Facebook’s new ‘Quiet Mode’ lets you take a break from Facebook

With more than 1.6 billion daily active users, Facebook has become an inescapable part of our lives. And, as useful as it can be, there’s also the danger of it taking over too much of our time; if you’re a Facebook user, check out app usage statistics on your phone and you’ll know what I mean. 

This is why a new Facebook feature for mobiles, called Quiet Mode, feels particularly important. Announced in a short post on Facebook’s coronavirus outbreak page, it’s part of a new (well, not entirely — more on that later) set of features that help you manage your time on the platform. 

“As we all adjust to new routines and staying home, setting boundaries for how you spend your time online can be helpful. 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,” the company explained in the post. 

When turned on, Quiet Mode mutes “most” push notifications and gives you a splash screen when you open the app, warning you that this is the time when you decided not to be bothered by Facebook. Notifications that will continue to push through when Quiet Mode is on are Facebook’s privacy updates, for example. 

Quiet Mode is currently rolling out to iPhones now, though I haven’t gotten it yet; on Android, it’s coming in May, according to VentureBeat. When it goes live for you, you’ll find it by tapping on the hamburger menu on the bottom right (iPhone), under the “Your time on Facebook” section. 

This section isn’t new; it’s been added two years ago, and even its current version offers several ways to manage your time on Facebook more effectively, such as monitoring your Facebook daily usage, and yes, muting your notifications (though that setting doesn’t put the entire app on hold like Quiet Mode does). 

Quiet Mode also brings slightly more granular controls; for example, you’ll be able to have it on for a certain period of time or schedule it to happen only on certain time intervals (for example, every day from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.) 

The entire Your Time on Facebook section has also been redesigned and reorganized with more details on offer. For example, the feature that lets you see how much time you spend on Facebook has been updated with more precise stats (e.g. daily vs. nightly usage) and trends.