Focus, introduced in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, is a way to specify which people and/or applications may notify you during various activities. This is more powerful than Do Not Disturb, which by default permits no notifications.

Create a Focus

You can create a Focus from scratch or choose from one of Apple’s templates designed for various activities. I’m starting with a Focus connected to fitness.

This is preconfigured to help me allow notifications from important people and apps during my cycling workouts and can be triggered automatically when I start a workout.

Customize Settings

Apple’s design process has resulted in some decisions about how configurable Focus is. For example, most Focuses allow permitting notifications from both People and Apps, but Driving only allows People. However, Driving is the only Focus capable of auto-replying to text messages.

Additionally, Driving can be enabled automatically when an iPhone is connected to CarPlay or a car’s Bluetooth system, or automatically when the device senses one moving at speeds associated with driving, but it does not support other automations.

Meanwhile, only Fitness supports automatic activation when starting a workout. Given the above limitations, I’m going to stick with it for now.

Key Awareness

There is one important detail to remember when customizing a Focus. You might assume that you must enable all apps through which you want specific people to communicate with you. This is not the case. Instead, just adding a person will permit them to notify you through any app.

I would say the primary value of enabling notifications from particular apps is to allow communication that is informational, not originating from a person. For example, if a mapping app is providing me turn-by-turn directions during a ride, I want its messages to get through my filter.

Give Focus a try and see if it helps you avoid unnecessary distractions. Report back or ask for help. Send feedback to Apple if you discover a limitation and propose a way to improve it.