How to Use Do Not Disturb on iPhone [Guide]

I’ll cut to the chase: you’ll find Do Not Disturb mode in your iPhone’s Control Center settings. You can swipe down from the top corner of the screen to access your iPhone’s Control Center and click on Focus Mode with an icon (a crescent moon 🌙)there, or open the Settings app on your iPhone and search for Focus Mode.

Do Not Disturb mode, or DND for short, is found on most devices, including the iPhone, and helps you reduce distractions. Do Not Disturb mode was introduced in 2012 with iOS 6 and has been improved over the years. You can also customize DND mode to your preferences, have it turn on and off automatically, and more.

If you’re having trouble finding a do-not-disturb mode on your iPhone or have recently switched from Android to iPhone and are finding it difficult to use DND mode on iPhone, this guide is for you. In this post, you’ll learn where to find DND mode, how to enable and customize DND mode on iPhone, and more. Let’s dive in.

Difference Between DND Mode and Focus Mode on iPhone

In iOS 15, Apple replaced DND mode with Focus mode. Focus mode is an improved version of DND mode that offers different profiles for customizing and silent notifications on your iPhone. By default, Focus mode offers several preset profiles to filter distractions. These include the default profiles of Do Not Disturb, Personal, Work, and Sleep. You can customize each profile by setting individual silent notifications and customizable screens.

Do not disturb is the default Focus profile on iPhone. You can also add new profiles or delete existing ones, customize them, and more. Here’s the difference between Focus mode and Do Not Disturb mode on iPhone. Note that after iOS 15, “Do Not Disturb” is now part of “Focus mode”. You can customize the DND mode and set your own filters.

How To Access Do Not Disturb on iPhone

You can access the do-not-disturb mode from the Control Center. This is the easier way to access DND mode on your iPhone. If you’re using iPhone X or later models, open the Control Center in the upper right corner and click the focus icon to access DND mode. If you’re using iPhone SE, iPhone 8, or older models, you can swipe up from the bottom to open the Control Center.

Alternatively, you can access Do Not Disturb mode from your iPhone’s settings. Go to the settings and tap on the Focus mode. Here, you can access Do Not Disturb mode on your iPhone. You can access it through the lock screen and Siri voice command.

Now that you know how to access DND mode on your iPhone, let’s take a look at how to turn it on and off and customize DND mode.

How To Turn On Do Not Disturb Mode on iPhone

There are multiple ways to turn on DND on iPhones. Let’s have a look at each of them.

1. Turn it on from the control center:

• Unlock your iPhone.
• Swipe down from the top right corner to open the Control Center.
• Find the “Focus” tile and tap on it.
• Select “Do Not Disturb” from the list and click on it.

2. Enable Do Not Disturb from the Settings:

• Open Settings on your iPhone
• Scroll down and click on the Focus tab
• Now click on the “Do not disturb” mode.
• Turn on “Do Not Disturb” mode automatically based on time, location, or when you’re using a particular app.

3. Enable Do Not Disturb from the Lock Screen:

• Unlock your iPhone and long-press on the lock screen.
• Tap the “Focus” icon at the bottom center.
• In the “Link Focus” pop-up window, select the “Do not disturb” option.

4. Using Siri to Enable Do Not Disturb:

You can also use Siri to turn on Do Not Disturb mode on your iPhone.

• Activate Siri by saying “Hey Siri” or long pressing the power button. You can also just say “Siri” if you’re using iOS 17.
• Say “Turn On Do Not Disturb”.
• Siri will automatically turn on the DND mode on your iPhone.

How To Schedule Do Not Disturb on iPhone

You can also schedule DND mode on your iPhone. When you schedule DND mode, it automatically turns on and off at times you specify. For example, if you set it for 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., your iPhone will automatically turn DND mode on at 10:00 p.m. and off at 7:00 a.m.

• Open Settings on your iPhone and go to the “Focus” section.
• Select “Do Not Disturb” from the list.
• Scroll to “Set A Schedule” and tap “Add Schedule”.
• Choose options like Time, Location, or App to set conditions.
• For time-based schedules, set the start and end times.
• For location-based activation, enter an address.
• For app-based activation, select an app from your installed list.

Apart from time-based schedules, you can also set DND to activate at specific locations or during specific events in your calendar.

• Unlock your iPhone and go to the Control Center
• Tap the focus icon and select the Do Not Disturb mode
• Click on the vertical three-dot menu and select the options you want. You can set it to 1 hour, Until evening or Until I leave this location. You can change the location on Apple Maps.

How to Customize Do Not Disturb on iPhone

Instead of silencing all notifications, including calls and messages on your iPhone, you can allow calls and notifications from specific people, notifications from individual apps, and more.

