Facebook launches Quiet Mode to mute its push notifications

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facebook.quiet.mode
'Quiet Mode' lets users temporarily mute push notifications and essentially put the app on hold.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook announced Thursday a new feature designed to help reduce distractions from the social network by letting users temporarily mute push notifications.

Called “Quiet Mode,” the new setting can be activated within a scheduled time period or set intervals.

The new feature can be set by tapping on the hamburger icon of the mobile app and selecting “Your time on Facebook.” If Quiet Mode is enabled, it will remind users when the app is launched of how much time is left before the current mode expires. By tapping on the option for managing Quiet Mode, it will provide the option to either quit that mode or use Facebook for 15 minutes, during which time push notifications will still be muted.

As Facebook explained in a blog post

We also added shortcuts to Notification Settings and News Feed Preferences, so you can make the most of your time on Facebook by controlling the type of posts you see in your News Feed as well as the updates you receive.

Facebook already has a feature to let users limit time in its app. Introduced in 2018, it allows users to view the total time spent on the service on a particular day in a week and then choose to set a daily limit. When the limit is reached, the app notifies the user with the ability to then mute push notifications from 15 minutes to eight hours.

Facebook said the new feature is meant to set boundaries for how its users spend time online. “Whether it’s to help you focus on your family and friends, sleep without distraction or manage how you spend your time at home, we have tools that can help you find the right balance for how you use Facebook,” a statement read.

Apple offers a similar feature on iOS devices. Screen Time in iOS allows users to put daily limits on the use of individual apps.

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