What you need to know
- Android 17's new Pause Point feature adds a short pause before opening distracting apps to reduce doomscrolling.
- Pause Point will show breathing exercises, photos, or audiobook suggestions instead of locking apps entirely.
- Google is finally redesigning Android emojis with a new 3D look similar to what iPhones currently offer.
- The new 3D Android emojis will first roll out to Pixel phones later this year with Android 17 features.
If you spend an unhealthy amount of time on your phone, as I do, Google is bringing a new Android feature that might actually help you pause and live in the moment, while also fixing one of my biggest annoyances with Android: emojis.
Alongside the announcement of Googlebook and several other Android updates, Google also showed off a couple of smaller Android 17 features that actually look surprisingly useful.
One of the new additions is called Pause Point, a new Digital Wellbeing feature designed to reduce mindless doomscrolling. It works somewhat like app timers, but instead of locking you out completely, Pause Point introduces a short 10-second pause whenever you open an app you've marked as distracting.
During that pause, Android encourages you to think about why you're opening the app in the first place. During those few seconds, Android can also show things like breathing exercises, app timers, favorite photos, or even alternative suggestions like audiobooks.
Moreover, Pause Point is much more practical than traditional app timers, since those are easy to disable and ignore. Google says Pause Point is meant to encourage more intentional app use. In fact, if users try to disable the feature entirely, Android will require a full phone restart before it can be turned off, adding another layer of friction.
The second feature isn't nearly as practical, but it's still something I've wanted for a while. Android is finally getting new 3D emojis. A lot of people, myself included, have complained that Android emojis feel flat and uninspired compared to the iPhone's, and Google finally seems to be addressing that with Android 17.
Instead of the usual flat look, the new emojis have a 3D depth effect, much closer to what Apple currently offers. Google describes them as "the difference between a message received and a presence felt." The new emoji style will start rolling out across Google's ecosystem later this year, beginning with Pixel phones.
Android Central's Take
Pause Point honestly feels like one of the first Digital Wellbeing features that might actually work. A small pause before opening Instagram or X sounds annoying at first, but that's exactly why I think it'll be effective.
Also, better Android emojis. FINALLY!