For Notifications from People:

• Open Settings on your iPhone and select  Do Not Disturb.
• Tap the “People” tab.
• Choose either “Silence Notifications From” or “Allow Notifications From.”
• Add contacts to your preferred list. You can add contacts to your favorite or create a contacts group in the contacts app.

For App Notifications:

• In Do Not Disturb settings, tap the “App” tab.
• Decide between “Silence Notifications From” or “Allow Notifications From”.
• Add apps to your list.

Set Focus Filters:

Apple introduced focus filters in iOS 16 that give you more control over apps and system settings on your iPhone when focus mode is enabled. For example, you can use the focus filter to show only work calendars in the Calendar app when focus mode is enabled. Currently, focus mode supports both apps and system filters.

• Open Settings on your iPhone, click Focus Mode, and select “Do Not Disturb.”
• Scroll down, find “Focus Filters,” and tap “Add Filter.”
• Choose between “App Filters” and “System filters.”
• You can set a focus filter for selected apps or system features.
• The focus filter is automatically applied when DND mode is turned on.

Create Multiple Do Not Disturb Mode Profiles

By default, Apple offers several focus mode profiles, including Do Not Disturb mode, Work mode, Drive mode, Sleep mode, and more. You can customize existing profiles or create new ones according to your needs. Here is the guide to do so:

• Open Settings on your iPhone and click on the Focus mode
• Click on the plus icon in the upper right corner of the screen. You can also go to the Control Center, tap on the Focus Mode icon, and click on the Plus icon at the bottom.
• Click Custom to create a new custom profile, or select an existing one, such as Play, Read, Mindfulness, and more.
• If you selected Custom, enter the name of your profile. It can also be Do Not Disturb mode; select the icon, click Next and tap Customize Focus mode.
• This way, you can create multiple profiles for Do Not Disturb mode and customize them to your needs.

How To Delete Custom Do Not Disturb Mode Profiles

Except for the default profile for the Do Not Disturb mode, you can delete all other profiles in your iPhone’s focus mode. To delete:

• Go to your iPhone’s settings and click on the Focus tab.
• Select the Focus profile you want to delete and tap on it
• Scroll down, click “Delete Focus,” and confirm the action by clicking “Delete Focus” again. Do note that you cannot delete the default DND mode.

How To Turn Off Do Not Disturb Mode

• Swipe down from the top right corner to open the Control Center.
• Tap on the “Do not disturb” tile to disable it.
• Alternatively, you can also ask Siri to turn off Do Not Disturb”.
• When you are on the lock screen, click the Focus tile and uncheck Do Not Disturb mode to remove it from the lock screen.

Mastering Do Not Disturb on iPhone

Do Not Disturb is the most commonly used feature on smartphones. Apple has revamped Do Not Disturb mode on the iPhone with Focus mode in iOS 15. You can find DND mode under the focus mode profiles. You can turn DND mode on and off from the Control Center and in Settings. You can schedule and customize it. You can also set multiple DND modes. If you are using the latest 15 series iPhone, you can map the action button to enable DND mode on your iPhone. I hope you find this guide helpful.

FAQs on Do Not Disturb Mode on iPhone

1. Can I customize the “Do Not Disturb” icon?

No, you cannot customize Do Not Disturb mode on iPhone. However, you can create an alternate focus profile with custom icons. As with the Do Not Disturb mode, you can mute all distractions, calls, and notifications and prevent certain people and apps from interfering with the Do Not Disturb mode. To do this, open Settings on your iPhone and click Focus; now click the Plus icon in the upper right corner and then click the custom option at the top. Now enter a name; you can also call it “Do Not Disturb” mode, click “Next” and then “Create”. The new Do Not Disturb mode with the custom icon will be created, and similar to the Do Not Disturb mode, you can access the Do Not Disturb mode you created from Settings, Control Center, Siri, and Lock Screen.

2. Will alarms still ring in “Do Not Disturb” mode?

Yes, alarms will ring even when the Do Not Disturb mode is ON.

3. How do I know if someone called while the mode was activated?

You can find the missed call in the notification center, and your phone app will display a notification badge indicating that someone called you. If you don’t want to miss important calls, you can allow calls from specific people and enable the Allow Repeated Calls option when Do Not Disturb mode is enabled. When this setting is enabled, a second call from the same person within 3 minutes will not be muted.

4. How does the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature work?

When you’re driving, your iPhone automatically activates the Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature and mutes incoming calls, messages, and notifications. If someone sends you a message while this mode is enabled, they will receive an auto-reply notifying them that you are driving. You can customize this auto-reply or disable the feature in the “Do Not Disturb” settings.