Screen time. In today’s always-on society, this is something we need to be aware of, and our phones are often the biggest culprits.
Android and iOS have long had tools to monitor your phone usage, but if you want to get rid of scrolling, inconvenient metrics and weak app blockers are a partial solution at best.
Google is finally taking things a step further with Android 17 and introducing a feature known as ‘Pause Point’. It mimics third-party apps by temporarily limiting access to other, ‘distracting’ apps, encouraging deep breathing or a switch to apps that are considered more satisfying.
However, if you’re addicted to the dopamine hit of social media, it doesn’t take much to get by. After 10 seconds or a simple restart of your phone, you’ll be back to your old habits.
Credit: Google
What you really need is something that makes using these apps almost impossible, and that’s where Samsung’s new One UI 9 feature comes into play.
Taking things offline
Within the One UI 9 beta that has just been rolled out to Galaxy S26 handsets, Android Authority has discovered a new, hidden feature that goes well beyond Pause Point.
Accessible through Connectivity Labs, it is an experimental set of features that are only revealed when you tap the ‘Intelligent Wi-Fi’ button in Settings multiple times. The new Network Restriction tools can automatically disable network connectivity when you open an app you’ve marked as disruptive.
…your internet connection immediately drops when you open a distracting app, rendering it unusable in most cases
Yes, that’s right: your internet connection immediately drops when you open a distracting app, making it unusable in most cases. Although not yet confirmed, this will presumably apply to both Wi-Fi and mobile data – blocking one without the other would be pointless.
Screenshots obtained by Android Authority show the option to set a ‘Downtime’ schedule, which will only make your selected apps available for use in offline mode. This is perfect for a music or video streaming service, where you can download the content before any restrictions take effect.
Dylan H / Android Authority
To make choosing your apps easier, Samsung appears to group them into six categories: Browser, Game, Social, Streaming, Other, and Preset.
As with Pause Point, there are ways around the block. In this case, changing the network restriction scheme or blocked apps seems to only require entering a ‘Network Control PIN’ in Settings.
It could be even more effective complementing Google Family Link with parental controls available on Samsung Galaxy phones, meaning a child can’t restore access without their parent or guardian’s permission.
A great start – but that’s all
I’m not suggesting that these network restrictions will solve the deep-rooted problems with mindless phone use.
That’s a multi-faceted problem and will likely require a combination of approaches. It took a lot of experimentation and eight different strategies to find something that finally worked for me.
For example, an app like Chrome is often used for both genuine productivity and mindless doom scrolling. There doesn’t seem to be any option to restrict network access based on the specific website you’re trying to navigate to, which would take things to the next level.
Lucas Baker
However, it introduces a lot of what I think is non-negotiable: friction. Making it harder to access the most distracting apps is an essential part of a lasting relationship with your smartphone, but you might not want to go cold turkey and delete them right away.
Making it harder to access the most distracting apps is a core part of a lasting relationship with your smartphone
Network throttling offers a middle ground that goes well beyond Pause Point, allowing you to use your smartphone as a tool while avoiding most useless distractions.
As a current Galaxy Z Fold 7 user, I can’t wait to try it out. With One UI 9 expected to debut in July alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Fold 8 series, we don’t have long to wait.
