How to Automatically Turn On Do Not Disturb While Driving on Android

Checking your smartphone while driving is incredibly dangerous. The ping of a new text message or the ringing of an incoming call can easily pull your attention away from the road. To help eliminate these distractions, Google built a driving-specific Do Not Disturb mode directly into the Android operating system. Rather than remembering to toggle it on manually every time you get into your car, you can configure Android to detect when you are driving and activate the silence automatically.

How to Enable Automatic Driving Mode

The exact location of this setting can vary slightly depending on your smartphone manufacturer (Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus), but it is generally located within the core Safety or Connected Devices menus.

1. Open the Settings app on your Android smartphone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Safety & emergency. (On some devices, this might be under Connected devices > Connection preferences > Driving mode).
3. Tap on Silence notifications while driving.
4. Toggle the main switch at the top of the screen to the On position.

Once activated, your phone uses its internal motion sensors and Bluetooth connections to determine if you are in a moving vehicle. When it detects a drive, it will automatically suppress all incoming notifications and route incoming phone calls directly to voicemail.

How to Customize the Driving Mode Triggers

Relying solely on motion sensors can sometimes cause the phone to activate driving mode when you are merely a passenger on a bus or train. To make the automation more precise, you can tie it specifically to your car’s Bluetooth stereo.

1. On the same Silence notifications while driving screen, look for the Turn on automatically section.
2. Select the option labelled When connected to Bluetooth.
3. A list of your previously paired Bluetooth devices will appear. Select your car’s specific Bluetooth system from the list.

Now, the Do Not Disturb mode will only trigger when the phone establishes a connection with your car’s stereo system. When you turn off the engine and the Bluetooth connection drops, Android will automatically disable Do Not Disturb and deliver any notifications you missed during the drive.