How to Get the New Android Focus Mode Early

The imminent launch of Android 10 (hereinafter referred to as “Android Q”) will bring a lot of new things to do, and several built-in Android apps are also preparing some fun features for you to try out right now – Android Q is not required. These include Google’s own Digital Wellbeing app, which allows users to control the use of their devices and apps, set screen timers, and enable special modes to avoid distractions.

The app’s next big feature, Focus Mode, can temporarily “block” users from distracting apps to help them focus elsewhere – at work, school, on business, or even just at family dinner.

All users with digital wellness installed will receive the new feature when it launches, but you can check it out ahead of time by participating in the app’s beta program now.

How to get early access to focus mode

To access early focus mode, you need to run Digital Wellbeing 1.0.263 beta. Here’s how to install and use it:

1. Join the Digital Wellbeing beta program .
2. Once your device is registered with the program, download the latest beta from Google Play .
3. Run the application. If you don’t see an app listed in the app launcher, go to Settings> Digital Wellbeing and enable Show icon in app list.
4. Click Digital Wellbeing Tools.
5. Under Shutdown Methods, click Focus Mode (if this option does not appear even though you are running the latest beta version of Digital Wellbeing, try force quitting and restarting the application).
6. You will be shown a list of all the applications you have installed. The list is sorted in descending order based on the total screen time, with the most frequently used applications at the top. Select the apps you want to disable in focus mode, but make sure that all apps you want to access are not checked.
7. Once you’ve customized the app list, go back to the Digital Wellbeing menu and tap Focus Mode again to turn it on / off.

Optional: You can create a quick setting toggle for Focus mode so you don’t have to navigate multiple menus to find it.

1. Swipe down on your device’s display to open the notification drawer, then expand the quick settings menu again.
2. Tap the Edit Pencil icon in the lower-right corner of the Quick Settings menu.
3. Hold and drag the Focus Mode icon to the desired location in quick settings.
4. Tap the focus mode icon to turn it on / off.

When focus mode is active, your phone pauses any applications on your list that are currently running and prevents you from starting them. Paused app icons will be greyed out in the app launcher, but you can still use other apps as usual without affecting access to system menus and settings.

In our experience, the beta version works fine, although in some cases there may be a slight delay when turning the mode on or off. If you encounter other errors, you can revert to the stable release by returning to the Digital Wellbeing beta page and abandoning it. Then, on your device, press and hold the Digital Wellbeing app icon, then tap App Information and then Uninstall Updates to roll back.

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