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How to use Sleep mode on a Samsung Galaxy (Modes and Routines)

By Updated 14 November 20264 min read

Device: Galaxy S26 · Software: One UI 9.0 · Checked November 2026

Real screenshot · Galaxy S26, One UI 9.0

In short

Open Settings, Modes and Routines, tap Sleep, then Turn on. Under Choose what this mode does, Stay focused silences distractions, Change appearance sets the wallpaper and Other actions adds Grayscale, Dark mode or Eye comfort shield. A start time can be set under Turn on automatically.

Well, it is hard to wind down when the phone keeps lighting up beside the bed. Samsung says the Modes tab lists common preset modes; ours included Sleep, Theater, Driving and Exercise. Each mode can change several settings at once. None was set up on our phone.

6 of 6 steps show a real screenshot from our Galaxy S26.

Steps

0 of 6 steps
  1. 1

    Open Modes and Routines

    Open Settings and tap Modes and Routines. The Modes tab lists the ready-made modes. On our Galaxy S26, Theater, Driving and Exercise read Not set.

    Android screenshot: Open Modes and Routines
  2. 2

    Tap Sleep

    Tap the word Sleep. Our phone also showed a card about adding home and work places; Not now hides it.

    Android screenshot: Tap Sleep
  3. 3

    Turn it on now

    Turn on starts the mode straight away. We did not tap it.

    Android screenshot: Turn it on now
  4. 4

    Set when it starts

    Under Turn on automatically, tap When to start this mode and pick a time, for example your bedtime. Ours showed only the + because no time was set.

    Android screenshot: Set when it starts
  5. 5

    Choose what it does

    Under Stay focused, tap Ways to avoid distractions and add Do not disturb or Restrict app usage, then tap Done. Change appearance below sets the Lock screen and Home screen wallpaper while the mode is on.

    Android screenshot: Choose what it does
  6. 6

    Add other actions

    Under Other actions, More actions for this mode adds Grayscale, Dark mode, Eye comfort shield, Sound mode and volume, Power saving or Always On Display. Tap the + next to each one you want, then Done.

    Android screenshot: Add other actions

If you do not see this option

If this does not work

  • A mode or routine starts when you do not expect it Samsung says to check what is running: the Now bar on the lock screen shows an active mode such as Sleep, and the quick panel shows a routine notification.
  • You want to see which routines run Samsung says to open Modes and Routines, tap Routines and check the running routines.
  • Worried you will miss the alarm? Sleep's Stay focused option can turn on Do not disturb. Samsung's Do not disturb exceptions under Alarms and sounds can include Alarms, Calendar events and Reminders, so check that Alarms is allowed before your first night.
  • An important caller cannot reach you? Samsung says Do not disturb can let calls and messages through from chosen contacts and from repeat callers. Add family or anyone who may need you at night, because a silent phone should never stop the calls that matter.

Good to know

Just want silence at night? how to use Do Not Disturb on a Samsung Galaxy phone.

The Routines tab builds your own if-this-then-that rules; it was empty on ours.

Samsung says that once modes are set up you can reach them from the Modes icon in the quick panel, which is handy if you go to bed early one night. Under Change appearance Samsung describes setting a different wallpaper for the mode, so you can tell at a glance that it is on. A dimmer screen at night helps too; see how to use Extra dim.

Watch these steps

Video thumbnail: How to use Sleep mode on a Samsung Galaxy (Modes and Routines)Watch on YouTubeThe same steps, recorded on our Galaxy S26 · opens YouTube

About this guide

Device
Android
Shown on
Samsung Galaxy S26 (SM-S942N, Korean model), One UI 9.0, Android 17 (build CP2A.260605.016.S942NKSU5BZJB)
App
Settings
Path
Settings › Modes and Routines › Sleep
Real screenshots
6 of 6 steps
What we did
Observed: looked at each screen, changed nothing
Checked
November 2026
Sources
3 official, linked below

The screenshots are from a Samsung Galaxy S26 with One UI 9.0 and Android 17, in Dark mode. Samsung points out that the names of menus, the paths to them and how the screens look can change with the model, software version or app version.

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