Enable Zen Mode
Unlike Digital Wellbeing which is hidden under Settings, OnePlus has made sure Zen Mode is easily accessible at all times. You can access it from the shelf on the OnePlus launcher. You might be familiar with the shelf if you use the default launcher that ships with the OnePlus 7 Pro. It houses various features and tools that OnePlus has added to make your life easier and it can also be used as a widgets page if you prefer to keep your home screen clean. If you use a third-party launcher, you can still access it from the quick settings. Everything mentioned below works exactly the same on the OnePlus 7 Pro and any other OnePlus devices that have received the latest Oxygen OS updates.
Add to OnePlus Shelf
Go back to the Shelf by pressing the back button and you should find the Zen Mode card towards the bottom. You can long-press on it and drag it up or down to place it wherever you prefer.
Add to OnePlus Quick Settings
Once placed, you can tap the back button to exit edit mode. You will now be able to access Zen Mode from anywhere using the quick settings.
Configure Zen Mode
Now that you’ve added to your shelf and quick settings, you can launch Zen Mode from anywhere. When you do, you’ll land on a beautiful introductory page. When you tap the LET’S GO button, you’ll be taken to another page that explains what Zen Mode will do. Tap on START and it will launch Zen Mode.
As mentioned, during this time, you will not be able to use your phone except for emergency calls and camera. You can configure the duration of continuous usage after which your phone reminds you to turn on Zen Mode and leave your phone. To do this, tap on the Settings (cog wheel) icon in the top-right corner.
Right next to the settings icon is the statistics icon. It shows you how many days you’ve used the said mode, how many notifications you’ve avoided, how many times you’ve used it, etc.
What is Zen Mode?
As mentioned already, it is OnePlus’ way of allowing users to better manage their device usage. However, staying true to the philosophy of Oxygen OS, Zen Mode is not just OnePlus’ implementation of Google’s Digital Wellbeing. In fact, OnePus has announced that they’ll add Digital Wellbeing in the next Oxygen OS updates as well. Zen Mode is actually something quite different. Instead of showing you your app usage and other things which Digital Wellbeing already does, Zen Mode simply locks you out of your phone. It’s plain and simple. Unlike the tools from Google and Apple, Zen Mode cannot be turned off anytime you feel like it. This makes sure that you actually follow through with the commitment. Therefore, Zen Mode actually ends up being useful instead of being a minor annoyance in your phone usage. No need to panic though because you can still make any emergency calls or use the camera in case something comes up. Everything else, you cannot access. This includes all your apps, notifications, etc. Considering the way other vendors have implemented their digital wellbeing tools, you’d expect a restart to get rid of it. For better or worse, there’s no way out.
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