60	60	75	195	Weekday
Wednesday	80	45	60	185	Weekday
Thursday	70	55	80	205	Weekday
Friday	50	90	120	260	Weekday
Saturday	100	120	150	370	Weekend
Sunday	90	100	110	300	Weekend

What should match?

The spreadsheet name is 7-Day Screen-Time Dashboard.
Google Sheets has saved the spreadsheet in Google Drive.
The values occupy A1:F8 in the exact order shown above.
Row 1 is bold and has a fill color.
Row 1 is frozen.

Before you scroll, which row do you expect to stay visible?

Inspect the populated area from A1 through F8.
Scroll down until later rows move toward the top of the sheet.

You should see the complete dataset in A1:F8. Row 1 should remain visible after the remaining rows move upward.

That foundation is in place. Your dashboard now has a consistent source table with labels that stay visible.

Header row moving?

Open View if row 1 disappears while you scroll.
Choose Freeze.
Choose 1 row again.

If the header still moves, help me freeze row 1 in Google Sheets.

Your source data is ready. Next up, you will turn its category values into the dashboard's first chart.

Create a Category Comparison Chart

Your frozen table gives the week a dependable structure in Google Sheets. However, reading twenty-one category values one by one makes daily patterns difficult to spot.

A stacked column chart turns those values into an immediate comparison. You will see how learning, social media, and entertainment contribute to each day.

In this step, get ready to:

Add a chart using the complete screen-time table.
Configure the chart to compare three screen-time categories.
Give the chart a title that explains its purpose.

Insert the first chart

A chart uses its source range to determine which rows and columns are available. Selecting the complete table preserves every day and header for the configuration that follows.

Select cells A1:F8 by dragging from A1 through F8.
Click Insert in the top menu bar.
Click Chart.

You now have a chart linked to the complete dataset. This is the first working visual in your dashboard.

Why does the full range matter?

The source range keeps all six columns available to the chart. You can choose which columns appear without disconnecting the chart from the original table.

Chart did not appear?

Select A1:F8 again.
Open Insert from the top menu bar.
Choose Chart from the menu.

Ask for help if the chart still does not appear: help me create a chart from A1:F8 in Google Sheets.

Configure the category comparison

The initial chart can include fields that answer a different question. This comparison needs one horizontal label plus the three category series.

Double-click the chart to open Setup.
Enter A1:F8 under Data range.
Select Stacked column chart under Chart type.
Set Day as the horizontal label.
Keep Learning as a displayed series.
Keep Social Media as a displayed series.
Keep Entertainment as a displayed series.
Remove Total from the displayed series.

You should now see seven vertical columns. Each column should contain three colored segments.

The legend should list Learning, Social Media, and Entertainment. The legend should omit Total.

Why use a stacked column chart?

Each column presents one day as a part-to-whole relationship. The three segments show how the categories contribute to that day's screen time.

Placing seven columns side by side supports categorical comparison across the week. Larger segments become easy to spot without reading every cell.

Seeing the wrong columns or series?

Re-enter A1:F8 under Data range.
Confirm Day supplies the horizontal labels.
Remove Total from the displayed series.

Ask for help if your chart still includes the wrong data: help me fix the series in my stacked column chart.

Add a clear chart title

A chart title tells the viewer which question the visual answers. This title focuses attention on how the three categories divide each day.

Click the chart.
Open Customize in the chart editor.
Open Chart & axis title.
Enter Where My Screen Time Went under Title text.

The new title appears above the chart. Google Sheets saves the change automatically.

Before you inspect the finished chart, do you expect Total to appear in the legend? Your prediction gives you one specific detail to test.

Inspect the finished chart from left to right.

You should see seven columns running from Monday through Sunday. Each column should contain Learning, Social Media, and Entertainment segments.

The title should read Where My Screen Time Went. The legend should show the three category labels without Total.

That comparison is now working. Your dashboard can reveal the category mix for every day at a glance.

Title or legend still incorrect?

Reopen Customize to check the title.
Reopen Setup to check the displayed series.
Confirm the source range remains A1:F8.

Ask for help if the final chart does not match the target: help me check my category comparison chart.

Your first chart explains where each day's screen time went. Next up, you will test a second chart that struggles to show the week's order.

Create a Pie Chart Comparison

Your stacked column chart now turns 21 category values into seven daily columns. The next comparison uses the same table to ask how each day's total contributes to the whole week.

