Set up Focus on iPhone

Focus is a feature that helps you concentrate on a task by minimizing distractions. When you need to focus, or step away from your iPhone, Focus can temporarily silence all notifications—or allow only specific notifications (for example, ones that match your task)—and let other people and apps know you’re busy.

You can choose from a list of provided Focus options or create your own.

Note: To quickly silence all notifications, open Control Center, tap Focus, then turn on Do Not Disturb. Do Not Disturb and Do Not Disturb While Driving are now part of Focus.

Set up a Focus

When you want to concentrate on a specific activity, you can customize a provided Focus option—for example, Driving, Personal, Sleep, or Work—or create a Custom Focus. You can silence notifications or allow only notifications from the people and apps that match your Focus—for example, set up a Work Focus and allow only notifications from your coworkers and the apps you need for work.

Likewise, you can customize a Home Screen page that has only apps related to your Focus and make that page the only one accessible during your Focus.

A screen showing five provided Focus options—Do Not Disturb, Driving, Personal, Sleep, and Work. The Share Across Devices button allows you to use the same Focus settings on all your Apple devices where you’re signed in with the same Apple ID.

Go to Settings > Focus.
Tap a Focus—for example, Do Not Disturb, Driving, Personal, Sleep, or Work—then follow the onscreen instructions.
After setting up your Focus, you can return to Settings > Focus at any time and change any of the following (which are initially set when you create your Focus):
- Choose people you want to receive notifications from (if any) during this Focus: Tap People or Add Person, select contacts, then tap Done.
- Choose whether you want to receive calls during this Focus: Tap Calls From, then select an option—Everyone, No One, Favorites, or All Contacts. To allow repeated calls (two or more calls from the same person within three minutes), turn on Allow Repeated Calls. Then tap at the top left.
  Note: Regardless of your Focus settings, calls from your emergency contacts will always come through. See Allow calls from emergency contacts when notifications are silenced.
- Choose apps you want to receive notifications from (if any) during this Focus: Tap Apps or Add App, select apps, then tap Done.
- Choose whether you want to allow all apps to send you time-sensitive notifications immediately during this Focus: Turn on Time Sensitive, then tap at the top left.
- Choose whether you want to allow apps to display that you’ve silenced notifications: Tap Focus Status, then turn Share Focus Status on or off. When you turn it on, people who message you see that you have notifications silenced, but not which Focus you’re using.
- Choose the Home Screen pages you want to access (if any) during this Focus: Tap Home Screen, turn on Custom Pages, select the Home Screen pages you want to use during this Focus, then tap Done.
  Tip: You can move the apps for this Focus to one Home Screen page, then select that page.
- Allow silenced notifications to appear on the Lock Screen, or dim the Lock Screen: Tap Lock Screen, then turn on Show On Lock Screen. You can also turn on Dim Lock Screen to dim the Lock Screen during this Focus.

To use a Focus after setting it up, you can either turn it on in Control Center, or schedule it to turn on automatically.

When you set up a Sleep Focus, you can also change your next bedtime and wake-up time, or adjust your sleep schedule by tapping Set Up Sleep in Health. See Set an alarm on iPhone or Add or change sleep schedules in Health on iPhone.

Create a Custom Focus

If you want to concentrate on an activity that’s different from any of the provided Focus options, you can create a Custom Focus.

A Focus setup screen for one of the additional provided Focus options, including Custom, Driving, Fitness, Gaming, Mindfulness, and Reading.

Go to Settings > Focus.
Tap at the top right, then tap Custom.
Enter a name for your Focus, then tap Return.
Choose a color and an icon to represent your Focus, then tap Next.
Customize any of the options listed in step 3 of Set up a Focus, above.

Keep your Focus settings up to date across all your Apple devices

You can use the same Focus settings on all your Apple devices where you’re signed in with the same Apple ID.

Go to Settings > Focus.
Turn on Share Across Devices.

Allow calls from emergency contacts when notifications are silenced

You can allow sounds and vibrations from emergency contacts to come through even when your iPhone or notifications are silenced.

Open Contacts .
Select a contact, then tap Edit.
Tap Ringtone or Text Tone, then turn on Emergency Bypass.
Or, create a Medical ID and identify an emergency contact.

Helpful?

iPhone User Guide

Set up Focus on iPhone

Set up a Focus

Create a Custom Focus

Keep your Focus settings up to date across all your Apple devices

Allow calls from emergency contacts when notifications are silenced