Turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving on iPhone

When Do Not Disturb While Driving is activated, it helps you stay focused on the road. Text messages and other notifications are silenced or limited. Siri reads replies aloud, so you don’t have to look at your iPhone (the screen stays dark). Incoming calls are allowed only when iPhone is connected to a car Bluetooth system or a hands-free accessory, or when you use Do Not Disturb settings to allow some calls.

WARNING: For important information about navigation and avoiding distractions that could lead to dangerous situations, see Important safety information for iPhone. Do Not Disturb While Driving is not a substitute for following all rules that prohibit distracted driving.

Turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving

If iPhone detects you might be driving and you haven’t set up Do Not Disturb While Driving, iPhone asks if you want to turn it on. Otherwise, you can activate it manually.

Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb.
Scroll down, then tap Activate.
Choose when you want Do Not Disturb While Driving to turn on.
- Automatically: When iPhone detects you might be driving.
- When Connected to Car Bluetooth: When your iPhone is connected to a car’s Bluetooth system.
- Manually: When you turn it on in Control Center.

To add Do Not Disturb While Driving to Control Center, go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, then tap next to Do Not Disturb While Driving.

Note: When you use CarPlay, Do Not Disturb While Driving isn’t activated.

Get calls, messages, and notifications when you’re a passenger

If Do Not Disturb While Driving becomes active when you’re not driving (for example, when you’re a passenger), you can turn it off.

Tap the Do Not Disturb notification on the Lock screen.
Tap I’m Not Driving.

You can also swipe up from the bottom of the screen (iPhone X and later) or press the Home button (other models), then tap I’m Not Driving.

Send an auto-reply text message that you’re driving

When Do Not Disturb While Driving is on, by default, an auto-reply is sent to anyone in your Favorites group. You can change who receives the auto-reply.

Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb > Auto-Reply To.
Choose one of the following:
- No One: Turns off auto-reply.
- Recents: Sends an auto-reply to anyone you sent a message to in the previous two days, even if they’re not in your Contacts.
- Favorites: Sends an auto-reply to anyone in your Favorites group in Phone.
- All Contacts: Sends an auto-reply to everyone in Contacts.

If anyone responds to your auto-reply message with the message “Urgent,” all subsequent texts from that person come through for the remainder of your drive.

Create a custom auto-reply text message

Go to Settings , then tap Do Not Disturb > Auto-Reply.
Tap the message to bring up the keyboard, then type a new message.

Allow some calls

If your car doesn’t have Bluetooth, you can allow some calls to come through.

Allow a second call from the same person within 3 minutes: Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb, then turn on Repeated Calls.
Allow calls from your Favorites or everyone: Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb > Allow Calls From.

Note: Do Not Disturb While Driving uses Location Services to determine whether you might be driving or if you’re near home, work, or a predicted destination. The location data Apple collects for these purposes doesn’t personally identify you. To turn off Location Services for Do Not Disturb While Driving, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services, then turn off Location-Based Alerts.

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iPhone User Guide

Turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving on iPhone