Pings from Mail, Messages and a dozen other apps make it hard to concentrate. Focus lets you silence them, either completely or with exceptions for the people and apps that matter.
Do Not Disturb is the simplest Focus. It silences everything. The other Focus modes (Work, Sleep, Personal and any you create) let you choose what gets through.
How to turn on Do Not Disturb
- Click Control Centre in the menu bar (the icon with two switches).
- Click Focus.
- Click Do Not Disturb.
To choose how long it lasts, click the arrow or the name itself and pick For 1 hour, Until this evening or Until tomorrow morning.
Quick shortcut: hold Option and click the date and time in the menu bar to switch Do Not Disturb on or off instantly.
A small moon icon appears in the menu bar while it’s on. Notifications still arrive in Notification Centre (click the date and time to see them). They just don’t pop up or make a sound.
How to set up a Focus
- Open System Settings > Focus.
- Click a Focus such as Work, or click Add Focus… to create your own.
- Under Allow Notifications, choose: – Allowed People. Calls and messages from these contacts still come through. – Allowed Apps. Notifications from these apps still appear.
- Close the window. Your settings are saved.
For example, a Work Focus might allow your calendar and your team chat app, while silencing social media and personal messages.
How to schedule a Focus
Make a Focus switch on by itself:
- In System Settings > Focus, click the Focus.
- Under Set a Schedule, click Add Schedule….
- Choose: – Time. For example, weekdays from 9:00 to 12:00. – Location. For example, when you arrive at the office. – App. For example, whenever you open Keynote or Zoom.
Let important things through
In a Focus’s settings you’ll also find:
- Allow repeated calls. A second call from the same person within three minutes comes through. It’s a useful safety net for emergencies.
- Time-sensitive notifications. Apps can mark certain alerts as time-sensitive, such as a delivery or a security warning, so they still appear.
Sync Focus with your iPhone
At the top of System Settings > Focus, turn on Share across devices. Switching on a Focus on your Mac then switches it on for your iPhone and iPad too, and the other way round.
If your Mac goes silent unexpectedly, this is often the reason. A Sleep Focus on your iPhone will be silencing your Mac as well.
Not getting notifications at all?
- Check Control Centre for an active Focus and turn it off.
- Look at System Settings > Focus for a schedule you’ve forgotten about.
- Check System Settings > Notifications to make sure the app is allowed to send notifications.
Wrapping up
For a quick bit of quiet, Option-click the clock. For lasting calm, set up a Work Focus with a schedule and let your Mac do it automatically.
