In one embodiment, a user places a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone) facing downward on a table. A process running on the mobile device determines an orientation of the mobile device (i.e., a facing downward orientation), and determines that the mobile device has been in the facing downward orientation for over a threshold period of time (e.g., 3 seconds), then the process automatically selects a “Quiet” notification profile, and turn off the mobile device's display, without additional input from the user.