How to use Focus and Do Not Disturb on a Mac

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

A Focus holds back notifications for a while. Do Not Disturb silences nearly everything. Other Focuses, such as Work, let through only the people and apps you choose.

These steps are for recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings. The pictures are our own screenshots from macOS Tahoe 26 on a MacBook Pro.

Step by step

1. Turn on Do Not Disturb

   Click Control Centre in the menu bar, then click anywhere in the Focus section and click Do Not Disturb. Its icon is highlighted while it is on.

   Done

2. Choose how long

   When you turn a Focus on you can pick a duration, such as For 1 hour. During a calendar event you can choose Until the end of this event.

   Done

3. Turn it off

   Open the same list and click the Focus again. Its icon is no longer highlighted.

   Done

4. 

   Open System Settings and click Focus

   This is where you set up each Focus.

   Done

5. 

   Choose who may still reach you

   Click a Focus, for example Do Not Disturb. Under the allowed notifications, choose Allow Some People or Silence Some People and add contacts. Do the same for apps. You can also allow time-sensitive notifications.

   Done

6. Set a schedule

   A Focus can turn on by itself at set times and days, at a place, or when you open a certain app.

   Done

Good to know

To add another Focus, click Add Focus on the Focus page. Apple provides ready-made ones such as Work and Gaming, and you can create up to ten of your own.

With Share across devices switched on, a Focus you turn on at the Mac also turns on at your iPhone and iPad, and the other way round.

A quick way to Do Not Disturb: hold the Option key and click the date and time in the menu bar.

Focus filters can go further and hide, for example, certain mail accounts or calendars while a Focus is on.

In short: Control Centre, Focus, Do Not Disturb. Fine-tune under System Settings, Focus.