Many times it is required to put the phone in airplane mode to avoid disturbing it. Airplane mode suspends all cell phone connections and signal transmissions which may be fine at night, but not during the day.
On Samsung smartphones like the Galaxy there is a lock mode that can work as a selective " do not disturb " feature, to be used in different ways depending on the occasion.
The blocking mode allows you to manually select what you want to disable of the phone and which contacts are still allowed to call us at any time.
Do not disturb mode is very easy to set up and is much more useful than airplane mode (although there are, as we will see, applications that work similarly).
Let's find out all the steps to set the Do not disturb feature on the Samsung Galaxy S10 and S9.
READ ALSO: Top 20 applications for Samsung Galaxy
1) Activate do not disturb mode
Blocking mode for all calls, messages and notification sounds is a special feature found on all latest generation Samsung Galaxy smartphones, so there is no need to install additional apps when using these devices.
To activate this mode we must open the Settings app, then on Audio and then scroll until we find the Do not disturb menu item.
We can quickly access this minus by scrolling the upper notification bar and long tap on the Do not disturb item.
Whichever way you choose, a new menu will open similar to the one shown in the image below.
As described, do not disturb mode mutes calls, alerts and multimedia files to prevent it from disturbing our business, a meeting or during the night.
To activate it, just tap on the Activate now item so that the selected button appears; to deactivate it, just do the reverse. In addition to manual activation, we can set Do not disturb mode to automatically activate at scheduled times, for example during the night or during the hours when we know we need to have an important meeting. To activate the Do not disturb programming, just tap on the Activate item as programmed and set the time slot where to activate it.
2) Advanced settings and exceptions
Obviously, in order to get the most out of Do not disturb mode, it is preferable to correctly set some parameters offered by the same menu.
For example we can add exceptions to the block by tapping on the Allow exceptions item.
We will have various items to adjust:
- No exceptions : by activating this item there will be no exceptions, all calls, notifications, alarms and reminders will be silenced. Only to be used if we really want to avoid everyone without activating airplane mode.
- Alarms only : the default setting allows you to silence calls, notifications and reminders but will let the alarms ring.
Ideal for those who don't want to be disturbed during the night but want to be sure to hear the alarm clock ringing in the morning!
- Personalized : with this item we can customize who to receive calls from (silencing all others), who to receive messages from and whether to remind reminders or event / activity alerts.
Another very important item for adjustments is Repeated callers : if we enable this item we will hear the phone ringing regardless of the Do not disturb setting applied (and regardless of the filters and exceptions set) if the interlocutor calls us back immediately within 15 minutes from first call. In this way, if we receive an urgent call in the middle of the night, on the first attempt we will not hear the phone ring, but on the second attempt to repeat the call quickly the phone will ignore the Do not disturb and start the ringtone.
If, on the other hand, we want some contacts to be able to call us independently of the filters (and without waiting for the second attempt), just set the item Calls from the item Only favorite contacts . Once this item is set, just tap on the Contacts app and select the contacts to add to the phone's favorites; to add a contact to your favorites, select the "star" you find in the top right corner after tapping on the contact.
Other settings that we can adjust for Do not disturb mode can be found in the second screen we have seen:
- Application rules : we can choose which apps must follow the Do not disturb settings and which ones can overcome the limitations and show warnings or play sounds;
- Hide visual notifications : by activating this item we will not even receive visual notifications of messages, chats and notifications from apps when they are waiting in the bar, so as not to turn on the screen unnecessarily and generate light or annoyance while we sleep or while we are in a meeting.
Conclusions
Using all the tips described in this guide we will be able to set a blocking mode for calls, messages and notifications very useful at night or when it is necessary not to be disturbed (for example when we go to the cinema or we are in a meeting). Many other smartphones integrate a similar functionality, which is present by default since Android 6.0 reaching to be perfected in the latest incarnations of the Google operating system for mobile devices.
If you don't own a Samsung Galaxy or can't use the integrated Do Not Disturb mode, the blocking modes can be replicated on all Android phones with the Nights Keeper application perfect for having a state similar to the Do not disturb of iPhones or Samsung.
READ ALSO: Automatic Airplane mode at set times (iPhone / Android)