A pie chart shows proportions of a whole. You'll build one in Google Sheets for the daily Total values.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a second chart from A1:F8.
Configure Day as the labels with Total as the only numeric series.
Test whether seven pie slices preserve the Monday-to-Sunday trend.

Create a second chart

The second chart needs the same A1:F8 source range as your first chart. Selecting the table first keeps the new comparison separate from Where My Screen Time Went.

Select A1:F8 by dragging from cell A1 to cell F8.

You should see every cell in the dataset highlighted from the header row through Sunday.

Open the Insert menu.
Choose Chart.

That was the key setup move. You now have a separate chart on the sheet without changing the stacked column chart.

Configure the pie chart

The day names identify the slices. The Total values determine their sizes.

Double-click the new chart.
Open Setup in the chart editor.

You should see the controls for the second chart. Your original stacked column chart should remain unchanged.

Open the Chart type menu.
Choose Pie chart.

You should see the second chart change into a circle divided into slices.

Set Day as the labels.
Set Total as the numeric series.

The chart should now pair each day name with its total screen-time value.

Remove Learning, Social Media, and Entertainment from the second chart's series list.
Confirm that Data range shows A1:F8.

The second chart now uses the complete dataset as its source. Only Total controls the slice sizes.

What Does This Chart Measure?

Each slice represents one day's share of the weekly screen-time total. Larger daily totals create larger slices.

This structure is useful when the question focuses on proportions of one whole.

Test the chart's story

Your pie chart is configured. The final check tests whether its slices preserve the order of the week.

Before you inspect the finished comparison, do you think seven slices can show the week's rise and fall as clearly as the ordered table?

Inspect the seven slices in the second chart.
Trace the rise and fall from Monday to Sunday using only the slice sizes.

You'll see seven slices. Each slice shows one day's share of the weekly total.

The slices do not create a clear visual path from Monday through Sunday.

Compare the slice sizes with the Total values in the table.

The table makes Saturday's 370-minute peak explicit. It also makes Sunday's drop to 300 explicit.

That shortfall is intentional. Pie slices show proportions without creating an ordered visual path.

Not Seeing Seven Day Slices?

Check that the second chart's data range is A1:F8.
Confirm that Day supplies the labels.
Confirm that Total is the only numeric series.

Help me check my pie chart setup.

You handled the awkward comparison exactly as intended. Next, you'll reshape the second chart so the week's peaks and dips have a visible order.

Turn the Pie into a Trend Chart

Your pie chart turned seven daily totals into slices. The week’s order became difficult to follow.

Now you’ll use a line chart in Google Sheets to preserve the Monday-to-Sunday sequence. The connected points make the weekly trend visible.

In this step, get ready to:

Convert the pie chart into a line chart.
Build a readable two-chart layout.
Choose the dashboard’s sharing access.

Replace the pie with a line chart

A line chart keeps the days in their original order. Each total gets a connected point that reveals the direction of change.

Double-click the pie chart to open the chart editor.
Select Setup in the chart editor.
Open the Chart type menu.
Choose Line chart under Chart type.

What changed?

The chart now connects the seven daily totals in their original order.
The source data remains A1:F8.
Day remains the horizontal label.
Total remains the only displayed series.

Read the horizontal labels from left to right to confirm they run from Monday through Sunday.

You’ll see seven connected points arranged in weekday order. The slices have been replaced by a path through the week.

Still seeing pie slices?

Select the second chart before reopening the chart editor.
Choose Line chart from the Chart type menu.

Ask for help if the chart type still will not change: help me turn my Google Sheets pie chart into a line chart.

Label and arrange the dashboard

A chart title tells viewers what question the visual answers. Data labels attach each exact total to its point.

Double-click the line chart to reopen the chart editor.
Select Customize in the chart editor.
Open Chart & axis title.
Enter Total Screen Time by Day under Title text.

You’ll see the new title above the line chart. It identifies the chart’s focus immediately.

Open Series in the Customize panel.
Enable Data labels.
Drag each chart into a clear position on the sheet.
Drag the blue markers on each chart to create a readable size.

The line chart now displays a value beside each point. Both charts fit together as one readable dashboard.

Google Sheets saves these chart changes automatically in Google Drive.

Missing the title or labels?

