Focus is the best new feature in iOS 15 — here’s how I use it
Under public pressure, companies like Apple have been introducing new features into their products to help us maintain digital wellbeing. In iOS 12, we got Screen Time, Downtime, and App Limits. Those features were intended to make us more aware of the time we spend using specific apps. They didn’t really tackle the biggest source of distractions, though — notifications. But that changed with the release of iOS 15, which introduced Focus.
What’s Focus in iOS 15, and how does it work?
The best way to think about the Focus feature is Do Not Disturb on steroids. Up until now, we had the standard Do Not Disturb, Do Not Disturb While Driving, and Sleep modes, none of which offered many customization options. Focus changes that by letting you set custom Do Not Disturb modes. Each has its own automation, whitelisted apps, contacts, phone call settings, and even home screens. As a cherry on top, Focus modes can sync across all Apple devices assigned to your account.
How to set up Focus on iOS 15?
Like with other digital wellbeing features offered by Apple, Focus is confusing to use but worth the hustle. Let’s say we want to set a Focus mode for Fitness:
- Go to Settings → Focus.
- Tap the + icon in the top corner. There are also a few Focus modes made by Apple that you can configure.
- Select Fitness from the pre-made options. Here, you can also set up your custom Focus mode.
- Choose people and apps that will be able to notify you while you’re in the Focus mode.
And that’s it, at least as far as the basic configuration goes. If you want to enable a Focus mode, you can do it from the Control Center. It’s just where Do Not Disturb used to live. Next, you can play around with additional options:
- Focus Status allows apps to display that you have your notifications silenced. Right now, it works only with iMessage, but there’s an API for developers. I’d expect to see it in apps like Telegram in the coming months.
- Home Screen lets you pick specific home screen pages that will show while you’re in the Focus mode. I explain how it works in detail below.
- Lock Screen lets you dim your lock screen (like with the Sleep mode or Wind Down) and show silenced notifications. Otherwise, they will appear once you switch the Focus mode off.
You can also set up a schedule or automation to enable a Focus mode automatically. For the Fitness mode, it can be enabled when you start a workout. All Focus modes can be toggled based on time, location, and the app in use.
How to use custom home screen pages with Focus on iOS 15?
The option to select custom home screen pages is by far my favorite thing about Focus modes. Again, it’s confusing to use but really worth the effort. Here’s how to do it:
- Create a home screen page that you want to use for the Focus mode. Note that from iOS 15, it’s possible to have multiple icons for the same app on multiple pages
- Go to the Jiggle Mode by long-pressing on the home screen and tapping the page indicator at the bottom. Toggle your Focus page off.
- Go to Settings → Focus and pick the Focus mode that you want to use the custom page with.
- Go to Home Screen → Edit Pages and select your desired pages.
- You can repeat the process on your iPad — it will sync with your iPhone.
How I use Focus on iOS 15 to make my devices more useful and minimize distractions
The most important Focus mode for me is Work. It silences all notifications that are not relevant to my job and sets dedicated home screen pages on my iPhone and iPad. Focus modes and their allowed notifications also apply to Macs, where I get most of my work done.
I also use the Fitness mode to set a specific home screen page for my morning routine, which involves working out while listening to music or podcasts. It also tells me how long did I sleep that night.
I’m using the default Driving and Sleep modes too. Both turn on automatically. For example, Driving toggles on if I connect to a car’s Bluetooth or use CarPlay.
What else can you do with Focus modes on iOS 15
This is just a peek at what’s possible with Focus modes. They become really powerful used as automation triggers in Shortcuts. For example, you can change your wallpaper or set a watch face on your Apple Watch when you enable a specific Focus mode. So far, I didn’t go as far as setting that up, but setting up Focus-specific watch faces is on my radar.
What are your use cases for Focus modes? Do you use them with Shortcuts automation? Feel free to share your setups with me on Twitter.
