Do Not Disturb mode is a handy iPhone feature for times you don’t want to be disturbed, like during meetings or at night. The option can be customized, allowing calls from starred contacts and apps to ring through.
Starting with iOS 15, Apple has added Focus profiles, which allow you to silence calls, alerts, and notifications based on specific conditions. One of them is Do not disturb, which mutes all incoming calls.
1. Go to Settings
Up to iOS 14, Do not disturb was a separate feature listed in both iPhone Settings and the Control Center (crescent moon icon). With the arrival of iOS 15, Apple has integrated this into Focus mode, which contains different profiles such as Sleep, Work, Personal and so on. To change the profile, you can swipe down on your iPhone’s screen and select the one you want to use.
When Do not disturb is active, you won’t receive call notifications and incoming calls will be silenced. However, if you get repeated calls while the phone is in this mode, it may be because your iPhone allows certain people to bypass DND or other Focus modes. This is because by default, calls and alerts from your Favorites or those you’ve called previously within three minutes ring through even when Do not disturb or other Focus modes are activated.
Moreover, you can also permit certain contacts to ring through during DND and other Focus modes by tapping People under Allowed Notifications when the iPhone is in Do not disturb mode. In this case, you should make sure to add all the people that you want to contact you during DND or other Focus modes and disable Repeated Calls.
You can also customize a number of other features for your iPhone such as the ringtone, text tone, voicemail, calendar alerts, lock sounds and more by going to Settings on your device and tap General. You can also enable a feature called Back Tap that will allow you to perform various actions such as muting or bringing up the App Switcher by double-tapping on the back of your device.
You can also set the incoming call screen to display a banner or a full-screen notification, depending on your preference. If you prefer the old ringtone, you can change it by going to Settings and tapping Sounds. Finally, you can also adjust the phone’s haptics to stop it from vibrating when you get a call or when in silent mode. However, please keep in mind that changing these settings might affect your phone’s battery life and may cause the touch screen to respond differently.
2. Tap Do Not Disturb
Whether you’re trying to sleep, do homework or just take a break from the buzz of the world around you, your iPhone offers you a number of ways to silence notifications and calls. With the attention span of humans declining by the day, the ability to shut out distractions for short periods can be invaluable to your productivity.
Putting your phone into Do Not Disturb mode will silence all notifications, except for calls and messages from your starred contacts, as well as any scheduled events like meetings, formal events or nighttime DND. You can also set specific times for DND to come on and off, such as when you’re going to bed or getting up.
You can also choose to allow certain callers to bypass the DND mode, such as emergency contacts who might be unable to wait three minutes for you to answer. To do this, head over to Settings > Focus and tap the name of your selected mode, like Do Not Disturb or Sleep. In the Allowed Notifications section, you’ll see options separately for People and Apps. Tap People and you can choose from options like Everyone (a little self-defeating), Favorites, only people in your contacts or Groups. You can also enable or disable Repeated Calls, which lets a second call from the same contact pass through DND or your other focused mode within three minutes.
It’s also possible to block specific call apps, like VoIP services, from ringing when you use the DND mode. To do this, head over to Settings and then tap Do Not Disturb again. Under the Allowed Notifications section, tap Apps and you’ll see the list of apps that will be able to call you during your DND or other focused mode. To block any of these, tap the minus button next to them or select the Remove All option at the bottom of the screen. With these simple tips, you can get more done without the constant interruption of a phone that just can’t seem to stop ringing. Jaime Stathis is a nonfiction writer covering wildlife, social justice and technology on a constantly evolving planet.
3. Tap People
If you have specific contacts whose calls you want to pass through even when DND or other Focus modes are active, you can allow them. The Calls From tab in the Do Not Disturb settings menu has options for passing through incoming calls from Everyone, No One (a little self-defeating), Favorites, Groups and More. If you choose Allowed People, then you can also select options for how many times a contact can call you within a three-minute timeframe.
If your iPhone is allowing repeated calls from certain individuals, it may be due to a faulty setting. The best way to fix this is to reset your iPhone settings, which will restore all customizations to their default state.
You can also use a third-party app to block unwanted phone calls. There are multiple apps available, but many of them require a monthly fee. However, there are free alternatives that can help you regain control of your incoming calls.
Another common cause of repeated calls is a bug in your operating system. Ensure that you have the latest version of iOS installed on your device by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
Unwanted ringtones and a vibrate when the phone is in silent mode can also be signs of an intruder. Some tapping apps can remotely transmit audio from your phone, so it’s important to look out for any unusual activity. Watch for garbled text messages that make no sense, as well as sets of numbers or coded messages.
To check whether your settings have been changed, open the Settings app and tap the name of a Focus mode. Scroll down to the Allowed Notifications section, and you’ll see two sub-sections: People and Apps. If there are contacts or apps listed here that shouldn’t be, you can remove them by tapping the minus button or tapping Remove All.
Using Do Not Disturb and the various other Focus modes can be helpful to keep your phone from distracting you during work, study or date nights. Just remember to turn the modes off when you’re finished!
4. Tap Allow Repeated Calls
If you use your iPhone to do important work, it’s essential that you don’t get distracted by calls, messages, and notifications. Luckily, the iOS platform offers a few handy tools that can help you avoid interruptions and focus on your work. The “Do Not Disturb” mode can silence incoming calls and alerts while you’re in a meeting, working on a project, or just relaxing at home. You can even schedule this mode, allowing it to activate automatically for specific periods of time each day. To make sure you don’t miss urgent calls, Apple also allows you to customize the “Allow Calls From” settings, allowing certain contacts to bypass Do Not Disturb mode when necessary.
To change the Allow Calls From settings, open the Settings app and select one of the pre-made Focus modes. You’ll see options like Do Not Disturb, Driving, or Sleep, along with a list of apps that can call you when the mode is active. Tap the People option to add those who can reach you during the Focus mode, and then tap Calls From to determine if calls from specific contacts will pierce the mode’s restrictions.
You can also customize how long a call will remain unaffected by the Focus mode by tapping the Duration option. This will let you set a time limit for how long the Focus mode will remain in effect, which can be useful when you’re working with clients and want to stay focused on your work. You can even choose to turn off the feature entirely by selecting a duration of zero minutes.
When you’re done customizing the Focus mode settings, you can enable it by tapping the toggle on the top of the screen. The phone will then be paused by an icon that looks like a moon. To unpause your phone, simply tap the icon again.
You can also customize the “Time Sensitive” notification setting, which will pause your phone when the Focus mode is active and display a colored icon in the Control Center. This is especially useful for situations in which you want to receive notifications but don’t want to interrupt a client, coworker, or family member.