On those days when you have a lot of work to do and not nearly enough time to do it, shutting out distractions is vital. Android’s Do Not Disturb mode is already tremendously helpful in that respect, but it looks like a better version is coming in Android 16 called Priority modes.
Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman first spotted the change in the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 1. According to Rahman, the Priority Mode feature replaces the Do Not Disturb menu and brings with it UI elements and display settings straight from the Digital Wellbeing feature. He played around with the feature, but was unable to interact with it beyond that.
Things have progressed a bit in the most recent version of the beta. The previously inactive Quick Settings tile is now functional and allows you to quickly activate or deactivate different modes. The modes shown include Do Not Disturb, Event, Gardening, Meditating, and Sleeping. Any selected modes are highlighted so you can easily see which ones are active at a glance.
In his analysis, Rahman pointed out that both Event and Sleeping have placeholder icons, but he says he expects a more fleshed-out interface by the time the project is finalized. Android has already introduced more than 40 different icons to choose from in the QPR Beta 2, which suggests that you can set up custom Priority Modes with an icon of your choice.
This is a massive change that revamps and improves one of Android’s core features. Since it is such a big shift, it will likely be part of Android 16’s feature list, but it is possible it will be released later in Android 15‘s life cycle.
From a user perspective, I love what Priority Modes brings to the table. The ability to customize alerts so that only specific ones come through is basically what exists with Do Not Disturb now, but Priority Modes will make it significantly more convenient to activate. One of the primary obstacles right now is the process of activating Do Not Disturb; why bother going through all those taps when I can just toss my phone in a hoodie pocket and achieve the same effect?
Other reports say that Priority Mode can enable other features, like dimming the wallpaper, turning the screen black-and-white, and much more. I’d rather not admit how often I glance at my phone because of a dynamic wallpaper, so this is a welcome feature.
It’s also worth pointing out that this same update appears to let you place any app into a bubble for easy multitasking and screen management. It all sounds great, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
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