How to use Focus Mode on iPhone and iPad to reduce interruptions

Does your iPhone® or iPad® constantly bombard you with notifications, making it hard to concentrate on important tasks? Apple®'s Focus Mode feature lets you filter notifications and minimize distractions, helping you stay focused and productive.

At Asurion, we protect the tech you love and show you how to make it work. In this guide, we'll walk you through how to set up and use Focus Mode on your iPhone or iPad. We'll cover the key features, show you how to share your Focus status with others, and provide tips for adjusting your notification settings. 

What is Focus Mode on iPhone?

Focus Mode lets you create custom focus settings for different activities, such as work, driving, personal time, sleep, or any other scenario where you don’t want interruptions. By setting up Focus on your iPhone or iPad, you can specify which people and apps can send notifications during that time while silencing everything else. You can customize your Lock screen and Home screen to show only relevant information for each Focus.

Focus Mode offers several key features:

• Customizable Focus options for different scenarios, like work or study
• Ability to specify allowed notifications from people and apps
• Personalized Lock screen and Home screen for each Focus
• Focus filters to determine what information apps show
• Sync Focus settings across Apple devices

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How to set up focus mode on iPhone and iPad

Setting up Focus Mode on your iPhone or iPad is a straightforward process:

1. Open the Settings app, and tap Focus.
2. Tap the + button to add a new Focus
3. Choose from the suggested Focus options or create a custom one.
4. Select the people and apps allowed to send notifications during this Focus.
5. Customize your Lock screen and Home screen.
6. Tap Done to save your new Focus

To enable a Focus, simply tap it from the Focus settings or Control Center. Your iPhone or iPad will now filter notifications based on your preferences.

How to share Focus status with others

When you have Focus enabled, you can let others know that you're unavailable or have notifications silenced. Here's how to share your Focus Status:

1. Go to Settings > Focus.
2. Tap a Focus option.
3. Turn on the Share Focus Status switch.
4. Choose whether you want to share your status.

When someone tries to message you while your Focus is active, they'll see a notice indicating that your notifications are silenced. If the matter is urgent, they can choose to notify you anyway.

How to adjust Focus Mode notifications

To make sure Focus Mode works best for your needs, you may need to adjust your notification settings. Here's how:

1. Go to Settings > Focus, and tap a Focus option.
2. Tap People or Apps to adjust allowed notifications.
3. Add or remove contacts and apps as needed.
4. Customize your Lock screen and Home screen.
5. Tap Done to save your changes

You can also create a new Focus from scratch with different notification settings for various activities. Experiment with different setups to find what works best for you.