How to turn off Focus on iPhone

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Level 1

29 points

How to turn off Focus on iPhone

Well, another user had asked here how to get rid of Focus since she never uses it. The reply was to 'simply not set up any Focus profile', so she would never be bothered.

Unfortunately either the person who responded did not know what he was talking about (as in having no clue), or has never seen ios frequently 'reminding' (I call it bothering) the user to try a focus. By the way, the same goes for iCloud setup. If I turn my phone off and back on, I want to use it and not go through stupid notifications and reminders first, concerning features that I impertinently dare not to use.

So, now I am asking the same question again: How do I get that stupid focus thing to shut up and leave me alone with any suggestions or notifications because I do not want to use it? I am not one of these phone junkies who cannot survive the next two minutes without looking at their phone at least once, so if I am driving I am turning my phone off anyway. Only because I have a mobile phone I am not making myself a 24/7 slave of that thing and neither to the people wanting to contact me. No, I am not crazy. Just being enerved by some people thinking they (software designers/engineers) know best what's best for me (the user).

So, once more asked: How do Turn this off once and for all?

iPhone 8

Posted on Mar 14, 2023 8:34 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Lawrence Finch

Community+ 2025

Level 10

228,224 points

Mar 14, 2023 9:22 AM in response to AiKEA

To disable all focus settings except Do Not Disturb:

Tap Settings
Tap Focus
Tap on each Focus category you will never use and then tap to remove it.

Do Not Disturb is “permanent”, as it always has been but you don’t have to use that either. To get it working again, do these steps ONCE:

Tap Settings
Tap Focus
Tap Do Not Disturb
Tap People
Tap Allow Notifications From
If anyone is listed who should not call you when DND is on delete them; if you don’t want any calls from anyone, any time, delete all people
Tap the dropdown next to Allow Calls From and choose Allowed People Only
Optionally, tap on Apps, then Allow Notifications From and don’t add any apps.

All of the above is a one-time setup. After that, turn DND on or off with the Control Center Focus button. You can optionally set one or more schedules by going to:

Settings/Focus/Do Not Disturb/Set a Schedule.

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Answer 2

Mar 17, 2023 5:08 AM in response to AiKEA

it doesn’t happen on my phones. Have you deleted the driving focus?

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Answer 3

AiKEA Author

Level 1

29 points

Mar 16, 2023 1:38 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Dear Lawrence,

I have to admit that I did not see the 'delete' option for the different Focuses (or Foci?). Did that now, but the 'Driving Focus' which is actually asking me to try it when ever I forget to turn the phone off while driving, does not even appear in the list. Anyway, your reply was helpful in some regard, so I have followed your instructions and shall mark your reply as best answer for now. But - do you have an idea how such 'suggestions' can be turned off permanently? I think I know quite well what functions of IOS I would like to use, and which ones I don't need.

Cheers

Andy

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Answer 4

AiKEA Author

Level 1

29 points

Mar 17, 2023 2:07 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Nothing like what you mentioned in your last post. I assume I will just have to live with the stupid thing not realising that I never want to try that driving focus and therefore will remind me all the time...

What should I say? Thanks Apple engineers? For not giving an option to tell it once and for all that I do not wish to use that?

In any case Lawrence, thanks for your help!

Cheers

Andy

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Answer 5

Mar 14, 2023 9:10 AM in response to AiKEA

AiKEA wrote:

Well, another user had asked here how to get rid of Focus

You can't get rid of it even if you do not use it, many do.

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Answer 6

Mar 16, 2023 6:21 AM in response to AiKEA

If you have parental controls or a business email address or a school email account on the phone the IT manager can require the driving focus to always be enabled.

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Answer 7

AiKEA Author

Level 1

29 points

Mar 17, 2023 6:15 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

There is no driving focus in the list that could be deleted. But every now and then I get a notification asking me if I want to try it.

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How to turn off Focus on iPhone

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