The new Pause Point feature in Android 17 wants to stop you doomscrolling
and it's something I'll be turning on right away

Date:
Sat, 16 May 2026 23:30:00 +0000

Description:
Google has previewed the Pause Point feature coming our way with Android 17, and I like the look of it.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Ahead of the big Google I/O
2026 event on May 19, Google hosted a more focused preview with The Android Show this week, announcing some of the features it will roll out to users
soon with the Android 17 update.

There was a lot to take in, including a more proactive and more personalized Gemini experience, but it was the Pause Point feature that caught my eye: the ability to set 10-second timers that appear before you open certain apps. The idea is that in those 10 seconds, you can reconsider whether you really do need to spend time browsing through the feeds in a social app, or trying to beat a high score in a game, and maybe back away and do something else instead. Latest Videos From You may like 7 major Android 17 announcements
from Google's pre-I/O showcase Google to host 'The Android Show' on May 12 ahead of I/O Android 17 beta 1 is here, with some big changes and small surprises

I've been looking for ways to cut down on how much time I spend on my phone and I think I'll find Pause Point very helpful. The problem: too many distractions I already have a Do Not Disturb mode set up for my phone during working hours, which means that it's not going to ping or buzz with every single WhatsApp and Instagram notification that comes in (every alert hijacks your brain for seven seconds, by the way). A few specific contacts can
trigger a proper notification, but only a few.

However, whenever I do pick my phone up for whatever reason maybe to start a podcast, log how much water I'm drinking, or look something up I find myself drawn to a quick check of X or Instagram, or whichever WhatsApp group chats have had another dozen messages added to them while I've been looking away.

Another 20 minutes go by and I haven't really achieved anything of note by
the time I put my phone down again, though I may have come across a couple of interesting memes or online controversies (which I'll soon forget about). Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. This is a good day in terms of Instagram usage (Image credit: Future) There's a lot going on in all of these apps all of the time, but if I'm being honest, a large proportion of it isn't really particularly important. Still though, I'm sucked in the last time I actually looked at my screen time on Android (it's under Digital Wellbeing in Settings if you want to check), I was rather alarmed and this seems like it could help.

This isn't to say there's anything inherently wrong with staying in touch
with friends or spending some time relaxing with a mobile puzzle game, but
the issue is that opening these apps is done almost on autopilot a lot of the time. That mindless app usage is what Pause Point aims to address.

In recent months (though I can't remember exactly when they first appeared), Android on my Pixel has started showing me little reminders about how long I've used certain apps in a day, and based on Google's demo at The Android Show, it seems Pause Point will build on top of that. What to read next Google's Android Show: start times and expected Android 17 updates Android 17 may allow Pixel users to hide the home screen search bar Android Show 2026 as it happened all the big news on Android 17, Googlebook, and Gemini Intelligence The fix? Pause Point Obviously Android 17 won't be out for a while, so I haven't had chance to try out Pause Point yet, but I like what
I'm seeing so far. We got a demo of the feature in The Android Show, from Android Product Manager Alanna Veiga, and it looks as though it's simple and effective enough to work.

"Sometimes our phones can be a lot," Veiga said while going through the details of how Pause Point works. "You open your phone just to check the weather, and 45 minutes later you're scrolling with no clue how you got there."

Pause Point is intended to sit somewhere between the existing app timers in Android which are just a little too easy to dismiss and more extreme measures such as uninstalling apps entirely or putting your phone in a different room for part of the day (which honestly, I might also try soon). (Image credit: Google) You can mark certain apps as distracting, and whenever you open one of these apps, you'll get a prompt to take a breath and reflect and to not open the app after all. You can even swipe through photos from
this screen, so maybe pictures of your pets or kids will be enough to get you to realize that you don't want to waste any more time on your phone.

Pause Point also lets you set up alternative app suggestions on the pause screen, so you could maybe open up an e-book, do some meditation, or track a walk rather than simply distracting yourself. What's more, you can set up Pause Point up so that a reset is needed before you can disable it.

Google, you can count me in for this I will at least be giving it a try once Android 17 starts rolling out to Pixel phones. We should hear more about when the operating system update is coming at Google I/O 2026 . Follow TechRadar
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