What Is Focus on iPhone?

You finally met your goal of getting to bed early.

Bzz.

Ten minutes to meditate are yours at last.

Bzz. Bzz.

The assignment you’re working on is due today, and you’ve set everything else aside to complete it.

Bzz. Bzz. Bzz.

Text messages and other notifications can be helpful and welcome when the time is right. But, they can also be distracting when you’re trying to focus. That’s where Focus on iPhone can help.

But what is Focus? If you're an iPhone user, you can use the Focus option to keep interruptions at a minimum based on your personal preferences — the key is knowing how to set it up. iPhone Focus mode offers lots of customizations, letting you decide when, how, and where you get what notifications, so they show up only when you want them to.

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What is Focus on iPhone?

Focus is a feature for Apple iPhones that lets you minimize distractions and set boundaries on your phone.

The Focus feature lets you concentrate on a specific activity, such as work, personal time, or sleep, and even create a custom Focus for specific circumstances you specify.

Focus was released with iOS 15, which launched in 2021. Since then, it has become a favorite iPhone feature of everyone from new parents trying to catch some sleep, students in need of uninterrupted time to read or study, work-from-home types juggling multiple projects, and just about anyone else looking to clear a little space and time to focus on what matters.

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Since Apple lets you share across devices, you can also activate Focus on your Apple Watch, laptop, and other Apple devices. 

Just be sure to sign all your devices into your Apple ID account (the same one you use for iCloud), and Focus will silence notifications everywhere, giving you the peace you need to get things done without distraction.

What is Focus Status?

Now that you know what Focus on iPhone is, let's answer the question, “What is Focus Status?” As shown on the image below, Focus status is when you give an app permission to share that you have notifications silenced while using Focus.

To share your Focus status with others, toggle on the “Focus Status” option under Settings > Focus. 

How to Set Up Focus on iPhone

Using Focus is easy and super helpful, but it's not one of Apple's most intuitive features to set up.

To set up Focus on iPhone in iOS 18, go to Focus in the Settings menu. You’ll see a list of Focus modes, including Do Not Disturb, Personal, Sleep, and Work. From there you can tailor each one to your specific needs. 

Each Focus mode works pretty much the same way, with a few differences specific to each. Think of them as bookmarks with convenient names to quickly change settings based on circumstances—although you’ll probably want to prioritize some settings over others depending on the Focus (as detailed in the individual sections below).

To change the settings of a Focus mode, tap the arrow next to it. You’ll see a screen of options.

Note that while Focus mode works with some earlier versions of iOS, the latest edition of the software, iOS 18, is compatible with iPhones going back as early as iPhone Xr. We recommend updating your iPhone to iOS 18 if possible. 

The latest iPhones, including iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, all have iOS 18 pre-installed. 

Allow Notifications

This options area lets you specify which people and specific apps can reach you when turning on a given Focus mode.

In your iPhone's notification settings, tap Options to manage how notifications appear. You can then choose whether silenced notifications are visible on the lock screen,  control if apps you've hidden from your home screen can still display notification badges, and decide if silenced notifications remain silent even after you unlock your phone.

Here, you can even set the lock screen to dim when turning on a particular Focus mode.

Customize Screens

You can choose the lock screen that will activate when you enter a given Focus mode. You can use your favorite wallpaper without any apps visible or specific home screen pages with apps.

In this settings area, you can also select the Apple Watch face you want to see when Focus is active.

Set a Schedule

While you can set a schedule in any of the Focus modes, you may find the ability to do so especially useful for the Sleep Focus on iPhone. 

In this settings area, you can create a schedule for when a given Focus mode turns on or off. 

For Focus modes other than Sleep, you can enable Smart Activation, which automatically activates Focus based on such factors as your location and how you use your apps.

Focus Filters

The Focus Filters settings screen lets you fine-tune the behaviors of supported apps when Focus mode is on. For example, you can set the Apple Calendar app to show only your work calendar and not your personal calendar events while in Work Focus.

See more in the “How to Add Focus Filters” section below.

What Is Focus on iPhone Messages?

As we mentioned, a great feature of the Focus status on iPhone is how it’s displayed in other apps. 

When a Focus mode is active, like Do Not Disturb, you'll see its icon in places like the status bar and on your Lock Screen. Your Focus status will also show up in the Messages app.

This lets others know you've silenced notifications and that you might be delayed in getting back to them. If someone tries to message you, they'll get a heads-up that you're not being alerted. If it’s an emergency, they can still push a message through.

