Samsung Galaxy Watch: Which Silent Mode Should You Use?

Samsung Galaxy smartwatches come with different modes to help you silence notifications. These modes include Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, Bedtime mode, and Theater mode. But what exactly is the difference between them, and which one should you use? Let's find out. Also, knowing the model of your Samsung Galaxy Watch will help you better navigate the modes that are available on yours.

What is Do Not Disturb Mode on Samsung Galaxy Watch?

Do Not Disturb mode is a sound profile that turns off vibration, mutes incoming calls and notifications, except for alarms. It doesn't affect other aspects of your watch, such as screen lighting, Always-on display, or lift-to-wake gesture.

What is Bedtime Mode on Samsung Galaxy Watch?

Bedtime mode is a slightly advanced version of Do Not Disturb mode. When enabled, it activates Do Not Disturb mode automatically. This means that incoming calls and notifications are muted in Bedtime mode too. Additionally, it also deactivates the Galaxy watch Always-on display and the raise-to-wake gesture. However, just like Do Not Disturb mode, it doesn't mute alarms. Bedtime mode is designed to be used during the night and affects notifications and watch display.

What is Theater Mode on Samsung Galaxy Watch?

Theater mode is the strictest mode for turning off notifications on the Galaxy Watch. It includes all the features of Bedtime mode and also affects alarms and system tones. In other words, Theater mode mutes incoming calls, notifications, alarms, system tones, and timers. It also turns off the raise-to-wake gesture and the Always-on display. This mode is perfect for situations like theaters, where you don't want any sound or light from your watch to disturb you.

Difference Between Do Not Disturb, Bedtime, and Theater Mode

Now that you understand the meaning of Do Not Disturb, Bedtime, and Theater mode, let's discuss the differences between them.

Notifications

All three modes mute incoming calls and notification alerts on the Galaxy Watch. However, Theater mode also mutes system sounds and timers.

Alarm

Do Not Disturb and Bedtime modes do not impact the alarm. It will continue to ring when either of these modes is enabled. On the other hand, Theater mode mutes the alarm sound as well.

Symbols

When any of the three modes is enabled on the Galaxy smartwatch, you will see its corresponding icon on the home screen. Do Not Disturb mode is represented by a circle with a bar symbol, Bedtime mode is represented by a bed icon, and Theater mode is represented by a camera action symbol.

Other Features

Do Not Disturb mode doesn't impact the Always-on display or wake-up gesture. However, both these features are turned off when you enable Bedtime or Theater mode on your Samsung Galaxy Watch.

Sync With Phone

Do Not Disturb and Bedtime modes can be synced with your connected phone. This means that when you turn on either of the modes on your watch, it will automatically be turned on for your phone as well, and vice versa. However, the sync feature isn't available for Theater mode.

Schedule

You can schedule Do Not Disturb mode from your phone settings, and it will affect both your phone and watch if syncing is enabled. Bedtime mode can be scheduled on newer Galaxy watches, and you can also schedule it from your phone. However, Theater mode scheduling is limited and can only be set from the current time for up to 4 hours.

Turn off Automatically

Theater mode is the only mode that will turn off automatically after a set time. However, Do Not Disturb and Bedtime mode will also turn off automatically if you schedule them.

Which Mode to Use to Silence Notifications on Galaxy Watch

If you're looking to mute calls and notifications without affecting alarms, you can use either Do Not Disturb mode or Bedtime mode. If you want to turn off the Always-on display and wake-up gesture on your watch as well, Bedtime mode is the right choice. On the other hand, if you want to completely mute your watch for a few hours, Theater mode is the best option.

Turn off Notifications on Galaxy Watch

While it would be great if Samsung combined Do Not Disturb, Bedtime, and Theater modes into one unified mode like iOS 15's Focus modes, these sound modes provide interesting ways to turn off notifications on the Galaxy Watch. Explore these Samsung Galaxy silent modes according to your needs. If you're new to the Samsung Galaxy smartwatch, check out this post on decoding samsung galaxy watch icons so that you can also learn about other useful features like water lock mode.