If you have updated your compatible Android device to Android 13, first of all, congratulations on having the latest and greatest operating system! There are many exciting new features in Android 13 worth exploring. One such feature is Focus Mode, a tool designed to promote healthier digital wellbeing. It’s more than just a fancy take on Do Not Disturb: there’s more customization and control, scheduling, and more. Essentially, Focus Mode lets you devote your full attention to the specific task at hand, whether it’s a video call, watching a presentation, researching a project on the web, or even (gasp!) do something. without your phone. Enabling Focus Mode eliminates tempting distractions that could cause you to lose, well, your focus. So how do you configure Focus mode in Android 13? Here is a crash course.
How to configure Focus mode in Android 13 (on non-Samsung Galaxy devices)
1.Open Settings by swiping down twice from the top of the screen or scrolling through the icons on the home page and selecting the Gear Settings icon.
2.Go to Digital wellbeing and parental controls.
3.Select Focus mode.
4.By default it will be disabled. Faucet Switch on now.
5.Under Select distracting apps, you will see Show all XX apps (the number will depend on how many apps are downloaded on your phone). Tap the drop-down arrow on the right to view them all.
6.Scroll down and select apps you want to block when Focus Mode is enabled by placing a checkmark next to each. Once selected, any apps you block will be grayed out on home screens.
7. Go back up and Set a schedule if desired for the focus mode to activate automatically.
8.Select a Start and end time and the days of the week for Focus mode to be activated.
9.Press Set.
10.Once you return to the main Focus Mode screen, you will see a Take a break option. Tap it if you want to pause on an app momentarily, choosing 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or 30 minutes for the pause duration.
To make it easier to turn focus mode on and off once it’s set up to your liking, add a Quick Settings tile to the home screen. Here’s how.
1.Swipe down twice from the top of the screen.
2.Press the Pencil icon to change the layout of the tiles.
3.Scroll to find the focus mode.
4.Press and hold and drag it to the upper area.
5.lift your finger to lay the tile.
6.Press back arrow.
7.Now you can tap the focus mode thumbnail in the Quick Settings menu to easily turn it on or off. However, to adjust the settings, like the schedule, you need to go through the main settings as shown above.
8.Press the Take a break button to temporarily access apps blocked by Focus mode if needed.
Setting up Focus mode in Android 13 on a Samsung Galaxy device
Note that the instructions above apply to non-Samsung Galaxy Android phones, including Google Pixel devices (which is what I used for this guide). However, the process is similar on the best Samsung phones, although the menus are slightly different.
Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets have a few preset focus modes, like one called “working time”. You can also create and name your own, for example “Study Time”, “Dinner” or “Family Time”. As with other Android devices, choose the specific apps you want to disable and select them the same way, with a checkmark. Maybe you want to silence messages and social media during study hours, for example, but not phone calls, because you need to keep in touch with others.
Once you’ve selected them, choose how long you want focus mode to stay on, adjusting by the hour or just choosing “until I turn off”.
Once configured, focus modes can be accessed on Samsung Galaxy devices from the Digital Wellbeing page. As with other Android devices, you can also add Focus Mode to the Quick Settings button with a Samsung Galaxy phone, accessible, as with other Android devices, by swiping twice from the top of the screen.
In what ways can you use Focus mode and why?
As noted, Focus Mode in Android 13 is designed to encourage you to focus on the task at hand, whether it’s something on your phone or something completely separate from it. Maybe you want to give your kids, spouse, or friends at the dinner table your full attention, but you’re constantly distracted by social media notifications. It’s a way of literally forcing those distractions to calm down.
Maybe notifications from your favorite app game or an ongoing party chat are interfering with your work or study time. In this case, you can choose which apps you want to effectively disable at any time, so you’re not tempted to check the phone every five seconds when there’s a “ding”, “beep” or ” whoosh”.
You can manually turn focus mode on and off whenever you feel distracted, or set it on a schedule. This might mean turning it off during work or school hours, or maybe every night from 6-8 p.m. during family dinner. Maybe you want it to activate for a few hours every Sunday afternoon for your own digital reset, so focus on other important things in life, like family, friends, physical activities , cooking, cleaning, etc.
With the pause option, you can see what you missed during your lunch break for short breaks throughout the day with Focus mode automatically reactivating to let you know your time is up and you should get back to work. work or any other task that you were otherwise engaged with.
It’s worth noting that there’s still a way to access blocked apps in Focus mode: if you really need to check something urgently, tap the app and a pop-up will let you unlock it for five minutes.
So while Focus Mode is restrictive, it’s done in a positive way while allowing access if you really need it, but still keeps you from suddenly descending down the proverbial internet rabbit hole while an entire hour passes. . Focus mode also makes you hyper aware of your usage. If you find yourself constantly taking breaks and having to use one app or another for a quick glance over and over again, chances are Focus Mode is designed precisely for people like you.