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Does Android 12 Have A “Do Not Disturb” Mode? + How To Use It
With so many apps feeling the need to send notifications to our devices around the clock, Do Not Disturb has never been such as welcome feature. But does it feature on Android 12? Let’s take a look…
Sure, it may be our own fault that we feel the need to join every social app under the sun through FOMO, but that shouldn’t mean constant disruptions from work or sleep because that’s when the gran’s mate’s dog has decided to add us on Facebook.
Every app we download these days seems to feel the need to push notifications at all hours of the night for whatever reasons they see fit.
For instance, I downloaded an app that showed where tables were available in London to watch England play during the Euros. That’s the information I wanted – not when any of those pubs have a new menu over a year later.
Of course, we can turn off notifications from these apps – or even just delete them – but often we feel like we’re going to need them again or we do still want particular notifications from those apps – just not all of them.
This is when Do Not Disturb can come in handy, where we still get notifications but just not the alerts while we’re in meetings or trying to sleep.
If you’re upgrading to a smartphone that has Android 12 and you’re concerned with the number of notifications you’re getting, you’ll be interested in knowing whether or not the operating system has Do Not Disturb mode available.
Does Android 12 Feature Do Not Disturb?
Busy people and introverts alike will be pleased to hear that Android 12, the latest version of the Android operating system, does include a Do Not Disturb feature just like its predecessor and competitors.
Being bombarded with alerts all the time is frustrating and because of this, the top Android phones include a Do Not Disturb option that turns off your phone when you don’t need it to be a distraction.
The fact that Do Not Disturb is more than simply an On/Off switch makes it useful, as you can continue using your device when you need it. Additionally, you can programme Do Not Disturb to turn off or switch back on at a specified time in whichever situations you see fit.
When you enable Do Not Disturb, your phone will still receive emails, messages and silent notifications, but there will be no alerts to disturb you.
How To Turn On “Do Not Disturb” Mode
The exact method by which this handy feature is turned on will depend on the exact Android device you have, whether that’s a Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, Realme or another smartphone.
So for this example, we’ll be using my Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, which will be very similar to how the action is completed on your Android device:
- Pull down the menu from the top of your screen and extend it to where you’d usually connect to Wi-Fi or turn on Bluetooth.
- Scroll one screen to the right where you’ll see a circular symbol with a line in the centre, which looks a bit like a Stop sign.
- Touch it once to simply turn it on with the default Do Not Disturb settings.
Default settings will involve muting all notifications will no exceptions and will continue to do so until you manually turn it off.
How To Personalise Your “Do Not Disturb” Mode
If you hold down on the Do Not Disturb symbol, you’ll see there are some settings available for this feature, where you can set schedules and exceptions.
The preset schedule is called “Sleeping” and is set to turn on between 22:00 and 07:00 every night so that you’re not disturbed in the night. You can also add your own schedules for when you’re in a regular daily meeting, for example.
Android 12 users can also set exceptions so that particular alerts can still go off and certain people can still call or message. This can be used for alarms and emergency contacts, for example.
How To Set A “Do Not Disturb” Schedule
Go to the “Schedules” option in your phone’s Do Not Disturb menu if you want to automatically muffle notification buzzes and pings at certain times.
- Go back to the Do Not Disturb Menu
- Tap “Schedules”
- Choose a preset from the list that includes: Sleeping, Event, Gaming or Driving Mode. Or, you can create your own
Tap the schedule name to edit these schedules. For instance, you may choose a schedule of repeating occurrences or alter the time you go to bed.
What Is Android 12 Focus Mode?
Focus mode is a brand-new Digital well-being solution for Android that has just come out of beta and aids in productivity by momentarily halting applications so you can concentrate on the current work.
Focus mode will notify you that the app is stopped if you attempt to launch any of the distracting applications you’ve chosen, whether that’s social media, games or anything else you’ve set.
Until you are ready to exit focus mode, those applications’ alerts will likewise be muted. This translates to the ability to use your phone uninterrupted by unnecessary applications.
How To Personalise Your Focus Mode
Focus mode can be personalised similarly to Do Not Disturb. It allows you to add or remove apps from the permitted list and set a duration until it turns off. Alternatively, it can be set to remain on until it is switched off manually.
Here’s how to find and personalise Android Focus Mode:
- Open your device settings
- Scroll down to “Digital Wellbeing And Parental Controls”
- Scroll down to “Focus Mode”
Here you can choose between setting parameters in either “Work Time” or “Me Time”. As you can probably guess, “Me Time” works the same except you would turn off work-related applications.