Focus

Who and what can reach you

iPhone · Free · built in

What it does

Chooses which people and apps can notify you, and can switch to a quiet Home Screen page.

Cost

Free, built in.

How to set it up

Settings › Focus › + › People and Apps. Link a Home Screen page, and add a schedule.

How easy to get around

Easy: turn it off in Control Center.

What still gets through

Repeated calls, notifications marked time-sensitive, and contacts you've allowed to break through. On iPhones with Apple Intelligence, Intelligent Breakthrough & Silencing also decides; turn it off if you want the Focus to behave the same every time.

What the evidence says

In a 237-person trial, getting notifications three times a day improved attention and mood and lowered stress. Turning them off completely raised anxiety.

Checked October 2026 · Source