You can customize a provided Focus option or create a Custom Focus when you want to concentrate on a specific activity. Here’s a detailed guide on share focus status in iMessage, and how and why you should let your contacts know when enabled.
iOS 15 has recently attained much hype and one of the best updates included in Apple’s latest version of iOS is the Focus feature. alongside its ability to share its current status setting with iPhone contacts, Focus lets users hunker down and concentrate on important tasks by giving them the ability to customize and choose which mobile apps to silence temporarily and which ones to receive alerts or notifications from while busy. It also lets other users and apps know when their messages are being muted for the time being.
While Focus Mode is a new and convenient feature, it can be complex for some users and as it’s so new we are here to help you understand and enable you to make your life easier. Even when you have Do Not Disturb, or one of the newer Focus modes on, some iMessage notifications are getting through, so you can pick and choose whom you want to talk to. Now, let’s open our minds and learn something that you can apply in real life, unlike algebra ;).
What is the Focus Mode on the iPhone?
Focus Mode is an old concept of DND in a newer term iOS 15. Similar to DND You can either silence all your notifications (with a few exceptions), you let them all get through by not using DND.
Focus Mode is a little more complex feature, with a combination of preset Focus Modes and the ability to create their own, users can have complete control over what notifications they want during what time.
Focus has some default preset modes: Do Not Disturb, Personal, Work, Sleep, Fitness, and Driving. Users also have the option to create custom ones and They can also set up to activate automatically at a set time, at a specific location, or while using certain apps. They also have an additional option to share their Focus mode in messenger as focus status (still do not understand apple’s urge to name everything).
If you are busy working, driving, reading, or want some personal time for practicing mindfulness, gaming, exercising, or doing something else entirely, you can have a Focus Mode active for that activity and it even works on all your devices simultaneously with just a tap. In this day and age, with so many distractions this feature helps to concentrate and give your 100% to the activity rather than constantly checking your phone or at the other extreme, turning off your phone completely.
What is the Focus Status of the iPhone?
Unlike DND in iOS 14, Focus Mode lets people know that you have silenced notifications or your focus status. Focus Mode not only helps filter your notifications according to the task at hand, but it also has other features too like Focus Status which is incredibly useful.
Focus status is a tiny notification that appears on iMessage when users attempt to contact or send a message to other users who have Focus mode enabled. It’s fundamentally a caution telling people that the person they are trying to reach may have notifications silenced and will therefore not be able to respond straight away. in case of an emergency, users may bypass the Focus mode and notify the user about the incoming message if that user is your emergency contact.
Why do you need Focus Status?
With this feature, when someone tries to send you an iMessage while you’re on one of the Focus Modes, a Focus Status on their screens will let them know that “[you] have silenced notifications”. This lets them choose if they want to send the message and saves them time waiting for a quick reply. Along with the Focus Status, they will also get an option to ‘Notify Anyway’ and If they choose to tap that option, the notification will get through regardless of the Focus Mode.
Even though the Focus Status lets others know that you have some sort of Focus Mode on, it doesn’t let them know the exact nature of the Focus Mode you’re currently using hence your activity will be kept private.
Once you choose to get the notification, the Focus Status will immediately notify you. Moreover, if you choose not to then the notification will be delivered with the rest of the notifications you missed while in the Focus Mode.
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Step 1: Open the ‘Settings’ app and Tap ‘Focus’.
Step 2: Select the Focus mode you want to edit and Tap ‘Focus Status’.
Step 3: Tap ‘Share Focus Status’ to turn on sharing.
Keep in mind that The Focus Status isn’t displayed to the person sending you a message right away. When a person sends you a few messages then iMessage will display the Focus Status along with the ‘Notify Now’ message detection they might have something important to intimate with you. Additionally, it only works if the other user has also updated to iOS 15.
How to Keep your Focus settings up to date across all your Apple devices?
You can also use the same Focus settings on all your Apple devices where you’re signed in with the same Apple ID and follow these easy steps.
Step 1: Go to Settings and head to the Focus option.
Step 2: Turn on Share Across Devices.
How to Allow calls from emergency contacts when notifications are silenced?
You can also allow sounds and vibrations from emergency contacts to come through even when your iPhone or notifications are silenced.
Step 1: Open the Contacts app and select a contact, then tap Edit.
Step 2: Tap Ringtone or Text Tone, then turn on Emergency Bypass or create a Medical ID and identify an emergency contact.
you can choose any process you find the most convenient.
How to Turn Off Focus Status?
The Focus Status is on by default for all Focus Modes whichever you have selected, whether custom or predefined, but you can easily turn it off if you want. Follow these 4 steps.
Step 1: Open your iPhone Settings and go to ‘Focus’.
Step 2: Then, tap on the Focus Mode for which you want to turn Focus Status off. You can either select all or a specific one.
Step 3: Now, In the settings for that particular Focus Mode, tap ‘Focus Status’.
Step 4: Finally, turn off the toggle for ‘Share Focus Status’.
Please note that if you want to disable Focus Status for all modes then you have to disable it for each of your setup modes individually. Also, if you don’t want Messages to be able to share Focus Status in any mode at all, you can simply revoke the app’s access to Focus.
Simply Open your iPhone settings and scroll down to find the option for ‘Messages’.
Then, turn off the toggle for ‘Focus’ in the ‘Allow Messages to Access’ tab. when Messages would not have access to Focus, it will not be able to share your Focus Status even if the setting is on for a Focus Mode.
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Conclusion
Currently, the Focus Status feature is only available on iMessage. Though we wish that will soon be available for third-party apps, so that, regardless of the phone your contacts are using, your friends and family can better utilize this new and extremely useful feature. personally, I use this feature daily and we hope that this guide has helped you to do the same.
