Quieting notifications on your iPhone helps you focus, sleep, or enjoy time without constant buzzes and banners. You can silence everything at once with a Focus mode or mute alerts from specific apps and people.
What you'll need
- An iPhone
Step by step
- Open Control CenterSwipe down from the top-right corner on most models, or up from the bottom on older ones, to reach the quick controls.
- Turn on a Focus modeTap Focus, then choose Do Not Disturb to silence calls and notifications. A crescent moon or Focus icon shows it is active.
- Schedule quiet timesOpen Settings, tap Focus, choose Do Not Disturb, and add a schedule so it turns on automatically at bedtime or during work.
- Mute a specific appGo to Settings, Notifications, tap the app, and turn off Allow Notifications or switch off Sounds to stop its alerts.
- Silence a chatty conversationIn Messages, swipe left on a conversation and tap the bell icon to hide alerts, or use Hide Alerts inside the chat details.
Handy tips
- Flip the physical ring/silent switch on the side to mute ringer and alert sounds quickly, though banners may still appear.
- Set up allowed contacts in Do Not Disturb so urgent calls from family still get through.
- Use Scheduled Summary in Notification settings to bundle non-urgent alerts and receive them at set times.
Heads up
- Silencing all notifications can cause you to miss urgent calls or alerts. Add trusted contacts to your allowed list so important people can still reach you.
FAQ
Will Do Not Disturb block emergency calls?
You can allow repeated calls and specific contacts to break through. By default many emergency and repeated calls can still ring, depending on your settings.
How do I silence just one person without blocking them?
Open your chat with them in Messages, tap their name, and turn on Hide Alerts. They can still message you, but you will not get notifications.
Why do notifications still show on my lock screen when muted?
Muting sound does not always hide banners. Adjust the app under Settings, Notifications and turn off Lock Screen display if you want them hidden too.