How to Share Your Focus Status on IPhone (and Why You Should Do It)

Apple Focus allows you to experience fewer distractions on your iPhone when you need to focus. Focus can be used to block notifications from everyone except your significant other, or to automatically turn on Do Not Disturb (DND) mode before bed. And you can use Share Focus Status to make this feature even better.

What is the general focus status?

Sharing focus status simply means that your iPhone allows certain apps to check whether you have focus turned on and tell other users that you have notifications turned off. For example, the Messages app will inform other people if you have notifications muted while using focus. Anyone who sends you a message will only see a generic piece of text saying you have notifications turned off – they won’t be able to see the name of your Focus, the length of time you’ll be in Do Not Disturb mode, or any other information . However, they will still see the option to send you a notification that people can use in case of an emergency. (I hope they’re not jerks about this.)

Note. The Share Focus status should not be confused with Share Across Devices, which allows you to change your focus on one device and implement it across all linked devices.

How to enable (or disable) shared focus status

Once you’ve set up at least one focus, go to Settings > Focus > Focus Status and turn on Share Focus Status . On the same settings page, you’ll see all your tricks and can choose which ones you want to share and which ones you’d like to keep private. Again, no one will know which Focus you’ve enabled, but if there are times when you’d rather people not know you’re using Focus at all, you can flag them here.

You can turn off this feature at any time by turning off Share Focus Status, which can be found in Settings > Focus > Focus Status on your iPhone.