17 Best Tips for Using and Customizing Focus Modes on Your iPhone

Focus modes were introduced with iOS 15 and have become an indispensable feature for managing alerts and notifications on your iPhone. If you're wondering how to make the most of Focus modes and customize them to suit your needs, you've come to the right place. In this article, we'll explore the best tips to help you use, set up, and customize Focus modes on your iPhone.

1. Change Focus Mode Quickly

Changing your Focus mode is quick and easy. Simply touch and hold the Focus mode icon or label on the Lock screen or in Control Center. All the available modes will appear, and you can select the one you want to activate.

2. Use Siri to Enable or Disable Focus Modes

You can also use Siri to turn on or turn off Focus modes. Just say commands like “Siri, turn on Driving focus” or “turn off Gaming focus” to activate or deactivate specific modes.

3. Create Your Own Focus Profile

While Apple provides several pre-created Focus profiles, such as Do Not Disturb, Driving, Fitness, Gaming, and more, you can also create your own customized Focus profile. Simply go to Settings > Focus, tap on the add (+) icon, and select Custom. From there, you can give your Focus a name, choose its color and icon, and define its conditions.

4. Allow or Silence Notifications From Selected People or Apps

In iOS 15, you can allow notifications only from selected people and apps by adding them to the whitelist of each Focus profile individually. However, in iOS 16, you can both allow and silence notifications from selected contacts and apps in the notification settings of each Focus.

5. Allow Calls From Selected People

You can further customize each Focus profile to allow incoming calls from selected people while silencing other notifications. This is useful if you want to stay focused but still want to receive important calls.

6. Allow Repeated Calls

Each Focus profile offers the option to allow repeated calls. When enabled, your iPhone will not silence calls from people who have called you twice in the last three minutes.

7. Let People Know You Have Activated a Focus Profile

When a Focus mode is active on your iPhone, Apple notifies others in supported apps like iMessage about it. This is possible through the Focus status feature. You can choose to enable or disable this feature for individual Focus profiles.

8. Enable Custom Home Screen Pages for a Focus

Focus modes can do more than just silence alerts. You can also enable custom home screen pages that display specific widgets and app icons based on the selected Focus profile.

9. Enable Custom Lock Screen for a Focus

In iOS 16, you can link lock screens to a Focus profile. This means that when you activate a particular Focus, the corresponding lock screen will appear.

10. View Silenced Notifications on the Lock Screen

By default, silenced notifications do not appear on the lock screen when a Focus mode is active. However, you can change this behavior and have notifications show on the lock screen.

11. Share Focus Modes Across Devices

Focus modes support cross-device functionality, allowing you to sync your settings across multiple devices tied to your iCloud account.

12. Schedule Focus Modes

You can set Focus modes to activate automatically based on specific criteria, such as time, location, or app usage. This allows you to automate the activation of Focus modes according to your daily routine.

13. Allow iPhone to Activate Focus Modes Automatically

In addition to manually selecting activation criteria, your iPhone can learn over time and automatically activate Focus modes based on signals like location and app usage.

14. Enable a Focus Temporarily

You can temporarily enable a Focus mode for a specific duration, such as an hour or until evening, by using the Control Center. This is a convenient way to stay focused for a limited period.

15. Add Focus Filters

In iOS 16, you can customize how certain apps behave when a specific Focus mode is active. You can enable features like Low Power Mode, Dark Mode, or open specific tabs in Safari.

16. Automate Focus Modes Using Shortcuts App

You can automate Focus modes even further by using the Apple Shortcuts app. This allows you to create triggers that automatically turn on or off specific Focus modes based on your requirements.

17. Send and Change Auto-Reply Message in Driving Focus

The Driving Focus mode includes an auto-reply feature that allows you to send automated messages to selected contacts. You can also customize the message text as per your preference.

Focus modes on iPhone are a powerful tool for managing alerts and notifications effectively. By following these tips, you can make the most of this feature and create a personalized experience tailored to your needs. Experiment with different settings to find the perfect Focus mode setup that enhances your productivity and helps you stay focused.