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Facebook adds 'quiet mode' to stop it being so stressful

New feature part of a wide variety of responses to coronavirus pandemic, company says

Andrew Griffin
Friday 10 April 2020 14:23 BST
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A smartphone records a catholic priest celebrating the palm mass in the empty Saint Francois-Xavier church, which will be broadcasted on social networks
A smartphone records a catholic priest celebrating the palm mass in the empty Saint Francois-Xavier church, which will be broadcasted on social networks

Facebook has added a "quiet mode" to its app, in an attempt to make it less stressful.

The company said it had rolled out the feature as part of a wider response to the coronavirus pandemic, to improve the wellbeing of its users.

The quiet mode allows a user to turn off notifications from the mobile app, and can be turned on manually or at certain times of the day.

Facebook said the new feature should make it easier to limit the time spent online, as people are at home more than usual.

“As we all adjust to new routines and staying home, setting boundaries for how you spend your time online can be helpful," the company wrote in an update to its coronavirus hub, where it has collated other responses including attempts to address widespread misinformation on the site.

"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 quiet mode follows other features such as tools that tracked how long people spend on the platform, in an attempt to help them not waste time on it. It is found in the same part of the site, known as "Your Time On Facebook".

Quiet mode will not only stop notifications coming up on your phone from the app – such as push alerts or the little numbers on the app icon – but will also stop notifications from appearing while you are inside the app.

If a user attempts to open the app while quiet mode is engaged, they will be reminded that they had set it up so that they were not meant to be using the app.

Facebook says that switching on the mode will mute "most" notifications. Some, such as privacy alerts, will still come through.

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