How to get Bedtime Mode on your Android device

Google introduced digital well-being in Android 9.0 in order to provide users with a tool to help them reduce excessive smartphone usage. The feature has seen a number of updates over the years, all aimed at making it more useful. In the latest update, it unveiled Bedtime Mode – an option designed to calm your phone down for better sleep.

In this article, we show how to activate Bedtime Mode on your Android phone.

What is digital wellness and why should you use it?

In the modern world, addiction to smartphones has become a reality. A recent study states that smartphone addiction has an impact on the brain similar to that of drug addiction.

Since smartphones are an integral part of human life today, the dangers of their excessive use will inevitably arise. Google recognized the potential implications of spending too much time on your phone and, in response, provided digital wellness as a way to help users who want to live more balanced lives.

With Digital Wellbeing, you can do things like set app timers, turn on Focus mode, and set up ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode. There is even a Parental Controls section. In addition, you also have access to an overview of your digital habits, how often different apps are used and how often to check the phone. Armed with this knowledge, users can then change their digital habits so that they can finally permanently reduce the use of smartphones.

How to get digital wellness on your phone

This feature is now available on Android devices running Android 9.0 (Pie) or higher. Since September 2019, Google has made the inclusion of digital wellness mandatory for all manufacturers of Android mobile devices.

You won’t find digital wellness in the app list in your app drawer. Instead, you’ll need to open your device’s settings and scroll down until you find the feature.

For those with older devices, you can still get a taste of the digital wellness features. Through its Google Creative Lab initiative, the tech giant has released a series of apps that don’t seem to require Digital Wellbeing to be present on the device to work. However, users will need to have a handset running Android 8.0 Oreo (or higher) for most applications. The list of applications includes Unlock the clock, which installs a live wallpaper on your device that counts the number of times you’ve unlocked your device during the day.

How to activate the new Bedtime Mode feature

Google’s latest “Bedtime Mode” feature replaces the older “Wind Down” version of Digital Wellbeing.

Go to Digital Wellbeing in your settings. Tap on Bedtime mode (in the “Ways to sign out” section), slide your finger over the demo part by tapping Next, and go to the setup screen.

Here you can decide when you want Bedtime Mode to start its routine. The first option – based on your schedule – requires users to set their bedtime by specifying the usual time they go to bed and wake up. The second option is While charging at bedtime. This means that every night when you plug your mobile in to charge, Bedtime mode will automatically become active.

When Bedtime Mode is on, the grayscale changes your phone’s color to black and white to minimize distractions. Do not disturb is also turned on to turn off calls, texts, and other notifications you might receive overnight.

How to add a bedtime mode toggle in quick settings

Want to be able to access Bedtime Mode quickly and easily? Add a toggle to your quick settings. To do this, swipe up from the main screen and tap the pencil button at the bottom.

You will now be able to see all of the additional options available. Find the Bedtime Mode option and long press it to add it to your quick settings.

Once you’ve added Bedtime Mode to Quick Settings, you can simply tap it to turn the feature on and off or long-press it to go directly to its settings.

If you still want to do more to improve your sleep routine, we recommend that you also check out 4 of the best sleep tracker apps for Android.

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