A popular Android 6.0.1 feature has mysteriously disappeared

By last updated

Google's tinkering with notifications continues, apparently, as folks on Android 6.0.1 have awakened to find that a recently returned feature of Marshmallow's Do Not Disturb has once again gone missing.

This all springs from the revamped notification scheme that started in Android 5.0 Lollipop, which eschewed the traditional way of muting a phone — by hitting volume-down until you reach the "silent" option. Instead, you had to choose from receiving all notifications, priority notifications (which included alarms), or no notifications. Android 5.1 introduced "Do not disturb until next alarm," which essentially kept you from missing alarms in this cockamamie scheme. It disappeared in Android 6.0 Marshmallow — which otherwise brought some sanity to this whole notifications thing —but returned in early December with Android 6.0.1.

And now it seems to have disappeared again.

We don't every single one of our Marshmallow devices in front of us at the moment (this being a holiday weekend and all), but it definitely doesn't appear to be localized to the Nexus 6P, which is where the reports of the disappearance started to trickle in. Reddit seems to think there was a date-based kill switch here, which certainly is plausible.

There's still an option for allowing alarms through for a set amount of time, but that's not the same as allowing an alarm to fire and also kill DND.

Fortunately for most, today is Sunday. Just be sure to keep an eye on things before heading back to work on Monday morning.

Source: Nexus 6P forums; more: /r/Nexus6P; thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
139 Comments
  • I just logged on here to go to the forums to see if anyone else had this issue. Come on Google, get your head together and bring this back.
  • This is not just a 6.0 problem. Just checked my Priv running Lollipop and that option has disappeared as well. I use that option religiously every night, and when my alarm goes off in the morning, all my notifications turn back on. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I'm with you here. It's gone from my G3 running CM12.1 even. Something fishy is going on here, that's for sure.
  • It's gone from my Moto G 2013 on stock 5.1 (LPB23.13-58)! how the hell
  • To the mystery van scoobs!
  • People in other forums are saying its some sort of calendar date bug. If you manually set your date ahead or behind a week it will magically return( eat that Steve jobs!)
  • Im in Android 6.0.1 and the option to "until next alarm" is still available, I noticed it last night
  • Google must be on drugs or something. This is ridiculous. On the other hand, Samsung doesn't have any of these features implemented on the Note 5 I have. Just plain old mute, vibrate and sound. Was a blessing in early Lollipop when this stuff was still convoluted, but until when are they going to keep sticking to the past?
  • Really? My s6 edge has this ability right from day 1.
  • Samsung doesn't have it conveniently setup, but it is there in settings, which works for me since I always want to either make it automatic every night, or until alarm. Posted via the Android Central App
  • It's called Do Not Disturb Mode. Or on older Samsung Devices Blocking Mode. Bought another GSIII, but I own a Note 4.
  • My Note 5 has had those features whole time.
  • Google is over thinking this. They want it to be too simple, so they are complicating it and, thus, can't get it right.
  • exactly. it's OK to give users a couple options. it's not gonna kill your simplistic image ... their alarm is awful Posted via the Android Central App
  • The DND feature is still present on my phone, Nexus 6, Marshmallow 6.0.1 build MMB29K - although battery life has decreased since 6.0 and the "doze" seems to be less effective at maintaining battery when the phone is off. The screen seems to really suck power too, much more so than in 6.0, despite the intensity being turned down to the lowest level. Not terribly impressed.
  • DND hasn't gone away - just the option of "Until the next alarm." Posted via the Android Central App
  • Isn't "Alarm Only" the same as that? I mean doesn't it silent everything but alarms? Posted via the Android Central App
  • No, when you hit "until next alarm" you could set it for priority only. Alarms only will not give you any notifications whatsoever. Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • Oh ok, I'd never used that particular feature. Appreciate the response. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Mine is still there on my Nexus 6 running 6.0.1.
  • For me battery life got worse on 6.0.1 because Google play services now keeps the phone awake for up to an hour a day and sits right at the top of the battery stats.
