These 4 Android Features Saved Me from Working-related Distractions
These 4 Android Features Saved Me from Working-related Distractions
Be careful not to give in to the urge to use your phone at work.
You have come to the right place if you find yourself constantly distracted by notifications from several apps during a regular day. These are some of the many Android features I use to maintain concentration while working.
These 4 Android Features Saved Me from Working-related Distractions |
1 Turn Off Unwanted Notifications by Not Disturbing
One of my favorite apps on Android for minimizing distractions at work is Do Not Disturb. I can avoid using my phone while working because it blocks all notifications from apps that can be distracting. When enabled, you may also decide who gets to ignore the limits.
To activate Do Not Disturb, take the following actions:
- Select "Do Not Disturb" after opening Settings > Sound & vibration.
- Choose Calls or Messages by tapping People. Adjust which calls or messages can be interrupted when Do Not Disturb is enabled on the following page.
- Then choose Apps and press Add Apps. There will be an app list with every installed app. With Do Not Disturb enabled, select an app and select the type of alerts you wish to receive from it.
These 4 Android Features Saved Me from Working-related Distractions |
I only enable notifications from financial services and work-related apps. To prevent getting too many notifications, I try to keep my list brief. You should too. The same holds true for those with the ability to interrupt. Lastly, I only permit calendar events, alarms, and reminders for interruptions.
2 Timer to Limit My Use for Each App
App timers are another useful tool for minimizing distractions. Controlling your screen time is made easier with the help of one of Android's Digital Wellbeing apps. I decide how much time I want to spend on each app every day and set app timers to help me keep track of how much time I spend on my phone.
I may, for instance, specify how long I want to spend on Instagram each day. To set an Android app timer, take the following actions:
- Navigate to Settings > Parental controls & Digital Wellbeing > Dashboard.
- Choose the app that you wish to have a timer set for. If the target app is not visible, tap Show all X apps to see all of your apps.
- Tap the App timer on the following page. Next, choose the maximum time restriction for the chosen app from the pop-up that appears. To change the timing, you will need to swipe up or down the hour and minute strips.
- When finished, tap OK to save your modifications. There will be a pop-up confirmation window at the bottom.
These 4 Android Features Saved Me from Working-related Distractions |
Android will notify the user one minute prior to the limit expiring if that is configured. Your phone will halt the app for the remainder of the day once the timer expires (the timer refreshes at midnight). It helps me come to my senses and not waste the rest of the day squandering social media or YouTube videos knowing that I have already wasted X amount of hours.
3Focus Mode to Halt Notifications From Apps That Draw Attention
An excellent feature of Android is focus mode, which comes in handy when I need to give anything at work my whole attention. It differs from Do Not Disturb in that you can only choose which apps to block, rather than selecting which users or apps to allow interruptions. I pause alerts from apps that I find bothersome by using Focus mode.
The ability to schedule when your phone activates or deactivates Focus mode is its strongest feature. To choose which days of the week to use it, you may also use the scheduling option. This is how you activate Focus mode:
- Launch the Settings application.
- Go to Focus mode under Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls.
- Tapping on the apps in the list indicates which ones you find bothersome.
- When you are finished, select Turn on Now to activate Focus mode.
These 4 Android Features Saved Me from Working-related Distractions |
All of this is simple to do, but I like to automate the process by creating schedules. Select the proper Start and End times on the next page after first tapping Set a schedule. Choose the days of the week the schedule should run after that. To save, tap Set.
You will not have to manually adjust Focus mode going forward with that set. At the designated time, it will switch on and off automatically.
4Grayscale Mode to Reduce the Fun Factor of Using My Phone
When you turn on grayscale mode on your Android phone, all of the hues are removed, leaving only a mix of black and white. This helps me generally control my smartphone addiction in addition to helping me avoid distractions. It may prevent you from squandering the day away and lessen the enjoyment of your device.
To activate grayscale mode on your Android phone, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Accessibility > Color and Motion after opening the Settings applications.
- Toggle color correction on and off by tapping Color correction.
- Choose Grayscale from the list of choices.
These 4 Android Features Saved Me from Working-related Distractions |
Everything on your screen will go black and white after you do this. All you need to do at the end of the workday is disable To restore all of the hues, use color correction.
Although smartphones are useful tools in the modern world, one drawback is that they can be very distracting. Fortunately, you may control this by making use of the several built-in tools that will enable you to concentrate when necessary.
I frequently use Android's focus mode, grayscale mode, app timers, and do-not-disturb features to help me focus when I need to. These characteristics can also be used to lessen workplace distractions.