In recent years, Do Not Disturb has evolved on both iPhones and Android phones: it’s no longer just a simple block on notifications and distractions, but rather a selection of modes you can customize to suit all the different scenarios in your life (like driving, sleeping, working, or exercising at the gym).
This means you have more control over which apps and contacts can interrupt you and when. If you want Slack to be able to send you alerts during office hours but not family time, for example, you can set this up with just a few taps.
It’s worth spending a few minutes getting these various modes configured to suit you and your schedule, as it’ll make your phone less distracting without causing you to miss anything important.
Android being Android, the exact details for Do Not Disturb vary by manufacturer, but you’ll find instructions below for a Pixel 9 running Android 15 and a Galaxy S25 running One UI 7 — if you’re using anything else, the process should be similar. If you’re on an iPhone, you can try Focus modes.
Do Not Disturb on Pixel phones
In previous versions of Android, Do Not Disturb had its own category in Settings. However, starting from Android 15, you can find Do Not Disturb by heading to Settings and choosing Modes.
Besides Do Not Disturb, which you can use for most occasions, there will also be preset ones for Bedtime and Driving. There are also links for the Game Dashboard (which manages notifications and other settings when you’re gaming) and Create your own mode. (Note: if you’ve already played around with Do Not Disturb or other modes, the presets may not be there — you can usually find them again in Create your own mode.)
Tap this last option, then Custom, to build a new Do Not Disturb mode from scratch. Here’s how:
- Give your new mode a name and choose an icon for it.
- Tap Done to create the mode and open its configuration page.
- Choose Set a schedule to set times when the mode should turn on and off automatically. You can also enable and disable it manually by tapping Turn on now and Turn off.
- Tap People to set which contacts are exempt from this Do Not Disturb mode — this will apply to calls and messages sent via Google Messages, and you can have different contact lists for each.
- Tap Apps to choose which apps can interrupt this Do Not Disturb mode. Tap the gear icon next to Selected apps to pick specific apps.
- Tap Alarms and other interruptions to set how this Do Not Disturb mode handles alarms, media, reminders, keyboard sounds, and calendar events.
You also have Display settings on this screen, which lets you set how allowed notifications show up, such as whether or not they wake up the screen or appear in the status bar. There are options for dimming the screen, turning it grayscale, or switching to dark mode whenever a specific mode is enabled.
Once a mode has been added to the main list, tap on it to make changes, or to enable or disable it manually. You can also rename a mode or delete it via the three dots (top right). Android’s preset Bedtime and Driving modes can be changed or deleted, too, if you wish.
Bear in mind that you can use these modes in combination with settings inside apps. For example, you could allow WhatsApp to send notifications through your Do Not Disturb modes, but mute conversations inside WhatsApp itself so you’re only hearing from specific people.
Your configured modes can be launched from the Quick Settings panel, too, as well as manually or on a schedule. Swipe down with two fingers from the top of the display, then choose Modes.
Do Not Disturb on Galaxy phones
When it comes to Samsung Galaxy phones, you can find similar options by choosing Modes and Routines from Settings. Routines are automations you can set up on your Galaxy phone, like turning on the lights in the morning as you wake up, and tie into modes if needed.
Both Modes and Routines can be found via tabs at the bottom of the screen. Using the Modes tab, you’ll see Samsung has already created plenty to get you started, including Sleep, Exercise, and Work. To start building your own mode and see the options available, tap Add mode:
- You get to pick a name, an icon, and a color for your mode.
- Tap Done to confirm, create the mode, and get to the settings screen.
- Tap on When to start this mode to have it run on a schedule. You can also tap Turn on to enable it manually and Turn off to disable it.
- Choose Ways to avoid distractions to configure the mode in detail.
- The Do not disturb option is where you set the contacts who can trigger alerts with calls and messages (through the default text message app), and the apps that are allowed to trigger notifications.
- The Restrict app usage option lets you go even further and block certain apps from being used while the mode is active.
Back on the settings screen for your new mode, you can choose More actions for this mode to expand it further. There are options for turning the display gray, enabling dark mode, controlling the volume, and enabling power saving. Finally, there are Lock screen and Home screen options for each mode, too — you can set different wallpapers, if needed, when a mode is active.
You can tap on any mode in the main list to edit it at any time. If you need to rename a mode, just tap on its name. Tap the three dots in the top right corner, and you can delete a mode, as well as set how long it should stay active for when you turn it on manually.
As on Pixel phones, remember there are notification settings within individual apps, as well. In Gmail, for example, you can choose to only get alerts about high priority emails, rather than everything coming to your inbox.
In addition to enabling modes from the Modes and Routines screen or on a schedule, you’ll find them in the Quick Settings panel, too. Swipe down from the top right of the screen, then choose Modes.
