Notifications and Focus
Time Sensitive Notifications
Most people call this alerts allowed to break through a Focus.
An app can mark a notification as urgent, which lets it break through a Focus and skip the Scheduled Summary.
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
- Notifications
- App name
- Time Sensitive Notifications
What it does
A delivery arriving, a ride outside, a security alert. The app decides what qualifies, which some apps abuse. You can turn the ability off per app.
What changes
When it is on
The app can mark alerts as urgent and bypass your Focus.
When it is off
Every notification from that app obeys your Focus and summary rules.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Genuinely time critical alerts reach you.
- Delivery and travel apps use it sensibly.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Some apps mark marketing as urgent.
- It is the usual reason a Focus leaks.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Allowed for apps that request it.
What your iPhone needs
- Needs iOS 15 or later
Questions people actually ask
- Why does an app still notify me during Do Not Disturb?
- It marked the notification as Time Sensitive. Turn that off for the app under Notifications.
If it is not working
- If a Focus keeps leaking, check which apps have this enabled.
- Critical alerts are a separate and much rarer category that ignores even the ringer switch.