Hoping that Android 5.1 will bring back the good old Silent Mode? We wouldn't hold our breath

posted by Paul.K / Mar 11, 2015, 10:01 AM

Hoping that Android 5.1 will bring back the good old Silent Mode? We wouldn't hold our breath

Well, Android 5.1 has finally been officially announced by Google, and with it will come a few updates to the OS. One of the biggest complaints that Lollipop caused when it was initially rolled out to devices was the fact that the system does away with "Silent" mode – users can still turn off volume, but the phone's vibration will remain on. Google instead introduced two new modes – one that absolutely blocks out all notifications, and one that would still allow priority alerts to come through. While this sounds usable on paper, it's just a bit more complicated and user-unfriendly, when compared to simply shutting your phone's sound and vibration off and relying on the LED to inform you for incoming calls, texts, and email. To make matters worse, going into "no notifications" mode in Lollipop would actually turn off the LED, so toggling "none" on and just forgetting about the whole ordeal is not an option as well.

Rumors said that the good ol' "Silent" setting will be making a comeback with Android 5.1, but it turns out this may not be the case. Instead, Google added some extra options to the “None” and “Priority” modes – users can now set a default downtime, after which the sound profile will get back to normal, or have it reset itself if an alarm is about to sound off, but the phone has been left in one of the two limiting modes. Additionally, the LED will now always blink – no matter what sound profile the user has chosen.

So that's a step forward. Are you missing “Silent” mode or are you adjusting fine to the new Lollipop system?

via: Mobile Syrup

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20 Comments

1. corporateJP

Posts: 2458; Member since: Nov 28, 2009

Wait...what...Lollipop doesn't have Silent Mode? Glad my Global Moto G hasn't had the update pushed to it, I need full-on silent for work. And, yes, you nerds, I haven't had the time to play with a Lollipop phone yet, so I didn't know. Can't work in a phone store for a bunch of lousy overlords (what up, Red?) forever, you know?

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 10:11 AM 5

2. ilayron8

Posts: 22; Member since: Apr 15, 2014

The "none" thing is pretty much silent mode.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 10:14 AM 2

4. TBomb

Posts: 1000; Member since: Dec 28, 2012

What is the difference between "none" and our "silent mode" that we are used to prior to Lollipop

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 10:28 AM 1

10. Awalker

Posts: 1956; Member since: Aug 15, 2013

First, its not obvious what you should do with none, priority and all. I didn't know you could set the volume by touching the on screen volume slider prior to lollipop. I always used the volume keys for that. I would imagine that a lot of people wouldn't know to touch the screen to set the phone to silent rather than using the volume down key. Second, and more importantly the silent mode on KitKat let alarms through.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 11:08 AM 1

13. TBomb

Well Wouldnt priority let alarms through and silence everythign else? The options seem pretty obvious to me. None = none makes noise. Priority = only priority things make noise All = all things make noise. To your second comment: Its just different. Once you know that though it becomes the "normal" way of doing it.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 12:58 PM 0

17. Awalker

There may be times when you want certain contacts to get through and other times when you only want the alarm to get through. You would have to keep juggling the priority mode. A better idea would have been to leave the volume setup just the way it was in KitKat and have users access a priority mode through the settings menu. Users would have to know how to silence their phone before it can become "normal". The process is not obvious to those who are used to putting their phone in silent mode with the volume down key.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 2:07 PM 0

19. TBomb

I see your point now... Far from a deal breaker for me though... However.. We never had the option before. Setting Priority to alarms only is the same as the old Silence. The only difference is now you can allow certain things to also go past that silence barrier. So if you think about it you didn't LOSE any thing... they just added a little customization to it.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 2:57 PM 0

24. diehardnokian

Posts: 146; Member since: Apr 27, 2014

and now even the LED works..so it's pretty much a step towards the right direction IMO

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 8:25 PM 0

3. ManusImperceptus

Posts: 724; Member since: Jun 10, 2014

Isn't it crazy how obviously useful features get scratched for no apparent reason, and even a massive outcry from dissatisfied users doesn't bring it back quickly, not to mention in the next system iteration...?!? One wonders what the heck these OS developers are thinking...

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 10:28 AM 4

5. ThePhenomenalOne

Posts: 6; Member since: Feb 04, 2013

'None' is silent mode.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 10:34 AM 0

6. corporateJP

Yeah, but seriously...why complicate things? I'm fine with the volume profiles in KitKat. You need a PhD by the look of those screenshots up there...

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 10:38 AM 0

8. Awalker

They're trying to fix something that wasn't broke. They should have left the volume rocker out of it and have the priority mode in the settings menu.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 10:47 AM 1

7. Awalker

This is better than what they implemented in 5.0. I need my alarms to get through no matter what mode the phone is in. The last thing I want to do miss an alarm for work because I left the phone on none.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 10:44 AM 1

9. CanYouSeeTheLight

Posts: 1122; Member since: Jul 05, 2012

Or you get a Samsung or HTC phone that haven't ditched Silent Mode on their 5.0 update.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 10:56 AM 1

22. lenroc

Posts: 3; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

Correct !

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 5:03 PM 0

12. McLTE

Posts: 922; Member since: Oct 18, 2011

I sure would like to know when the Verizon Note 4 will get 5.0.. this is ridiculous.

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 11:39 AM 0

14. Einstein333

Posts: 143; Member since: May 22, 2012

Who the f.. k had the idea to get rid of the silent mode? When I first read about this I was sure it had to be a joke, but it isn't !! How stupid is that?! I won't update my phone before they fix this

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 12:59 PM 2

20. StreetNerd

Posts: 870; Member since: Dec 08, 2010

yea the day after i updated to 5.0 my alarm didnt go off and i came to late for work -_-'

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 2:59 PM 0

21. Af1rPA

Posts: 712; Member since: Jun 12, 2014

What if there's a home invasion and I'm hiding under the bed like in Taken. I can't put my phone in silent mode and nekminit I'm a sex slave!!

posted on Mar 11, 2015, 4:46 PM 0

25. durrav

Posts: 25; Member since: Mar 13, 2014

Now that the LED is flashing in all modes I no longer see ANY issue with the new way to choose sound profiles. None IS silent mode. If you want your alarm to go off anyway then set a schedule so the None mode switches to All 5 mins before the alarm goes off. That way you don't need to put the phone in "silent mode" every single time you go to bed since it will do it automatically for you. Or choose the option "Until next alarm". I actually like this new modes better that the old way.