Android 17 pause point is not available yet. Here are 3 ways to replicate it now

The stable version of Android 17 finally dropped in June 2026 for Pixel phones, adding a ton of awesome new features. However, in typical Google fashion, not all of the Android 17 features announced during Google I/O are available yet. One of the great ones that is yet to come is Pause pointa new Digital Wellbeing tool designed to help you break the habit of using autopilot or doomscrolling apps.

What sets Pause Point apart from existing Android Digital Wellbeing tools is that instead of locking you out of the app from the start, it takes a slightly different approach by giving you a 10-second break to reflect on your intention for opening the app in the first place. Pause Point also lets you set a usage timer and even suggests alternative apps to make better use of your free time. The best part, though, is that disabling it requires you to restart your phone, which means it’s not as easy to disable Pause Point and go back to your old habit.

Pause Point is said to be coming “later this year,” which could mean anything from the next Pixel Drop update in a month to even the end of this year. The good news is that you don’t have to wait for the Break Point to stop your time-wasting phone habits.

Here are three things you can try right away to take control of your doomscrolling addiction.

The first step to combating autopilot app use is to accept that you have a problem and identify the top apps that waste your time on your phone. These are usually one-thumb scrollers like TikTok or Instagram. To combat any addiction, we must first create “friction” at the access point. For apps, you most likely have a lot of shortcuts right on your home screen.

Removing distracting app shortcuts or placing them in folders so there is more friction from unintended use has actually been scientifically proven to work. The temptation to open these apps automatically decreases if they are not in sight when you unlock your phone. I put this to the test myself regarding food ordering apps. Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a big drop in the number of times I’ve ordered food by simply removing app shortcuts from the home screen.

In addition to application shortcuts, it is also advisable to disable or limit notifications from these applications. On Android, you can now drill down and adjust which notifications you want to receive and which ones you want to block.

To do this, simply long press the app icon in question and touch the ‘Yo’ symbol. On the next page, tap Notifications. You can turn off all notifications or mute specific ones in Notification Categories. Unlike apps like Gmail or chat apps, where you’ll likely receive important notifications that require your immediate attention, apps that waste your time can wait.

If these two things don’t really help you, it’s time to explore the various tools built into Android’s Digital Wellbeing feature.

Google already has a ton of tools in the Digital Wellbeing app to combat screen addiction, and it’s about time you put them to good use. While these tools are designed to create friction during app use so that you are intermittently reminded of how long you are using the app, they are also very easy to dismiss or disable, making it easy to fall back into old habits. we have done a detailed guide on how to use these tools in the past, but I’ll quickly go over some of the main ones since some of the options and layout changed in Android 17.

look for the Digital Wellbeing section in your Settings app and open it. Low Ways to disconnectYou will see all the tools you can use to limit the use of the application.

With App timerYou can set a timer to know how long you should use the app each day. Once the time is up, the app will appear grayed out. However, this is not the most effective, as if you still open the grayed-out app, all that appears is a warning message, and this can be easily dismissed by tapping Resume the application to have full control again.

Focus It’s a little tighter and easier to set up, allowing you to select multiple apps at once and set a pause schedule for the entire week. Here you can skip weekends if you think you don’t want restrictions on your days off. The only advantage of Focus is that if you open a paused app, it allows you to use it for five minutes, but not reactivate it permanently. For the latter, you must go to the main Wellbeing page and deactivate it.

If you want something less annoying, enable Screen time reminders. This is enabled for all apps on your phone by default. As the name suggests, it simply shows you a pop-up bubble indicating how long you have been using the app. It doesn’t lock you out or anything, it just keeps you aware of how long you’ve been using the app.

If Android’s self-control and default tools still aren’t enough, it’s time to bring out the big guns. a second is a small app that has a similar feature to Pause Point: it asks you to take a deep breath before giving you the option to continue using the app or close it.

It also shows you statistics like how many times you’ve opened the app in the last 24 hours, for a bit of a reality check. There are no ads, but the free version is limited to monitoring a single app. The Pro plan for $20 a year unlocks all features, including unlimited app monitoring, time tracking, and more.

To combat the endless scrolling of Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, try DisplacementGuard. This free app actively prevents you from opening the Reels or Shorts tab in the respective apps, while the anti-scroll feature displays a giant black box in infinitely scrolling sections.

You can get a lifetime license of ScrollGuard Pro for under $20, and this unlocks per-app Shorts controls, custom threshold settings for anti-scroll, and the ability to view friends’ Reels without turning on the blocker.

Finally, there is Forestthat gamifies your concentration sessions by planting and growing virtual trees. Every successful concentration session where you don’t switch apps or get distracted helps your tree thrive, but end the session early so you’re away from the app for too long and the tree starts to wilt.

It’s more of a mindfulness app than a blocker, with a well-designed interface and fun challenges to complete.

Smartphone manufacturers have been trying various tricks for years to curb app addiction. Zen (now Zen Space) mode was a big deal on OnePlus smartphones about five years ago, and it looks like Samsung is doubling down on this with its next tool in One UI 9 beta. According to a recent survey According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), more than a third of adults (mostly younger adults) admit that nighttime doomscrolling has negatively affected their sleep. Even the older generation is reportedly It is not immune to the attractive brightness of the smartphone screen.

It is not surprising then that Google is once again focusing its efforts on offering yet another tool to help users combat this addiction. Hopefully, Pause Point should offer a stronger, better-integrated approach to combating doomscroll addiction. But until this feature arrives, there are still plenty of precautions to take, as long as you’re ready to commit.