How to turn on Do Not Disturb on an iPhone

2 min read · 4 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Do Not Disturb silences calls, messages and app notifications without switching the phone off. Alarms still sound.

Menu names are from iOS 26. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.

Step by step

1. Open Control Centre

   Swipe down from the top right corner. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom.

   Done

2. Tap Focus, then Do Not Disturb

   A moon appears in the status bar and on the Lock Screen. Tap the three dots next to it to choose "For 1 hour" or "Until this evening".

   Done

3. Allow important people

   Open Settings, Focus, Do Not Disturb, People. Add the contacts whose calls and messages should still come through.

   Done

4. Set a schedule

   On the same page, tap Add Schedule to turn it on at set times, at a location or when you open a certain app.

   Done

Good to know

Under People, Allow Repeated Calls lets a second call from the same person within three minutes ring through, which is useful for emergencies.

By default a Focus is shared across your Apple devices. Change this under Settings, Focus, Share Across Devices.

People who message you may see that you have notifications silenced. Turn off Focus Status under Settings, Focus if you prefer.

In short: Control Centre, Focus, Do Not Disturb.