What it mutes
Android has multiple audio streams. “Mute media” silences only the STREAM_MUSIC stream, which is used by:
- YouTube, Netflix, and other video apps
- Spotify, Apple Music, other music apps
- Game audio (mostly)
- In-browser video and audio playback
What it does NOT mute
- Ringtones — your phone still rings on incoming calls
- Alarms — your wake-up alarm still fires
- Notifications — you still hear message pings
- System sounds — keyboard clicks, lock sounds, etc.
When to use it
Most setups benefit from turning this on:
- Kid watching YouTube — audio stops at time-up, signals end-of-session cleanly
- Kid playing games — game audio stops, removes a distraction during the lock
- Any situation where the lock-screen message needs to be the primary sensory signal
When to leave it off
- Kid listening to an audiobook you want to continue past the lock
- Ambient music meant to keep playing
- You're running Kaizen Timer for your own focus and don't want media interrupted
Unmuting
When the PIN unlocks the lock screen, Kaizen Timer restores media audio to its previous state automatically. You don't have to manually re-enable anything.
Setting it once, remembering forever
The mute toggle is saved per-preset. If you commonly use “15 min with mute”, that exact configuration becomes a one-tap preset.