Setting up Bedtime mode on your Android 13 is an easy way to try and get more zzz’s. | Samar Haddad; Allison Johnson / The Verge
Bedtime mode is one of those rare smartphone tools that’s actually designed to help you use your phone less. Instead of doomscrolling into the wee hours of the morning, configuring your Android phone’s Bedtime mode can help remind you when it’s time to wind down and make it easier to put your phone away. Here’s how to get started.
I followed these initial setup steps on a Google Pixel 6 Pro running Android 13 with the October 5th security update. They may differ slightly on other Android devices, but the overall process should be similar. (Note: if you’ve already set up Bedtime mode, you can skip to the next section to see your customization options.)
Go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls > Bedtime mode.
Toggle Do Not Disturb for Bedtime mode on or off (it’s usually on by default), and then tap next.
Here, you can choose whether to enable Bedtime mode automatically on a schedule or within certain hours when you plug in your phone to charge.
To set up a schedule, tap the start and end times to adjust each, and tap the days of the week to enable it only on certain days.
If you’d rather have Bedtime mode start when you plug in your phone at night, select the Turn on while charging option. You can set a specific time range to start the mode when you charge, like between 9PM and 7AM so it doesn’t turn on when you top up your battery in the afternoon.
Tap Done, then select Allow or Don’t allow on the next screen to enable or disable additional sleep detection features.
Once you’ve completed initial setup, you can revisit your preferences in the Digital Wellbeing section of the settings menu.
There are a few more display options at your disposal, like the ability to dim your wallpaper when Bedtime mode starts.
At this point, Bedtime mode is enabled, but you have a few more ways to customize it. You can adjust these options now or come back to them at any time through the Digital Wellbeing settings.
To change your bedtime schedule or switch to enabling it while charging (and vice versa), tap Bedtime routine. There’s a second menu of options below that, which is labeled Customize. This is where you’ll find a couple of other options along with display settings. Under Screen options at bedtime, you can choose to toggle the following on or off:
Grayscale (screen changes to black and white during Bedtime mode)
Keep the screen dark (turns off the always-on display, if enabled)
Dim the wallpaper
Dark theme (switches to black background during Bedtime mode)
There’s also a toggle to have Bedtime mode turn off with your next alarm, even if it’s before the mode is scheduled to end.
There are a few more wake-up options available in the Clock app, too.
Go to the Clock app and tap Bedtime > Get started.
The first screen will show you various wake-up options, including alarm sounds, which days of the week to enable, and whether you’d like the Sunrise Alarm to gradually brighten before the alarm. (Honestly, it’s a lovely way to wake up.)
The next screen shows your scheduled Bedtime start, with the option to adjust the 15-minute reminder notification that the mode is about to begin.
Changes you make to the Bedtime start time or the scheduled wake-up alarm in the Clock app will be reflected in the main settings menu, too. When Bedtime mode starts up, however you’ve configured it, you’ll see a little moon and stars icon in the corner of the screen. Not quite ready to wind down? Pull down your notification shade to see options to pause for 30 minutes or turn it off completely. Once Bedtime mode is configured, you can find it in your quick settings anytime and turn it back on when you’re ready to get some shut-eye.