iOS 16 Focus Guide: What's New With Apple's Focus Mode

Focus mode allows you to set up different permissions for apps, contacts, and more depending on what you're doing. There are separate tasks for when you're at work, when you're studying, and more.

This guide covers everything you need to know about using Focuses in Apple's mobile device operating system.

Improved Focus Setup

Setting up a focus is simpler than it was before, with a personalized setup experience for each focus that you create.

There's an explainer that lets you know how all the Focus features work, and a streamlined process for selecting your options since Apple used to drop you into a confusing array of options.

With the Silence Notifications section, you can choose the apps and people that are able to contact you when a Focus is turned on, and Apple has added options to allow or silence notifications from select people. You could only choose allowed and allowed people in the app store.

Silence lists are only available on devices that run the following operating systems. The silence lists can't be accessed by devices running iOS 15.

Apple walks you through choosing who to allow calls from as well, plus you can add filters to block certain email inboxes in Mail, and more, which are outlined in the sections below.

Customize Screens

You can change what the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Apple Watch face look like in your Focus, thanks to the new features in the latest version of the software. You can link any of the Lock Screens to a focus mode by selecting from them. The Lock Screen can be created from the gallery.

You can choose from any of your existing app pages to be your main Home Screen for the Focus mode. If you want to make a Home Screen with specific apps for Focus, you'll need to rearrange your apps.

If you own an Apple Watch, you can choose to use one of the faces on the watch for a specific focus mode.

If you change your mind after setting up a custom Lock Screen, Home Screen, or Apple Watch face, you can use the "-" symbol to clear it.

Each Lock Screen can be associated with a different focus. The Lock Screen can be set to coincide with the Focus to give your phone a different look.

For example, if you have a work focus, you can set up a Lock Screen that is useful for your job, and then at home, you can have a completely different setup.

If you want to associate a Focus with a Lock Screen, open up the Lock Screen interface, scroll to the Lock Screen of your choice, and then tap on "Focus" to choose which Focus mode to associate the Lock Screen with.

An icon at the bottom of the Lock Screen will let you know which Focus it is linked to. It's easy to change focus modes when you switch over to the Lock Screen.

The setup process can be found in the focus section of the settings app. Pick the Focus you want to use for a lock screen, and then choose the "Customize Screens" option.

Lock Screen and Home Page Suggestions

Lock Screens for the Focus option, like a photo Lock Screen when you're home, and a more data-central set of options for when you're at work, can be suggested by Apple's mobile operating system. Apple offers suggestions for Home Screen pages that have the apps that are most relevant to the focus you're looking for.

Focus Filters

There is a new feature in iOS 16 called focus filters. If you have more than one, you can choose to display a specific Mail account or calendar if you have more than one app. The app with the filter will only show what you've selected and not anything else.

You can use focus filters to sort out what you want.

• Calendar - If you have different calendars set up for work and family, you can associate just one calendar with a Focus so you see only relevant events when that Focus is activated.
• Mail - You can choose any of your Mail accounts to associate with a Focus, and with this activated, when you're in that Focus, the Mail app will only show the accounts you've selected. It's useful if you want to filter out personal emails while working, and vice versa.
• Messages - The Messages app can be set to hide all messages except for the messages from the People list that you created for the particular Focus mode. So if you have a "Personal" Focus that filters out all contacts from work, you won't see their messages in the Messages app with the Personal Focus turned on.
• Safari - Safari can be set to only show a specific Tab Group when a Focus is turned on. You'll need to set up the Tab Group ahead of time in the Safari app.
• Dark Mode - You can choose Dark mode or Light mode for a Focus.
• Low Power Mode - You can opt to have Low Power mode activated or deactivated with a Focus.

Focus Filter API

Third-party apps can allow the same filters within a Focus as Apple's own app, thanks to the Focus FilterAPI. If you use a third-party email app, you will be able to select a mailbox to show in that app if the developer adds the Focus Filters.

Focus Status

It's easier for Apple to make sure that apps don't let people know that you have a focus activated. The "Focus Status" section allows you to choose which Focus modes you want to share with your friends and family.

People won't be aware that your notifications are off if you block Focus mode from sharing that information. It is easier to get to and manage in the newer version of the software.

Silence and Allow Lists

One of the most notable quality of life improvements is the Silence and Allow lists in the Focus app. You can also choose people or apps that aren't allowed to notify you with a specific focus.

You could only allow contacts and apps to be used if you wanted to block someone. You would have to allow every other app to be used if you wanted to block out the Messages app in iOS 15. That's not the case in Apple's mobile operating system, as you can choose to silence an app.

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