If your Samsung Galaxy S20 automatically enables Do Not Disturb mode and silences important incoming notifications, the possible reasons behind this issue could be:

• Bixby routines, 
• Google settings, 
• Scheduled Do Not Disturb settings, 
• A temporary software malfunction, or 
• A bug in a recent Android update.

This guide provides 8 working solutions with step-by-step instructions on how to resolve this issue and prevent Do Not Disturb from turning on automatically on your Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphone again.

Note: Solutions in this guide will work on any Samsung Galaxy S20 model (S20, S20 Plus, S20 Fe, and S20 Ultra models.)

Editor’s note: We created these instructions using a Samsung Galaxy S20 running Android 13. Depending on your device’s software version, some steps and menu positions may look slightly different.

Fix 01: Turn Off Bixby Routines

Bixby Routines are a part of Samsung’s AI assistant, Bixby, that automates certain actions based on your behavior and location. For example, a Bixby Routine could automatically turn on Do Not Disturb mode when you arrive at a certain location or at a specific time of day.

These routines could be the reason why the Do Not Disturb mode is turning on automatically on your Samsung Galaxy S20. This could be a routine that was enabled by default or a custom routine that you added unintentionally.

To check if Bixby Routines are the cause, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Modes and routines”.

3. Tap on “Routines”.
4. Here, you’ll see a list of all your active and inactive routines. Check if any of these routines are set to turn on Do Not Disturb mode.

5. If you find such a routine, tap on it and then Delete it.

Fix 02: Turn Off Google’s “Silent Notifications While Driving” Feature

Your Samsung Galaxy S20 has a built-in feature provided by Google that automatically silences notifications when it detects you are driving. 

This is a safety feature that minimizes distractions while you’re on the road. However, if you have enabled this feature, it is what causes your phone to go into Do Not Disturb mode unexpectedly.

You can disable it by following the steps below:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Google”.

3. Tap on “Personal Safety”.

4. Tap on “Silence notifications while driving”.

5. Set the toggle to “OFF” position.

Fix 03: Turn Off Scheduled Do Not Disturb Settings

The Android OS on Galaxy S20 allows you to schedule when to enable Do Not Disturb (DND) mode automatically. 

If you’ve set a schedule unknowingly or forgotten about it, this is the reason why your device is automatically enabling DND mode.

Follow the steps below to check for scheduled DND settings and disable them:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Notifications”.

3. Tap on “Do Not Disturb”.

4. If you see a toggle under “Schedules”, ensure it is switched off. If it’s on, tap on it to disable the scheduled DND.

Fix 04: Turn Off Other Inbuilt Modes (Sleep, Driving, Focus, Work, etc.)

Samsung Galaxy smartphones, including the Galaxy S20, come with a few inbuilt modes such as Sleep, Driving, Focus, and Work modes. 

These modes help you manage your device’s notifications and settings based on your current activity. However, some of these modes automatically enable the Do Not Disturb feature.

(For example, the Sleep mode triggers Do Not Disturb to ensure you’re not disturbed by notifications during your sleeping hours)

To prevent these modes from automatically enabling Do Not Disturb, you need to check and disable them. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Modes and routines”.

3. Here, you’ll see a list of all the inbuilt modes on your device. Tap on each mode and disable the option to turn on Do Not Disturb.

Note: If you’ve added any custom modes, you need to check these too. If any of these modes have been set up to enable Do Not Disturb automatically, you’ll need to delete or modify them.

Fix 05: Do a Software Update

The Do Not Disturb mode turning on automatically could also be due to a temporary software glitch or bug. Updating your Samsung Galaxy S20’s software is the best solution to resolve such issues.

Here’s how you can update your device’s software:

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Battery and device care”.

3. Tap on “Software Update”.

4. Tap on “Download and Install”. Your device will check for updates. If an update is available, follow the notifications and on-screen instructions to download and install it.

Note: Make sure your Samsung Galaxy S20 has enough battery or is connected to a charger to complete the update process without interruptions.

Fix 06: Do a Settings Reset

If you’ve tried all the previous fixes and your Samsung Galaxy S20 still automatically enables Do Not Disturb mode, there may be another misconfiguration in your device settings causing the issue. 

To rule out this possibility, you can reset all settings on your device. Here’s how you can do that:

Note: This action will restore all of your device’s settings to their defaults.

1. Open the “Settings” app.
2. Scroll down and tap on General Management.
3. Tap on “Reset”.

4. Tap on “Reset all settings”.

5. Tap “Reset” to confirm.

After the reset, your device will automatically restart.

Fix 07: Do a Factory Data Reset

If none of the above solutions have resolved the issue, the issue is deeply rooted in the device’s system cache or data, and all you have left is now to perform a factory data reset on your Samsung Galaxy S20. 

As you may know, a factory data reset will erase all data on your device and return it to its original factory settings.

Therefore make sure to back up any important data before proceeding with this fix. Here are our guides on this that will help you do this:

• How to Back Up Samsung Galaxy S20 to Google Drive
• How to Backup/Restore Data on a Samsung Galaxy Smartphone

Here are the steps to perform a factory data reset on your Samsung Galaxy S20:

1. Go to the “Settings” app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “General Management”.
3. Tap on “Reset”.

4. Select “Factory data reset”.

5. If prompted, enter your PIN, password, or pattern.
6. Finally, tap on “Delete all”.

Your Samsung Galaxy S20 will restart and begin the factory data reset process. This might take a few minutes. Once the reset is complete, the phone will restart and then you can check if the issue has been resolved.