  • The first week battery life decreased a little but now for me it is same or a little better. I have always noticed after a update it takes a few discharges to get back up to speed. No complaints, very happy with battery life since 6.0.1. I have been off the charger for 15 hrs and Google services cpu usage is 9 mn. 1 percent Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • Uninstall it and let it reinstall. Or wipe its cash. Or both.
  • Just Force Stop Google Play Services. That's what I did, and I haven't noticed a difference in performance. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I actually really like the "until alarm" and hope it comes back (again). It's very intuitive and saves me something else to have to do every morning.
  • OG Nexus 5 is missing it too. I could've swore it was there yesterday.
  • This was the best feature to come with the 6.0.1 update! Couldn't work out where it had gone last night, but I'd had too many Christmas drinks to look into it... Posted via the Android Central App
  • Sometimes Google does things for the sake of doing them and not because they make sense or are even what people are asking for. If there was ever a time to take off the curse word filter for comments it would be to talk about this stupid $&@#ing bull&$!%. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I got the Nexus 5x a few day before Christmas and I have not noticed this feature at all. I've fallen in love with DND and use the 1 hour option every other day or so but I never saw an option for until alarm. Posted via the Android Central App
  • It's still on my Nexus 6 running 6.0.1 if I release the volume switch once it reaches vibrate and press it once more.
  • I always thought that was buggy. It almost never actually came back on for me after the alarm fired. On my nexus 5 I switched to doing it on a schedule instead. Hoped with my 6p it would be fixed, but no such luck.
  • Google, just do this. Mute, Vibrate, Ringer. No need to overcomplicate things for the sake of simplicity. Just do it the way others do. Have silent mode on my G4 (Marshmallow 6.0) and haven't use DnD since. Soft and sweet Marshmallow
  • I actually like how Google does it, I can set priority so only texts and phones calls come through. Handy during the night. Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • Yep, priority lets me get calls from work without social media waking me up. I like it. Posted via the Android Central App
  • You should tell your work to stop calling you in the middle of the night. I wouldn't answer it if they did and would be pretty ****** off Posted via the Android Central App
  • I work in television, if work calls, you answer. I once missed a call telling me to come in and so the other director had to continue his show after throwing up during commercial break. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Well, to each their own. ;) I just prefer the old-school method.
  • But don't you miss important phone calls or texts during the night if phone is in silent mode? Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • Nope, for one simple reason. Nobody calls me at night. :( But I think Google should just add these 3 alongside DnD.
  • I never fooled with any of that DND stuff. I only go between loud and vibrate. On rare occasion if I don't want my phone to go off at all, I turn it off. Moto X 2014 XT1095
    Nvidia Shield Tablet K1
  • Same here. Never even saw or had feature on my turbo. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Just tried on N6, it's gone. I liked it. Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • A lot of people did Soft and sweet Marshmallow
  • In other words, Phil will have an app selected in apps of the week to take bring this feature back. Posted via the Android Central App
  • This is a rare occasion when you appreciate NOT having a Nexus. There's been a few times where Google has taken out or screwed up a feature, and some of the oems like HTC fix it for their users. This happened when they first messed with notifications under L. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Well, my Nexus 7 (2013) no longer has the options for timed DND. This is getting worse, not better. Posted via the Android Central App
  • You use your tablet for alarms?
  • No, I never have. And now thanks to Google, I never will. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I own a Nexus 6P and it is there. No issues. Posted via the Android Central App
  • See? This is the beauty of owning a Nexus. You get the latest Android first, with all the trial experiments and updates, and bugs. And you get Nexus fanboy magazines to refuse to recommend a phone unless it forces you to put up with all the trial experiments and updates and bugs. Because an OS with a design that Google can't settle on from month to month is the most "secure".
  • I like living on the edge. Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • I too like to live on the edge.
  • But updates! Yeah hahah. I totally agree with you. The nexus line is the beta testers. Even Google doesn't know how they want it to be.
  • Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way! Posted via the Android Central App
  • Love living on the bleeding edge and to tell you the truth everything runs beautifully on my Nexus 6P. I don't like waiting months for updates. I see more benefits than consequences. Especially when people are stuck on a faulty os for weeks ala phones stuck on 5.0.X still stuck with a memory bug Posted via the Android Central App on my Frost Nexus 6P
  • I agree to the point where I'm going to spend my life trolling every article with the word nexus in it so I can be the official "anti-fanboy" of AC. Some might call that disturbingly obsessed but that's just silly. Life is so much better when you stay indoors and cry about your feelings.
  • I think you killed him
  • I still have the option over here on my 6p
  • this is gone for me on 5x. I noticed it a few days ago.
  • Still there for me. Nexus 6 running 6.01. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Dammit. I actually noticed it was gone on like, Thursday night. I thought it was gone because Google was smart and realized I had turned off my alarm due to Friday being a holiday. Figured it would re-appear when I turned my alarm back on for Monday. It's the perfect setting. I don't want to be disrupted when I sleep, but once my alarm goes off to wake me up, all notifications are fair game. Guess i'll have to time it by hour and risk getting notifications before I wake. Annoying
  • I have it timed just right by the hours I have set up. It is nice sometimes however to just hit until next alarm. No big deal either way for me life goes on. Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • Just use the Alarm Only option and turn off DND afterwards. It'll only let alarms through at night or whenever active. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I have found the best way is to go into advanced settings and let what you want to come through for the priority setting. If someone wants total silence until next alarm however, I get that. I just do not want to take the chance and miss a important phone call. Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • T
  • Mines working and im running 6.1 on Nexus 6P?
  • 6.1 ? That's not even out yet Posted via the Android Central App
  • I have the Moto X PE with 6.0 and it still has both options.
  • Nexus 6p 6.0.1 I have DND alarms only. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I'm sorry, Android is a hot mess.
  • You sound like you don't get out much. Lam I Am
  • I like it the way Samsung does it. Never found it confusung. I have my typical silent/vibrate toggle in the notification shade and have separate do not disturb toggle that I can configure to allow only certain people etc through and doesn't mess about with alarms or anything. I know regardless if I use silent or do not disturb I don't have to worry about my alarms.
    Just seems like what should be simple, google is over thinking it. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Gotta agree with you, it's one of the better decisions Samsung has made regarding touchwiz Posted via the Android Central App
  • I still have it Nexus 5. 6.0.1.
  • A complete ***** is the head of Android. Thanks Good for having Samsung 10 years before Google.
  • ***** = iDi*t
  • Just checked and the option's missing on my Nexus 5x as well. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I still have that option on 6.0.1 on my Nexus 6P though i wonder for how long Posted via the Android Central App on my Frost Nexus 6P
  • "cockamamie", great word. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Disappeared off my Fi N6 and my T-Mo N6 (both running 6.0.1). Looks like Google killed this again... Posted via the Android Central App
  • Google, come on...
    Well, now I'm not looking forward to 6.0.1 Posted via the Android Central App
  • i could be way off here but isn't this functionality in the notification tray tiles?
  • LOL I don't even have 6.0 yet on LG G4 at&t. I wonder if they will skip 6.0 and go straight to 6.0.1 because of this. Posted via the Android Central App
  • This is exactly the reason why I'll never go back to a non nexus device. I've had 6.0 within a week of it going public and 6.0.1 came within days on my nexus 6p with T-Mobile. There was nothing more annoying than having to wait for new software or having to buy a newer version of the device to get the latest update. And, the updates wouldn't matter if I wasn't always reading about tech gear. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Not LOL, as I too don't have 6.0 on my Google purchased N6 on AT&T; still stuck on 5.1.1. I may as well have a Moto E at this point.
  • Hmm, may as well if you don't have it on your nexus 6. I had it on my N6 when I was on T-Mobile. Posted via the Android Central App
  • You must be doing something wrong. Especially if you purchased the phone directly from google. Hell, I'm running 6.0 on a moto x 2014. My girlfriend's nexus 5 has had 6.0 for ages and 6.01 for a few weeks now. Have you tried calling Google? I would be so ****** if I were you!
