If You’re Ignoring iPhone Focus Modes, You’re Missing Apple’s Best Productivity Tool

Before iOS 15, Do Not Disturb on iPhone was a simple switch that let you turn off all calls and notifications. But in 2021, Apple evolved this feature into Focus modes. Instead of an all-or-nothing toggle, you now have multiple customizable modes to choose which alerts you receive in different situations. For example, you can limit notifications to only calls from contacts while you’re driving, or suppress pings from work apps when you’re off duty.

Focus modes help you move your device between the different roles it plays to declutter and reduce distractions. Default modes are a good start, but there is also the option to create your own. It takes a little time to set them up correctly, but once you start using Focus modes, you’ll experience fewer interruptions while knowing the right notifications will arrive.

To start using Focus on your iPhone, open Settings and tap the button To focus entrance. We’ll focus on the iPhone here, but these setups sync with your other Apple devices (including iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac) if you want. You will see a list of default modes like Staff, SleepAnd Work. Select one to personalize it.

Notification control is done via two panels: People And Applications. In each you will have to choose either Allow notifications from Or Silencing notifications from. The former is suitable for modes like Sleep, where you only want to hear a select group of people or apps. The second is better for modes like Work to selectively block noisy apps and people while letting everything else through.

Use the Add in each panel to select as many contacts and apps as you want to disable or allow. In the People section, you will also notice a Allow calls from toggle (if you have limited alerts to certain people). Select the contact groups you have set up, as well as broader options such as Everyone, Authorized people only, FavoritesAnd Contacts only.

Unless you choose Everyoneyou will see a Allow repeat calls toggle to allow a second call from the same person within three minutes. If you’ve chosen to disable specific contacts, this turns into a toggle controlling whether they can still call you. In the Applications section, activate Urgent notifications to let these alerts from other apps (like calendar reminders or food deliveries) through.

To complete the basic setup, tap Possibilities to review some explicit toggles. Especially, Dim lock screen is a great way to downplay your phone when you’re trying not to use it as much or are in a dark environment.

Press the More (+) on the Focus page to access other default Focus modes or configure a custom one. Several of these modes have unique properties beyond the general filters discussed above, mainly related to automatic activations:

• Driving: configure a Auto-reply to let people know you’re driving. This can also be activated while driving with CarPlay or connected to your car’s Bluetooth.
• Fitness: Automatically activates when you start a workout in Fitness on your iPhone or use your Apple Watch.
• Games: Will activate when you connect a wireless game controller to your phone.
• Mindfulness: by default, this function will be activated automatically when you start a session in the application of the same name.
• Sleep: This will activate based on the sleep schedule you set in Health.

Custom focus modes fill in the gaps if the preset categories aren’t enough. I have one called Calls Only that allows all calls to go through while turning off all other alerts.

All modes (except Do Not Disturb) are customizable with an icon and color to help distinguish them at a glance; faucet To modify on their page to change that. If you no longer use any, press Remove focus at the bottom to remove it from the list.

On the main Focus page, you’ll spot two more toggles. With Share on multiple devices enabled, setting a Focus mode on your iPhone will reflect it on other devices using your Apple account. In most cases this is practical; you don’t want to receive unwanted alerts on your Apple Watch while they are deleted on your iPhone. If you turn it off, the status of each device works independently.

To light up Focus status means your contacts will see a message that you are in Focus mode when they open an iMessage conversation with you. If they send a message and it’s urgent, they still have the option to notify you. This is supposed to work across all apps, but in practice it’s not really supported outside of iMessage. Your contacts won’t see the name of the mode you’re in, and you can turn it off for individual modes if you prefer. You also have the option to stop sharing Focus status with specific contacts: open their chat in iMessage, tap their name at the top, and turn off Share focus status.

There is a related setting worth configuring that is not displayed in the Focus menus: Emergency Bypass. With this, calls and/or text messages from selected contacts will make noise, even if your phone is on silent mode or Focus mode. While it’s great for people you absolutely need to hear from, you need to use it wisely; a non-urgent call may ring while you are in a meeting or require silence. To activate it, open Contactsselect a person and press To modify at the top right of their contact page. Hit Ringtone Or Text tonethen activate Emergency bypass up.