Do Not Disturb On - Can't Disable

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Level 1

8 points

Do Not Disturb On - Can't Disable

Every single time I turn on my MBP, Do Not Disturb is enabled. When I open the menus to disable it, nothing works. It remains turned on, no menu option works to disable it.

However, when I open any full-screen app (Zoom, FaceTime, or a game), Do Not Disturb turns off and I'm able to turn it off and on normally.

Can someone help me figure out how to have Do Not Disturb work normally, have it off on start-up?

16" 2019 MPB
Mac OS 11.1
I have no "rules" in place for the Mac, no options in settings to automatically do anything with Do Not Disturb

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 11.1

Posted on Dec 30, 2020 5:40 PM

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Answer 1

Brian_P7

Community Specialist

Jan 1, 2021 12:13 PM in response to emileternet

Hello emileternet,

We understand from your post that you're experiencing unusual behavior with the Do Not Disturb settings on your MacBook Pro running Big Sur. It will be our pleasure to help you disable DND on your Mac.

Since the Big Sur settings are a bit different than earlier versions, we recommend checking:

How your Mac has been configured to Use notifications on your Mac. Scroll down to "Use Do Not Disturb" to view a guide.
Remove any checkmarks or schedule settings you discover.
What occurs when you boot into safe mode, as explained here: How to use safe mode on your Mac.
Safe mode disables non-essential software and performs a scan of your drive while you boot into that mode, so it will take a bit longer than a normal boot.

We trust these tips help you get this sorted out.

All the best!

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Answer 2

Corrie84

Community Specialist

Jan 2, 2021 8:34 AM in response to emileternet

Greetings emileternet,

You've done some excellent troubleshooting on your end. Thanks for sharing what you've done, and what you've experienced.

Thanks to your diligence, we've successfully isolated the issue to settings within your primary user account. We know this since it doesn't occur in safe mode or in another user. Next we recommend the following, testing the result after each step:

Make sure you've updated to the latest macOS version. Follow this link for tips about How to update the software on your Mac.
Use the App Store to update apps on Mac. Software updates often include bug fixes which resolve anomalies such as this issue.
Unplug all accessories from your Mac, including printers, drives, USB hubs, and other nonessential devices. You could have an issue with one or more of those devices or their cables. Then restart the Mac and log into your primary user account.
Boot into macOS Recovery and follow this guide which details How to reinstall macOS

If you continue to experience DND enabled unexpectedly, then we suggest you:

Back up your Mac to preserve your data and files.
Contact Apple Support directly for further assistance.

Kind regards!

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Answer 3

emileternet Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 1, 2021 5:34 PM in response to Brian_P7

Thanks Brian_P7! Unfortunately, the problem was not resolved. All startups of my Mac still have DND on by default, only turning off when a full-screen app turns on. Here is what I did, based on your suggestions.

No checkmarks or schedules setup with DND in System Preferences
Safe Mode did not reproduce the problem, DND worked normally in Safe Mode
Disabled all three "Login Items" and the problem still occurred on new start-ups of the Mac
Created a new user, and the issue did not replicate for the new user, DND worked normally for the new user

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Do Not Disturb On - Can't Disable

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