Ever feel like you needed a pause button for the internet? Circle's got you covered!
Pause is just what it sounds like — when the internet is Paused, devices can't get online. Pause can happen at three levels: across all devices, every device assigned to a Profile, or on one particular device.
Trying to Pause a device but not able to do so? See this troubleshooting article for assistance.
Pause all devices from the home screen
- Launch the Circle app.
- On the home screen, tap the Pause icon at the bottom.
- Confirm when presented with the alert.
- While paused, your home screen will have the additional elements shown in the screenshot on the right below to help you remember that you Paused the Internet for all your family member profiles:
- Pause badges over each profile.
- To learn more about profile badges, see our help article here.
- The word Pause at the top of the screen.
- Pause icon filled in with concentric circles around it.
- Pause badges over each profile.
Pause a Profile
Want to shut off just one family member's internet access? On any Profile, tap the big Pause button at the top of the screen. Every device assigned to their Profile will lose its internet access.
Pause a single device
Need to drill down even further and just shut off one device's access? You can do that, too.
- On a family member's Profile, tap Devices.
- Select the device you want to Pause.
- Tap the Pause button at the bottom of the screen.
- A successfully paused a device is highlighted in the device list, and the pause icon is filled on the settings screen.
It can be difficult to know when an individual device is Paused, so we've added a Pause badge on the home screen at the top right to help.
Unpause
When you no longer need the Pause to be in effect, simply navigate back to the Home screen, Profile or Device, and tap the Pause button again to put everything back how it was.
Pause all devices from the home screen
- On the Home Screen, tap the Pause button.
- When prompted, confirm that you would like to pause your internet access.
- You will know that the whole network is paused by using the visual cues seen in the image on the right below. In addition to the pause badges on each profile and the overall color change, the Circle mark at the top of the screen will animate back and forth with a "PAUSED" alert.
NOTE: This animation will also display on profile and device screens when they are individually paused. - To un-Pause, tap again the Pause button on the home screen again.
NOTE: This will only Pause devices that are managed by Circle.
Unmanaged devices will not be Paused.
Pause an individual family member
- On the Home Screen, tap the family member you want to pause.
- On their Profile Screen, tap Pause.
- To un-pause the family member, tap again. the Pause button on their profile again.
To pause an individual device
- From the Home Screen, tap the Devices icon at the top right (the icon looks like a laptop and smartphone).
- Select the device you want to pause from the Devices List to enter the settings screen for that device.
- Tap Pause on the Device Settings screen. Look at the screens below to see what it looks like when a device has been paused.
- To un-pause, tap again the Pause button the Device Settings screen again.
Note: devices that are "Unmanaged" will not show the Pause button.
Troubleshooting issues with Pause
If you find that Pause isn't working properly, there are a few things worth checking on:
- Ensure that Pause has actually been activated.
If you are not sure, close the Circle Home app completely and relaunch it to check. Look for the visual cues noted above. - Ensure that devices are properly assigned to the correct profiles.
If you expected a device to be Paused but it is not, make sure that the device is properly assigned to the correct profile: see more here. - Reboot your router.
It may be that your router needs to be refreshed in order for the new Pause settings to take hold. - Check out the article here for more help.
I think I Paused myself
We've all done it. You're zooming along setting up your Circle device, and then somehow end up putting a pause for the device you're on. Now you can't reach the Internet and don't know what to do. Thankfully you read this article ahead of time, or opened it through other means!
Turning Off A Pause
You might not be able to reach the Internet, but you can still open the Circle app to turn your pause off.
- Open the Circle app on the device you manage your Circle device with.
- Locate the profile or device that has been paused.
- Tap the Pause button to un-pause.
- Success! Now get back to setting up your Circle device or browsing the Internet!
That Didn't Work!
If you've un-paused yourself, or couldn't find a pause in the first place, and still can't reach the Internet you might have set up an incorrect Focus Time, BedTime or Time Limit for yourself.
If you have the Circle app installed you can open it up to see what the status of your device is, and if you have any Focus Times, BedTimes or Time Limits set. You can also open up a browser and head to mycircle.meetcircle.com to see your settings.
To see the device's profile settings from the Circle app:
- Open the Circle app on the device you manage your Circle device with.
- Tap Devices in the upper-right hand corner.
- Find the device that you can't reach the Internet from and tap it to open its settings. This will tell you what profile it is assigned to.
- Head to that profile and check its settings for a BedTime, Focus Time, or Time Limit that might be keeping you from reaching the Internet.
Need more help?
Here are some resources that may help: