Check Your Phone Less With Customizable Text Vibration
I get three kinds of texts:
- Texts from my wife that I want to read right away
- Lifehacker Podcast Producer Levi Sharp Lyrics That Come Five At A Time
- Anything else that can usually wait later
I don’t have a smartwatch, and when I’m immersed in conversation over drinks, I don’t like pulling out my phone to check the text. But I don’t have to, because thanks to the customizable text vibration, I know which texts are from my wife and I need to respond, and I know which text storms are coming from Levy and I can wait for the next bathroom break.
I assigned my wife’s lyrics to a heartbeat vibration (one of Apple’s standard choices), which is noticeably different from the default and damn cute. All others get vibration by default. If they write me a pack in a row, I will immediately pull out my phone; otherwise I’ll wait.
But what about Levy, the absolute legend who can decompose one sentence into ten texts? I did a custom shave and cut vibration. Now his text storms are starting the party in my pants, but the theme for this party is “no emergency, it’s just my good friend Levy.”
So, if you haven’t already – and if so, congratulations, why are you reading this – here’s how to assign custom text vibrations on your phone.
iphone
- Open the Contacts app (or the Contacts tab in the Phone app).
- Select the contact to which you want to assign a custom vibration.
- Click Change in the upper right corner, then Text Tone, then Vibration.
- Now choose one of the standard options or click “Create New Vibration” to do so.
Android
Android does not support text vibration for specific contacts. Download an app such as Good Vibrations , WhoIsIt, or Contact Vibrate to create and assign custom text vibrations.
Or use Do Not Disturb
There is another way to deal with all of this: use Do Not Disturb mode, but allow certain contacts to bypass it. ( Offtime for Android provides a similar feature.)
iphone
- Go to the “Contacts” application, select your important contact and click “Edit” and “Text signal”.
- Turn on Crash Bypass so that the contact will still alert you when Do Not Disturb is on.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb mode.
Android
- Open Settings and tap Sounds & Notifications.
- Tap Do Not Disturb and Priority Only Allows.
- Tap Messages or Calls and select Only From Favorite Contacts.
- Open Contacts and mark important contacts.
This Do Not Disturb method is less complex, more binary. In most cases, I like to know if I get a text message, even if I did not check. But if you diligently turn on Do Not Disturb mode, there will be a lot less noise in your pocket.