Android 16’s Revamped Do Not Disturb Mode Is One other Step In the direction of Smartphone Dumbification

Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority spotted a brand new Precedence Modes function whereas tinkering with the primary quarterly platform launch (QPR) of Android 15. Although this function gives much more than simply minimizing distractions in your cellphone, I can’t assist however consider it as step one in the direction of the smartphone dumbification development that’s been going round.

This mode permits customers to totally customise a DND mode, together with the title, settings, and icon. You possibly can’t add your personal icon, however there are 40 to select from. You possibly can set a schedule for the mode to allow robotically and select to permit or block notifications throughout that point.

Curiously, it allows you to change your display screen to black and white, disable the always-on show possibility, dim the wallpaper, and allow a darkish theme. With smartphones taking on our lives, relationships, and sanity, persons are turning to apps and providers to cut back display screen time. I’ve notably seen a brand new development of “dumbifying your smartphone” on the tech YouTube channels I routinely go to. This entails making your cellphone so unappealing to make use of that you simply spend much less time on it. Among the show options talked about above are often part of the dumbification, so I’m very pleased to see that you may do it merely through Android 16 with out downloading any devoted apps for it.

Precedence Modes takes the common Do Not Disturb mode to a different degree by including a bunch of latest options. As an alternative of complementing Do Not Disturb, it appears like it is going to exchange it fully. Android Authority predicts the discharge of Android 16 for Precedence Mode however provides that we’d see it within the first, second, or third QPR of Android 15.

One other feature the positioning found whereas digging into Android 15’s QPR is “bubble something.” This one provides a “bubble” button to the choices that present up while you press and maintain on an app, and upon deciding on the button, the app is positioned in a floating bubble on one facet of the display screen.

This function was in a position to work on Android 15’s QPR 1 Beta 2, however its official launch remains to be predicted for Android 16. The bubble something function goals to ease multitasking, permitting you to navigate two apps concurrently. Android 11, launched in 2020, launched the identical function however restricted compatibility to simply the messaging app. With bubble something rolling out, we’re hoping to see it throughout all of the apps you employ.

I’ve been an iPhone person for the previous seven years however developed critical FOMO after briefly utilizing the OneUI 6.1 on the Samsung S24 Ultra. iOS has no options for Samsung’s multi-tasking options just like the split screen or pop-up view. Perhaps Apple will catch up in just a few years and announce it as sheer innovation, precisely what it did with the power to maneuver apps round on your property display screen.