  • The moment you put a carrier sim in it, no matter where it came from, it becomes basically a carrier device. All updates come through att for him. I never saw a single ota, whereas my wife's n5 has had 3. So I unlocked the BL and flash all my updates now. So should he. No reason to be stuck on lollipop with a nexus. Just use the nexus toolkit. It has the option to not wipe making it basically an ota. Posted via the Android Central App
  • It hasn't gone anywhere, but the option is not visible UNLESS you already have an alarm set.
  • I tried setting an alarm. It's gone. Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • I am running 6.0.1 with all latest Google Patches and I have this feature, even if didn't set an alarm and its visible.
  • I don't see the option in the latest version Posted via the Android Central App The "alarms only" option is available under "do not disturb" tab, but there is no longer an option of "until next alarm" under any of the three choices. I don't find it to be a big deal because you can still get awaken with your alarm if you choose. It's just that you want to make sure you end DND upon awakening or set the time frame relatively close to your alarm wake up. I admit "until next alarm" was convenient and am confused by it going away.
  • You actually have the option that reads "until next alarm" under your do not disturb tab? Posted via the Android Central App
  • No he doesn't especially if there is no alarm set. Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • i never even new this was a thing. i keep my nexus 6 attached to my asus zen watch 2. my phone stays on silent and my watch pics up all notifictions.
  • Hey @phill, how did you get that blur on the ui?
  • Nexus 6P MMB29M -- I do not see the option to end dnd at an alarm. Sad to see it gone. I didn't use it, but can see it's usefulness. I think many individuals are confusing the dnd feature for what notifications should do. dnd is only to control whether a notification triggers. what happens when a notification triggers is a separate thing (typically configured in apps). Having said this, I agree that it'd be nice to have a "profiles" type deal that can be as simple as choosing Silent, Vibrate, Ring (or allow other settings to be altered per profile for the more advanced user). Such profileness can be found via 3rd party apps, Cyanogen, etc. I use Tasker for this (as well as setting dnd mode in more advanced ways than Android's Automatic Rules can).
  • I just read a post, "Android 6.0 Marshmallow features" at another site and it mentioned this ability. so I tried again and it worked! the ability to end dnd at the time of next alarm worked.
  • Still available on my 6P in Ireland Posted via the Android Central App
  • Thank you Android central for bringing attention to this. I thought I was going crazy. The feature literally disappeared as I was trying to use it. I went to set my phone to silence until next alarm, and then went back to the selection screen to double check that I had set things correctly and the option was gone. I guess it is nice that Google can get updates to phones without a full OS update but on the other hand this kind of sucks. Posted via the Android Central App
  • It's still there.. But its much better executed now. Instead of the volume buttons triggering it, its now a shortcut in the notifications shade. I hated it when it would come up in the volume slider.. Too many times it was disabled or enabled on accident.
  • Wow! now I think I should use my old non smart phone for alarm.
  • It's still there... On the tray tiles. DND feature with the 'until next alarm' option. N6P
  • Edit: never mind
  • Hey guys don't worry about the do not disturb thing with nexus I did try to set my alarm and I set do not disturb too and my alarm worked perfectly. OK so you are fine you will wake up tomorrow. I actually tried 2 times
  • The point is that there used to be an option to disable DND mode once an alarm had gone off.
    This option is no longer there. Posted via the Android Central App
  • That's not what they article is about. It's about the feature that will keep your dnd turned on until your next alarm then it will switch off and you will receive notifications again. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I still have it. And I'm on 6.0.1 stock. Posted via the Android Central App
  • It's still on the quick menu on my 6P
  • Weird. Just check on my Nexus 6P and I had it a few days a go but now I don't ;) didn't know that they could change things without an update. Posted via the Android Central App
  • What the hell. Mine is gone as well. Right when I was getting used to it LoL Posted via the Android Central App
  • I must be the odd ball but I see this as no big deal. (For me anyway) My 6p is always on silent. I don't even know what sounds the phone makes. I wear a smart watch all the time except in the shower. My watch buzzes, I have a notification. Besides I don't need anyone knowing how many Txt etc I get because my phone makes a noise. Love my smart watches.
