Tired of getting calls and notifications at the worst times? Do Not Disturb on the iPhone 14 helps you stay focused or sleep better by blocking unwanted interruptions. Here’s how to turn it on and make it work exactly how you want.
Turn On Do Not Disturb Mode
You can quickly enable Do Not Disturb using Control Center or in the Settings app.
Method 1: From Control Center
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Focus.
- Select Do Not Disturb to activate it instantly.
Method 2: From Settings
- Open Settings.
- Tap Focus > Do Not Disturb.
- Turn it on, and customize from there.
Silence or Allow Specific Notifications
You don’t have to block everything. You can choose which people and apps can still reach you.
- Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb.
- Under Allowed Notifications, tap People or Apps.
- Add contacts or apps you want to allow.
- You can also tap Silence Notifications From if you prefer to block only certain people or apps.
Allow Repeated Calls (Emergency Bypass)
Want to make sure urgent calls still get through?
- In the Do Not Disturb settings, scroll to Phone Calls.
- Toggle on Allow Repeated Calls.
- This lets a second call from the same person (within 3 minutes) bypass DND.
Allow Calls from Favorite Contacts
If you want to receive calls from close contacts while Do Not Disturb is on:
- Tap Allow Calls From under the Phone Calls section.
- Choose an option like Favorites, Contacts, or a custom group.
Customize Screens for Do Not Disturb
You can set your iPhone to automatically change your Lock Screen or Home Screen when DND is active.
- Open Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb.
- Scroll down to Customize Screens.
- Tap to choose a Lock Screen or Home Screen page that will appear during Do Not Disturb.
Use Focus Filters to Limit Distractions
Filters help control how your apps and system behave while Do Not Disturb is on.
- In the Do Not Disturb settings, scroll to Focus Filters.
- Tap Add Filter.
- Choose from:
- App Filters: Limit how certain apps behave (e.g., Mail account visibility).
- System Filters: Change appearance (Light/Dark Mode), turn on Low Power Mode, etc.
More Notification Options for Do Not Disturb
- Show on Lock Screen: Let silenced notifications appear on the Lock Screen.
- Dim Lock Screen: Darkens the Lock Screen to reduce distractions.
- Hide Notification Badges: Removes badge counts from app icons for silenced apps.
You can tweak these under Options in the Do Not Disturb Focus settings.