Focus Mode

One great reason to set my phone aside is all the possible distractions it can bring. Sometimes I think, “let me just handle this urgent request, then I’ll focus”. Messages, bank transfers, even games and puzzles could be just a tap away. Sometimes as a director (or even as a father) my role can feel a bit like a doctor—like I should always be on call. But the reality is I can “switch off” and be unreachable so I can focus and pray. I even have a quarterly practice of slipping away for a whole work day to pray, switching off from the world to focus on God. Thank God for an organization that values time spent in prayer! But how do I do that if I am using a Bible app on my phone?

I’m grateful that most phones now include a feature called “focus mode”. Both iPhones and Android have them. Older phones had two separate features “Do not disturb” and “Focus mode” and I had to put them both on as needed. My newest phone combines them in a feature called “Modes and routines”.

Focus mode in an Android phone

“Do not disturb” completely silences the phone. It won’t even vibrate or show pop up notifications. Later I can look through missed calls and messages to catch up on anything that was urgent. Since I often forget to put my phone’s ringer back on, I use an Android app called Simple Silent timer that puts it back on after a given time frame, or I use the timer of the “Do not disturb” feature.

“Focus mode” switches off any apps I don’t need to study the Word of God. It doesn’t switch off the phone and messaging app, unless it turns on the “Do not disturb” feature. Every other app appears gray and won’t open until focus mode is switched off. The concept is simple but profoundly helpful. It's like not having the rest of my phone, just the Bible library.

My new phone allows me to make “Focus mode” come on at specific times or when I open certain apps. At first I thought it would be useful to have this mode come on whenever I open my Bible app, but that turned out to be really inconvenient rather than helpful. I sometimes use my Bible app at work, and it surprised me when it shut down useful apps I was using to do my work. Now, I just use the timer to automatically put on “Focus mode” at the time when I usually have a quiet time. At other times, I can put on the focus mode for a set period of time, perhaps thirty minutes or an hour. Thank God for the peace when all the other apps turn grey and I’m alone with God and his Word.

If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact us; we don’t get overwhelmed with people reaching out to us. This is often tucked away in settings but can be set up as a quick access setting with just a single swipe and a and tap or two to turn it on. You may find directions online on how to put on Focus mode in iPhone—note the section on “Choose a customized…Home Screen page to switch to while the Focus is on to help limit distractions”—and a few versions of Android: Samsung, Redmi/Xiaomi, Oppo, and others, you may also consider Google’s instructions. Frankly, searching an AI engine with your model may give you the easiest directions, but if the AI hallucinates and gives directions that don’t work, ask for links to directions in places where you are stuck.