Google is previewing a new Android feature called “Pause Point,” designed to reduce doomscrolling by adding a delay before users can open certain distracting apps. According to multiple reports, the feature works by forcing a brief waiting period—described as about 10 seconds in one outlet—when a user attempts to launch apps classified as distracting. The goal is to interrupt the quick, repetitive pattern of opening feeds or other engaging content and give users a moment to reconsider before proceeding.
Coverage frames Pause Point as part of Android’s upcoming changes, with one outlet indicating it is expected to arrive with Android 17. Another outlet describes it as an Android feature that makes users wait before opening distracting applications, while a separate report notes Google’s announcement of the functionality aimed at limiting addictive scrolling.
While details on which apps are flagged and how users can control or configure the feature are not fully specified across the provided sources, all accounts agree on the core mechanism: a forced pause before opening distracting apps to curb compulsive use.
