One UI 9’s screen time feature goes one better than Google

A proper deterrent

Screen time. In today’s always-on society, it’s something we need to be conscious of, and our phones are often the main culprits.

Android and iOS have long had tools for monitoring your phone use, but if you’re trying to kick the scrolling habit, uncomfortable stats and weak app blockers are a partial solution at best.

Google is finally taking things one step further on Android 17, introducing a feature known as ‘Pause Point’. It mimics third-party apps by temporarily restricting access to other, “distracting” apps, encouraging deep breathing or a switch to apps that are considered more fulfilling.

However, if you’re hooked on the dopamine hit of social media, it won’t take much to get around. After 10 seconds or a simple restart of your phone, you’re back to your old ways.

What you really need is something that makes these apps almost impossible to use, which is where Samsung’s new One UI 9 feature comes into play.

Taking things offline

Within the One UI 9 beta that’s just begun rolling out to Galaxy S26 handsets, Android Authority has spotted a new, hidden feature that goes much further than Pause Point.

Accessed via Connectivity labs, it’s an experimental set of features that’s only revealed when you tap the ‘Intelligent Wi-Fi’ button in Settings multiple times. The new ‘Network restriction’ tools can automatically disable the network connection when you open an app that you’ve flagged as distracting.

…your internet connection will immediately drop when you open a distracting app, rendering it useless in most cases

Yes, that’s right: your internet connection will immediately drop when you open a distracting app, rendering it useless in most cases. While unconfirmed, this will presumably apply to both Wi-Fi and mobile data – blocking one without the other would be pointless.

Screenshots obtained by Android Authority show the option to set a ‘Downtime’ schedule, which would make the apps you select only available to use in offline mode. This is perfect for a music or video streaming service, where you can download the content before restrictions come into play.

To make choosing your apps easier, Samsung appears to group them into six categories: Browser, Game, Social, Streaming, Other and Preset.

Just like Pause Point, there will be ways around the block. In this case, changing the Network restriction schedule or blocked apps seems only to require a ‘Network controls PIN’ to be entered within Settings.

It could be even more effective as an addition to the Google Family Link of parental controls available on Samsung Galaxy phones, meaning a child would be unable to restore access without their parent or carer’s approval.

A great start – but that’s all it is

I’m not about to suggest that these network restrictions will solve any deep-rooted issues you have with mindless phone use.

That’s a multi-faceted issue and will likely require a combination of approaches. It took a lot of experimentation and eight different strategies to find something that eventually worked for me.

For example, an app like Chrome is often used for both genuine productivity and mindless doomscrolling. There doesn’t appear to be any option to restrict network access based on the specific website you’re trying to navigate to, which would take things to the next level.

However, it does introduce a lot of what I believe to be non-negotiable: friction. Making it harder to access the most distracting apps is a core part of a sustainable relationship with your smartphone, but you might not want to go cold turkey and delete them outright.

Making it harder to access the most distracting apps is a core part of a sustainable relationship with your smartphone

Network restriction offers a middle ground that goes a lot further than Pause Point, allowing you to use your smartphone as a tool while avoiding most of its unhelpful distractions.

As a current Galaxy Z Fold 7 user, I can’t wait to try it out. With One UI 9 expected to debut alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Fold 8 series in July, we shouldn’t have long to wait.