How to Turn Off Focus Mode on iPhone


Userlevel 7

 

Focus Mode is a feature that was designed to allow iPhone users to focus on tasks by muting and hiding notifications, messages, phone calls, and other alerts on their devices. The Focus feature used to be very simple and called Do Not Disturb Mode, but with later versions of iOS, Apple added a bunch of complexity to Focus Modes that cause some users confusion, not only about using the feature in general, but particularly regarding how to disable Focus Modes or how to get out of and escape Focus Modes.

You can often tell if someone is on Focus Mode because calling their iPhone will result in going directly to voicemail, and if you message them it may say something like “[Name] has notifications silenced.”

 

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18 replies

Userlevel 6
Badge +5

@ProTruckDriver  a huge thank you for posting this. My sister has all her texts silenced and this must be the answer to why it has been turned on. I have a few other contacts with the same issue. I will be sending them this information!

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

Great info as this “feature” certainly is confusing

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

I don’t have an iPhone so apologies but surely this should be as simple as toggling the feature on and off? Why is it so hard to find? I genuinely don’t know by the way, not trying to be rude to anyone that does struggle with this...

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

I don’t have an iPhone so apologies but surely this should be as simple as toggling the feature on and off? Why is it so hard to find? I genuinely don’t know by the way, not trying to be rude to anyone that does struggle with this...

It’s not hard to find, and you can just turn it on and off.

they’ve just added lots of options and segregated settings.

presumably someone thought it was needed but it does seem too complicated now as you can see in the screenshots from the full article

Userlevel 7
Badge +25

I’m surprised to see that this caused so much pain for so many. It is one of my favorite features.  I’m use Sleep, DoNotDisturb, and Work focus all the time. 
 

But thanks for posting this good info. 

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

I’m surprised to see that this caused so much pain for so many. It is one of my favorite features.  I’m use Sleep, DoNotDisturb, and Work focus all the time. 
 

But thanks for posting this good info. 

I think once you get your head round the settings then it is a great feature.

There’s alot of people out there that are still technophobes and don't like the try new things.

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

I just press do not disturb on my phone and its job done 🤷🏼 It's like the post on the smart devices currently elsewhere on the forums, sometimes we seem to just overcomplicate things for the sake of it and the features become overkill

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

I just press do not disturb on my phone and its job done 🤷🏼 It's like the post on the smart devices currently elsewhere on the forums, sometimes we seem to just overcomplicate things for the sake of it and the features become overkill

Indeed. Features now have to be so in depth to compete with their rivals that nothing seems simple anymore!

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

KISS

“Keep it simple stupid” 😄

(Not you, that's what people say to me every other day)

Userlevel 7
Badge +25

It is a toggle switch. I wonder why that concept is so difficult to understand? I just wrote bug report in Apple’s bug system declaring confusion on exiting focus modes.  Maybe they can improve the interface. 

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

KISS

“Keep it simple stupid” 😄

(Not you, that's what people say to me every other day)

Thanks for clearing that up!! 😉

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

It is a toggle switch. I wonder why that concept is so difficult to understand? I just wrote bug report in Apple’s bug system declaring confusion on exiting focus modes.  Maybe they can improve the interface. 

Cool. Hope they listen. Apple’s catchphrase of ‘it just works’ doesn’t quite apply here!!

Userlevel 7
Badge +25

It is a toggle switch. I wonder why that concept is so difficult to understand? I just wrote bug report in Apple’s bug system declaring confusion on exiting focus modes.  Maybe they can improve the interface. 

Cool. Hope they listen. Apple’s catchphrase of ‘it just works’ doesn’t quite apply here!!

This seems obvious to me, but maybe not so much for others.  It looks like this. Sleep is highlighted, and it says “On Until Tomorrow, 8:00 AM”, but does not say “Press to turn off”.  So maybe when people see this they think that they have to wait until 8 Am tomorrow? But then again, it also does not say “press to turn on” either. But I thin Sleep may auto turn on on some devices, so that too could be confusing. 

 



 

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

See what you mean. They’ve expanded a feature which probably needed improving but now it seems alot to take in and understand

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

Great topic, very helpful thanks guys, 

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

I personally think that's overkill but to each their own! 😊

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

I personally think that's overkill but to each their own! 😊

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

I personally think that's overkill but to each their own! 😊

I agree to be honest and I usually fight the apple corner. Again, like most things I guess it’s personal preference.

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