Select the line chart before changing options in the chart editor.
Check that Total Screen Time by Day appears under Title text.
Open Series to confirm Data labels is enabled.

Ask for help with the chart settings: help me restore my line chart title and data labels.

Control the dashboard’s access

Sharing permissions determine who can open your dashboard. You’ll deliberately keep access private or grant view-only access to one person.

Sharing can feel risky, so you’ll confirm the selected access before you finish.

Choose the access option that fits how you want to use the dashboard.

Keep the dashboard private

Use this option when you want the dashboard to remain available only to people who already have access.

Click Share in the top-right corner of the spreadsheet.
Open the access menu under General access.
Select Restricted.

The access summary now shows Restricted. Only people with existing access can open the spreadsheet.

Click Done to close the sharing dialog.

Share the dashboard view-only

Use this option when you want a specific person to see the dashboard without changing it.

Click Share in the top-right corner of the spreadsheet.
Enter the email address of the person who should view the dashboard.
Select Viewer as the person’s role.
Click Send to grant access.
Click Share again to review the access list.
Find the person you just added in the access list.

Their role should show Viewer.

Click Done to close the sharing dialog.

Unable to change access?

Confirm you created the spreadsheet with the Google Account currently signed in.
Choose an allowed recipient if your work or school account limits external sharing.
Keep General access set to Restricted if you do not have a recipient to add.

Ask for help with your sharing options: help me safely configure access for my Google Sheets dashboard.

Before your final check, which day do you expect to form the highest point on the line chart?

Inspect the stacked column chart from Monday through Sunday.
Inspect the labeled points on the line chart from Monday through Sunday.

You should see the stacked column chart titled Where My Screen Time Went in a readable position. Its seven columns compare Learning, Social Media, and Entertainment.

You should see the line chart titled Total Screen Time by Day with seven labeled points. It peaks at 370 on Saturday before falling to 300 on Sunday.

You’ve turned an awkward comparison into a clear weekly story. Your dashboard is now readable and deliberately shared.

Secret mission

Add a Weekday and Weekend Filter

Your dashboard already shows the full seven-day story. Add a Day Type slicer that switches both charts between weekday and weekend patterns without changing the source table.

Clean Up Your Resources

Your Google Sheets dashboard stays in Google Drive without any additional cost for this project. Choose whether to keep it available, restrict access for now, or move it to Trash.

Resources you used:

One spreadsheet named 7-Day Screen-Time Dashboard with the formatted dataset in A1:F8.
Two dashboard charts titled Where My Screen Time Went and Total Screen Time by Day.
One Day Type slicer connected to both charts.

Keep everything running

No action is needed. Choose this if you want to keep using the dashboard or share it for feedback.

Leave 7-Day Screen-Time Dashboard in Google Drive.
Keep both Weekday and Weekend selected in the Day Type slicer so all seven days remain visible.
Keep General access set to Restricted when the dashboard should stay private.
Use Share to grant a specific person the Viewer role when you want feedback.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Keep the spreadsheet saved while limiting who can open it. Your dataset, charts, and slicer remain ready for your return.

Click Share in the top-right corner of the spreadsheet.
Select Restricted under General access.
Confirm General access shows Restricted before closing the sharing dialog.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove the complete dashboard when you no longer need it. The file remains recoverable from Trash for 30 days before permanent deletion.

Open Google Drive in a new browser tab.
Find 7-Day Screen-Time Dashboard in your file list.
Right-click 7-Day Screen-Time Dashboard.
Choose Move to Trash.

Google Drive moves the spreadsheet to Trash with both charts and the Day Type slicer inside it. Files moved to Trash are deleted forever after 30 days unless restored first.

Nice Work!

Dashboard complete! You built a Google Sheets dashboard from seven days of fictional screen-time data. It reveals each day's category mix plus the weekly total trend.

You've learned how to:

Structure a tidy seven-day dataset across A1:F8. Its formatted header stays visible while you scroll.
Compare category composition through a stacked column chart. Test chart selection by putting ordered daily totals into a deliberately awkward pie chart.
Replace the pie with a line chart that exposes Saturday's 370-minute peak. Keep the finished dashboard Restricted or grant someone the Viewer role.
Secret Mission: Add a Day Type slicer that switches both charts between five weekday data points plus two weekend data points.

Ready to quiz yourself?