Notifications and Focus
Share Focus Status
Most people call this letting people see that you have notifications silenced.
When someone messages you, they can be shown that you have notifications silenced, with the option to notify you anyway.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 15 and later
- Settings
- Focus
- Focus name
- Focus Status
What it does
Only the fact that a Focus is on is shared, never which one or what you are doing. The sender sees a line in Messages and can choose to break through.
What changes
When it is on
People messaging you see that your notifications are silenced.
When it is off
Nobody knows, and urgent messages may sit unanswered.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Sets expectations without you having to explain.
- Senders can still break through when it matters.
Good reasons to turn it off
- You do not want people knowing you are unavailable.
- The notify anyway option undermines the point of the Focus.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Costs you something
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: On for Focus modes that support it.
Questions people actually ask
- Can people see my Focus is on?
- Only that notifications are silenced, and only if you have enabled sharing for that Focus.
If it is not working
- It is set per Focus, so you can share for Work and not for Sleep.
- Only people in Messages see it, not every app.