It’s no secret that a smartphone is the biggest distraction of our time. Whether you’re practicing Yoga or studying for tomorrow’s exam, a single notification or marketing call can divide you. The next thing you know is surfing Instagram for 20 minutes. Samsung has added a solution with Focus mode, which is part of the Google Digital Wellbeing toolkit in Android 10.
This feature allows users to turn off distractions like social media updates or email notifications for a while so you can get things done without interruption.
Google’s Digital Balance offers a great set of tools for curbing phone addiction. With the Focus mode plugin, you will be able to identify the apps that often cause you to be distracted, and enabling Focus mode will effectively pause them the entire time the mode is active. This means you will not receive any notifications and cannot use these particular apps.
Focus mode was first announced at Google I/O in 2019, and most OEMs, including Samsung, have implemented this functionality with the Android 10 update. If you are wondering how to use focus mode effectively on Samsung device, learn more.
Where is Focus Mode on Samsung Devices?
As mentioned, Focus mode is part of Digital Balance. It is integrated into the same menu for uniformity. Samsung also offers a quick toggle to toggle the mode from the notification center.
Lower the notification panel and look for the Focus mode toggle. If it’s not there, tap the edit icon and add the Focus mode toggle to the notification bar.
Long press the focus mode toggle and it will take you to the Digital Balance menu in the Settings app. Scroll down and you will notice Focus mode with a few built-in modes like Work time and Me time.
Set and Use Focus Mode
As you can imagine, you can use the default names for the Focus mode or tap the + icon and create one. Follow the steps below to set up and use Focus mode on Samsung devices.
Stage 1: Open the Settings app on the Samsung device, go to the Digital Balance menu.
Step 2: Scroll down to Focus mode and tap Run time.
Stage 3: Also Work Time, Morning Routine etc. You can create a new mod like
Step 4: The runtime mode comes with six default apps that you can use during the Focus mode. Tap the Edit button at the bottom.
Step 5: Select the apps you want to access during focus mode and leave other distracting apps from the list.
Step 6: Hit it from the bottom and you’re all set to go.
Step 7: Similarly, you can create multiple mods and customize each one from the list of apps.
Now that you’ve created the various Focus mods from the menu, it’s time to put them into action.
Go to the mode you want to start with and select Start at the bottom. Now go back to home screen and you will see only selected apps on home screen and app drawer.
End Focus Mode
After doing things, you need to go to Settings > Digital Balance > Focus Mode > select the Focus mode that works and click on Unfocus mode at the bottom.
You will see the live status of the current Focus mode along with the start time and total focused minutes.
Press the End button for Focus mode and the device will present a summary of any notifications you may have received while in Focus mode and the Me time.
Edit Focus Mode
If you want to access a certain app during Focus mode, you don’t need to end Focus mode to use the hidden app. Samsung offers a neat solution for such situations.
Go to Focus mode from the Settings menu and you will see the number of apps available during Focus mode. Tap on it and add more apps to the list.
How is Focus Mode different from Do Not Disturb?
Many users confuse Focus Mode with Do Not Disturb and often prefer the latter. The main difference is that Do Not Disturb silences the entire phone, while Focus Mode leaves the door open for essential apps like Slack and Gmail. Focus mode is more powerful, customizable and convenient than the standard Do Not Disturb mode.
Delete Focus Mode
You can delete the Focus mode created at any point from the menu.
Open the Settings app and go to Digital Balance > Focus Mode > select the mode you want to remove. In the menu below, tap the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and select the Erase mode.
Enjoy a Distraction-Free Environment
Focus mode is a nice addition to a solid Digital Balance function to reduce app usage on the phone. While you are busy exploring Focus mode on Samsung device, don’t forget to check Digital Balance options to adjust screen time, app usage, device unlock stats and more.
Next: Secure Folder is also a useful add-on on Samsung Galaxy devices. Read the post below to find all about it.
