How to Stop Unwanted Distractions with iPhone Focus Modes

If you’re like me, you know the pain of being constantly interrupted by iPhone notifications. Nothing is worse than being rudely interrupted and embarrassed during your late night dinner by a useless but irresistible Facebook notification.

Fear not, my phone addicted friends. Apple has released an updated version of a popular feature called “Focus”. This could be the answer to all our anxiety-inducing notification issues.

What is “Focus Mode”?

Whether you’re at the dinner table with your family creating precious memories, or reading an action-packed book before bed, or maybe you’re just driving – whatever the situation – If your phone started annoying you at the worst possible time, we’re here to help.

With Focus you can create custom modes like driving, gaming or reading or use the preset modes. It can help you filter out unwanted distractions to stay focused on what’s important.

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Once you choose a mode, you can customize it by allowing notifications from certain apps and people or disabling notifications from others.

With the ability to customize and schedule different focus modes, you can finally take control of your phone (and your life) and only receive the notifications that matter to you at the right time.

So how do you start this mini cellular detox? Well, first of all, you’ll need an iPhone running iOS 15 or later (sorry, Android users.)

How to enable “Focus Mode”

• Once you have that, head to your settings app and click on the Focus tongue

• Here you will find preset focus modes such as Sleep, Personal and Work.

You will see a variety of focus mode options. (CyberGuy.com)

How to Create a Custom “Focus Mode”

• If you want more, you can create your own custom Focus mode by clicking on the plus sign in the upper right corner

Here’s how to create a custom iPhone Focus mode. (CyberGuy.com)

• You can choose a name for your new mode and a icon to match your vibe. I chose to start a book club in focus mode

This is where you can customize your iPhone’s focus mode. (CyberGuy.com)

• After creating your custom Focus mode, you can customize it by allowing notifications from certain apps and people or disabling notifications from others

Now you can choose which notifications to allow or disable. (CyberGuy.com)

5 AMAZING THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU CAN DO ON AN IPHONE

What happens when you turn off notifications?

This means that notifications from people or apps not on your allowed list will be blocked or silenced. You won’t see or hear any notifications from them, which can help you stay focused on your work or other activities. However, if someone tries to contact you in an emergency or calls you repeatedly, they will still be able to reach you.

You can still allow certain people to join you when you’re in Focus mode on iPhone. (CyberGuy.com)

Plus, you’ll get a summary of notifications you’ve missed in Focus Mode once you turn it off, so you don’t miss anything important.

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What is Smart Activation?

You can even create a schedule for your Focus mode or use smart activation, which sets schedules for your different modes. This allows your phone to activate your personalized mode based on your location or the apps you use.

iPhone Smart Activation allows you to program certain focus modes. (CyberGuy.com)

For example, if you choose “Time Based”, you can set a specific time for Focus Mode to automatically activate each day. Or, if you choose “Location”, you can choose a location where Focus Mode should activate, such as your workplace or your favorite restaurant.

Here’s how to program your iPhone’s focus modes. (CyberGuy.com)

Once you’ve set up smart activation for your Focus mode, your iPhone will automatically activate the mode based on your chosen settings. This can be a useful way to make sure you stay focused at specific times or places without having to activate the mode manually every time.

MORE: SECRET IPHONE GESTURES YOU NEED TO KNOW

How to share your Focus Mode

You can also choose to share your Focus settings across your other Apple devices, so you can stay focused wherever you are.

Just switch to the Share on multiple devicesoption.

Here’s how to share your iPhone Focus settings with others. (CyberGuy.com)

Make sure all your Apple devices are signed in with the same Apple ID and your Focus Modes will automatically be shared.

Final Thoughts

So what are you waiting for? Say goodbye to endless notifications and hello to a more productive and focused person.

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How often do you use your phone during the day? Would you and your family benefit from being more present and less distracted by telephones? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com/Contact.

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