How to use Do Not Disturb mode on your Android phone

Android’s Do Not Disturb feature stops notifications from calls, text messages, and more. You can also use Android System Intelligence to schedule Do Not Disturb. The option is available on Android phones, tablets, and all our favorite Chromebooks, meaning you can use your device without distractions.

How to turn on Do Not Disturb on an Android device

You can turn on Do Not Disturb on your Android phone or tablet with a few steps. It’s worth noting that older versions of Android may not support Do Not Disturb, or the option may be in a different place. You can check this by searching “Do Not Disturb” in the Settings app.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Sound.
3. Tap Do Not Disturb.

   

   

4. Tap the Turn on now button at the top of your screen.

   

You may not want to mute everything on your phone, so Do Not Disturb allows you to add exceptions. Tap the options below the
Turn on now
button to add exceptions for people, apps, or alarms.

There’s also a quick settings option to toggle Do Not Disturb on and off. You can access this by swiping down from the top of your screen and tapping the Do Not Disturb button. Long press this button to find the full range of DND settings.

To quickly access Do Not Disturb, swipe down twice from the top of your screen. Then, tap the Do Not Disturb tile.

How to turn on Do Not Disturb on a Chromebook

Do Not Disturb works across many Google products, including Chromebooks. DND on ChromeOS has the same functionality as Android. Here’s how to activate it and customize it for individual apps:

1. Click the status bar in the lower-right corner of your screen.

   

2. Click the Notifications button to turn on Do Not Disturb.

   

3. To customize notifications, click the drop-down menu button below the Notifications button.

   

How to schedule Do Not Disturb

You can schedule Do Not Disturb to turn and off automatically at certain times of the day. But you can also have it turned off when you’re doing something on your device, such as playing a game, watching a YouTube video, or when your phone connects to Android Auto in your car.

These can be combined with exceptions to ensure you only receive the notifications you want when you want.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Sound.
3. Tap Do Not Disturb.

   

   

4. Scroll down and tap Schedules.
5. You’ll see a list of named schedules. Toggle the switch next to any you want to turn on.
   • Sleeping: Silence notifications during manually set hours.
   • Event: Silence notifications during calendar events.
   • Gaming: Silence notifications while you’re playing games on your phone.
   • Driving Mode: Silence notifications when your phone detects you’re driving.
   • Add more: Create events and times to set a schedule for.

     

     

To customize these schedules, tap the schedule’s name. For example, you can change the time when you go to sleep or choose a series of recurring events.

Android notifications are even better with Do Not Disturb

Swiping down from the home screen is the easiest way to set up Do Not Disturb on Android. You won’t be distracted by annoying notifications after you schedule it to turn on and off automatically. Snoozing the notifications should offer you a brief respite if there’s an app that spams you. You can also mute notifications for that app.