The Secret Steps For Creating A Sanity-Saving 'Vacation Mode' On Your Phone

A vacation is meant to disconnect you from the entire world and transport you to a distraction-free paradise temporarily. But the issue is that in today's world, you rely on your phone for so many tasks and functions. Chances are, whenever you have your phone on your person, you will get flooded with notifications, and it's not always the easiest thing to avoid how distracting they can be. While it is unwise to block off all notifications or to travel without a phone — sometimes it's even better to consider packing a second phone when traveling — there are several steps you can take to minimize your phone's distractions beyond what is necessary. 

Your phone conceals many features that could be very useful on your travels, for example, one phone carrier offers hidden travel perks, and a hidden iPhone feature can stop car sickness on road trips. In this case, a single button that you only have to set up once will mute unnecessary distractions on its own and even change how your screen looks while you enjoy your vacation in blissful silence.

How you set up your phone's Vacation mode will vary depending on what phone you have, but they're all similar in function. They only require a one-time configuration before it becomes a matter of pressing a button and shutting out the world. If you own Apple products, you can use the Focus feature, which is, as the name suggests, meant to limit distractions and allow you to focus. 

You can choose the name, maybe "vacation" or "travel" in this case, and even pick an icon like a plane or a globe. Then, you'll be given a list of options that you can alter for this specific mode. Most importantly, you are able to select the people who can contact you (all other calls would go to voicemail), the apps that are allowed to send you notifications, and configure a more muted look for your phone's display. Additionally, there is an option to select where and when Vacation mode activates — in Paris on the 16th, for example. Otherwise, you can always activate it in the control center or by talking to Siri. The setting can be synced to all Apple devices using the same ID, which means you only have to set it up once.

Android users, rest assured, you have something very similar. The Modes feature allows you to set up custom and fully configurable options, like vacation or study, and most Android phones already come with a Do Not Disturb mode. Keep in mind that you can take matters into your own hands and not rely on vacation mode by simply blocking notifications for individual apps.