Android 16’s Revamped Do Not Disturb Mode Is Another Step Towards Smartphone Dumbification

Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority spotted a new Priority Modes feature while tinkering with the first quarterly platform release (QPR) of Android 15. Though this feature offers a lot more than just minimizing distractions on your phone, I can’t help but think of it as the first step towards the smartphone dumbification trend that’s been going around.

This mode allows users to fully customize a DND mode, including the name, settings, and icon. You can’t upload your own icon, but there are 40 to choose from. You can set a schedule for the mode to enable automatically and choose to allow or block notifications during that time.

Interestingly, it lets you change your screen to black and white, disable the always-on display option, dim the wallpaper, and enable a dark theme. With smartphones taking over our lives, relationships, and sanity, people are turning to apps and services to reduce screen time. I’ve particularly noticed a new trend of “dumbifying your smartphone” on the tech YouTube channels I routinely visit. This entails making your phone so unappealing to use that you spend less time on it. Some of the display features mentioned above are usually a part of the dumbification, so I’m very happy to see that you could do it simply via Android 16 without downloading any dedicated apps for it.

Priority Modes takes the regular Do Not Disturb mode to another level by adding a bunch of new features. Instead of complementing Do Not Disturb, it looks like it will replace it completely. Android Authority predicts the release of Android 16 for Priority Mode but adds that we might see it in the first, second, or third QPR of Android 15.

Another feature the site discovered while digging into Android 15’s QPR is “bubble anything.” This one adds a “bubble” button to the options that show up when you press and hold on an app, and upon selecting the button, the app is placed in a floating bubble on one side of the screen.

This feature was able to work on Android 15’s QPR 1 Beta 2, but its official launch is still predicted for Android 16. The bubble anything feature aims to ease multitasking, allowing you to navigate two apps simultaneously. Android 11, launched in 2020, introduced the same feature but limited compatibility to just the messaging app. With bubble anything rolling out, we’re hoping to see it across all the apps you use.

I’ve been an iPhone user for the past seven years but developed serious FOMO after briefly using the OneUI 6.1 on the Samsung S24 Ultra. iOS has no alternatives for Samsung’s multi-tasking features like the split screen or pop-up view. Maybe Apple will catch up in a few years and announce it as sheer innovation, exactly what it did with the ability to move apps around on your home screen.