  • I still have DND Android 6.01 Moto Nexus 6.
  • thats weird i access mine my double pressing volume down when turned down im on 6.0.1 buld MMb29M I used it last night and this morning.. Maybe a corrupted build problem or glitch
  • I use Alarmy for alarms Posted via the Android Central App on my Frost Nexus 6P
  • Wtf.... Why? Posted via the Android Central App
  • Still works on my NEXUS 6
  • yeah, its just moved, and not well placed...it is in the notification shade, but not available under the volume rocker panel.
    Double finger pull down, will find the option for "Do Not Disturb" with the options for "total silence, alarms only, or priority" With the options available to set a time duration. just moved, not removed.
  • The time duration of "until my next alarm" that used to be there is no longer there.
    This is the whole point of the article.
    Something it seems half the commenters don't seem to be grasping. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Poor reporting. The feature is actually still retained IF you happen to have an alarm set. Then the option "alarms only" appears in the middle of the notification shade when you activate do not disturb. It was a change, yes but the feature is still very much there and it is more intuitive than before.
  • The option to turn off DND after an alarm is no longer there. Intuition has nothing to do with it. It's an option that has been flat out removed with no alternative method.
    Sure your alarm will ring through. Great.
    It doesn't then switch off DND as an option afterwards as it once did. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Another Web site has reported this may be just a bug. Until next alarm may return on Jan 1st. If you set your date manually before Dec 25 it will reappear or set the date ahead to Jan 1st it will also come back. Just tried it out. I disabled automatic time and date and set it for Dec 24th. Magic, it came back. Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • I manually set the date to Jan 2nd and now I can no longer turn off do not disturb all together. Looks like Google will have to patch this or maybe they are getting rid of it. Weird Posted via Nexus 6 running on any data plan I want
  • I personally hate that this feature is at the bottom of the volume rocker slide. I hate that it stays on until you hit END NOW. I hate the feature. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
  • Way to go, Google! Glad to see you don't care about android anymore.
  • Can anyone tell me how to attach a screenshot here? I am not sure, but may have something that can answer this question.
  • It's still on my Nexus 5. Running stock 6.0.1 Posted via Android Central App
  • Well I'm not using a Nexus phone. I'm using a Xperia Z Ultra running 5.1.1 and the 'Do not disturb until next alarm' also disappeared. Probably doesn't have to do with just Nexus devices. There's probably a bug with AOSP itself that caused the feature to disappear.
  • My Nexus 6P has "Alarms" locked in the "ON" position. Alarms option cant be turned off.
  • Noticed that and was bummed. The fingerprint indicator for Imprint at the bottom of the lockscreen also disappeared.
  • Sorry. My mistake. Imprint indicator still there.
  • Still got mine.. Unless it's update hasn't reached me
  • I'm also using a Nexus 6P on 6.0.1 and still have this feature. Just checked for updates and says I'm all up todate. Posted via the Android Central App
  • The new 5.x+ notification system was already terrible. There was nothing broken with being able to silence your phone with the volume rocker. The silence until next alarm was at least a partial fix for that lunacy and now they 86ed it too? Do their developers even use the systems they devise?!
  • when will i get the update for htc one m8 think its a joke been wating forever for this giving up now not happy at all ive checked over the air and no update beyond a joke now!!!!
  • I still have this feature on my Nexus 6 running 6.0.1, I turn it on every night, and it works fine. Posted via the Android Central App
  • [Off topic] - I just bought my first Android phone, a moto x 2014 (and I'm loving it :D). Does anyone knows how I can get the transparency+blur effect that can be seen on the volume controls of the picture on this article? It looks amazing!
  • The Android team over at Google has really lost their way lately. They really are over thinking everything these days
  • Hey! It's back now:) Posted via the Android Central App