How to Set Up Sleep Focus

Sleep Focus includes integration with your iPhone’s built-in Health app to monitor your sleep data, which is especially useful when you have an Apple Watch tracking your motion and heart rate during the night.

Sleep Focus includes a wind-down setting in the Set a Schedule area. You can select anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours before your phone's Sleep Focus activates to remind you to get ready for bed, at which point your phone turns off notifications per your specifications.

It also provides options (in the Customize Screens settings area) to display the time or simplify the lock screen, which is useful for bedside use.

How to Set Up Work Focus

Work Focus behaves like the others, but if you consistently work at a specific location, consider setting it to activate when you get there.

First, make sure you have set a work location. Open the Apple Maps app (included with every iPhone). Under Favorites, tap the Add button, type in your work address, and select My Work in the Type area. When your contact card pops up, tap Update to save it as your Work location.

Now that you have saved your work location, go to Focus in the Settings app. Select Work and scroll down to Set a Schedule. Tap Add Schedule, then tap Location, and select Work.

How to Set Up Personal Focus

Want to silence work notifications after hours? You can use Personal Focus to let only the people and apps you choose get through.

Open the Focus settings from the Settings app. Tap the arrow beside Personal. Under Allow Notifications, select the people and apps whose notifications you want to allow notifications from or silence.

You can also allow calls from people you have designated as Favorites. To identify someone as a Favorite, open their contact card in the Contacts app and scroll down to the Add to Favorites option.

How to Set Up Custom Focus

A Custom Focus is for any set of Focus parameters that don’t fit neatly into one of the other categories.

To create one, go to Focus from the Settings app. Tap the plus sign at the top right of the screen. On the next screen, tap Custom, type a name for your new Focus mode, and select an icon.

Tap Customize Focus, then choose from the standard options available to all Focus modes. The versatility of this option makes it one of the best ways to use Focus on iPhone. 

How to Add Focus Filters

Focus filters give you more control over how supported apps, including text and email apps, behave when a given Focus is active. Want to ensure you don’t miss texts from your partner or emails from work? You can set these options with Focus Filters.

Open the Focus options from Settings. Tap the Focus (Personal, Sleep, Work, etc.) to which you want to add a filter. Scroll down to Focus Filters and tap Add Filter. On the next screen, tap an app whose behavior you want to modify while in Focus.

You can also set the Focus mode to activate your phone’s Dark Mode and Low Power Mode on this screen.

How to Quickly Turn on Focus Mode

To turn on a Focus mode, swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to open the Control Center.

Tap Focus and select the Focus mode you want to activate. You can also choose a duration or set it to turn off when you leave your current location. To quickly silence all notifications, open Control Center, tap Focus, then Do Not Disturb.

The icon and name of the active Focus mode appear at the bottom of your lock screen, letting you know you’re in Focus mode.

You can also tie a Focus mode to a particular lock screen.

Press your lock screen until options appear. Then, swipe to another lock screen or create a new one.

Tap Focus at the bottom of your selected lock screen and choose a Focus mode. Tap to close the selection options.

Now, whenever you select that lock screen, the Focus mode you have tied it to will activate. (Conversely, your phone will switch to the lock screen when you activate the corresponding Focus mode.)

To activate a Focus mode on your Apple Watch, press the side button beside the crown to bring up the Control Center. Tap the icon that looks like a quarter moon to select the Focus you want. On your laptop, click the Control Center icon in the menu bar at the top right of your screen.

The Bottom Line

It’s easy to get distracted by our “always available” cell phone culture, but focus on iPhone can help you prioritize sleep, personal time, work and more—all without interruption.

Focus is available on iPhones going back as far as iPhone Xr. But if you're interested in the new iPhone 16 or last year's iPhone 15, Navi can help you find the best iPhone deals you qualify for with our free, unbiased Phone Deal Finder.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Focus do on an iPhone?

You can use a Focus mode on iPhone to quiet all notifications or let only the ones you care about come through. By sharing a Focus status, compatible apps can let others know that you're busy.

Is Focus the same as Do Not Disturb?

Think of Focus on iPhone as a customized version of “Do Not Disturb.” It takes the basic Do Not Disturb feature and adds more personalization to it. While Do Not Disturb keeps your notifications silent, Focus lets you tailor what gets through and when, while also being able to make calls or send texts normally.

Does Focus on iPhone block messages?

No, the messages will still be available on your phone, but depending on your Focus settings, you may or may not be notified of them when they arrive.