With the release of iOS 15, Apple introduced a new feature called Share Focus Status that lets you proactively tell other people you are using a Focus mode.
This function works with apps like iMessage and Messages. It will let them know that you are currently using a Focus mode, and notifications will be muted for that mode.
What is it?
What does share focus status mean on an iphone?
Apple’s new iOS 15 update introduces a new “Focus mode” that helps you minimize distractions on your phone. The feature is similar to Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, but it’s more focused on minimizing notifications and calls. It can also be customized to run at specific times or depending on your location.
Using the new Focus mode, you can silence notifications and keep them from distracting you while you study, drive, or relax. It also hides incoming alerts and prevents them from launching apps you shouldn’t use at that time.
When you turn on Focus, compatible apps like Messages will display a message to anyone who tries to text you that you have notifications muted and will not be able to respond promptly. They can then choose to reach out at a later time or bypass your Focus mode and notify you in case of an urgent matter.
If you don’t want anyone to know about your Focus status, turn off sharing in Settings. You can also disable it on a contact-by-contact basis in the Messages app.
Another important point is that this feature works only if the people attempting to contact you are using an iPhone. That means they need to be running iOS 15 or later and must be linked to your Apple ID.
To turn off Focus status sharing, open the Settings app on your device and toggle the “Share Across Devices” switch to off. This will prevent your Focus status from being shared with other devices that are linked to the same Apple ID.
You’ll then have to enable this option again if you want other people to be able to see your Focus status on their iPhones. It’s important to remember that this will only work if someone is using an iPhone that’s running iOS 15 or later, and their Focus status is enabled on their Messages app.
If you’re still concerned that someone might see your Focus status even if you’ve disabled sharing, you can exclude them by whitelisting their email address in the Allowed People list. You can do this in the Messages app, or by opening their conversations and taping on the name or photo at the top of the screen.
How to turn it on
If you’re an iPhone user, then you’ve probably seen a new feature called Share Focus Status. It’s similar to Do Not Disturb Mode, but is much more flexible and has some great new features.
Besides being a good way to protect your privacy, the feature can also be helpful if you’re in a busy situation and can’t reply to messages immediately. For example, you might be out for a long drive or in a meeting. You can let your contacts know that you’re engaged in something important by sharing your focus status, which tells them that you have notifications silenced and may take a bit longer to respond.
You can share your Focus status with just about anyone using iMessage or a supported chat app, like Facebook Messenger. As long as they have the latest version of iOS and an Apple ID that uses two-factor authentication, they can see your Focus status.
To turn on Share Focus Status, open Settings on your iPhone and toggle the ‘Share Focus Status’ switch to on. Then, select the Focus mode you want to share and make sure ‘Share Across Devices’ is enabled.
Next, you’ll need to choose a contact who you want to share the Focus status with. This will be a friend or family member who you’ve chosen to receive notifications from when you’re in a Focus mode.
Once you’ve shared your Focus status, it will show up in any chats that you’re having with that person. You can also set up a contact with whom you want to bypass your Focus mode if you need to send them a message urgently.
While it’s a nice feature, you might want to disable share focus status for specific contacts or apps. This is because it can be annoying to have someone constantly interrupting your day with notifications if you’re busy.
However, if you do have contacts who you want to be able to bypass your Focus mode, it’s easy to disable this for them in just a few steps. Just open the Messages app and tap on the profile icon for the contact that you want to exclude.
How to turn it off
Focus mode is a great way to reduce distractions on your iPhone by limiting notifications from certain apps and contacts. However, some people don’t want others to know when they have their notifications silenced.
With iOS 16, Apple has made it easier to allow or prevent people from seeing that you’ve silenced notifications. The new Share Focus Status feature lets you control how apps report your status, including which ones show a message when you’re in Focus mode.
When you enable Focus mode, people who use apps like Messages will see that you’ve silenced notifications and have an option to “Notify Anyway” if they believe the message is important enough to reach you.
This can be annoying and distracting, especially if you’re in the middle of a project or if you’re using your phone in the bathroom. But you won’t have to worry about it if you turn this feature off.
You can also disable the feature for a specific contact by going into the Messages app and opening their chat thread. To do this, tap the profile icon for that person and then toggle Share Focus Status to off in the dialogue box shown.
Another way to disable this feature is by turning off Share Across Devices in Settings on your iPhone or iPad, which stops sharing your Focus mode with other devices linked to your Apple ID. This is useful for some people who don’t want their contacts to be able to bypass Focus modes, but who still need to be able to communicate with them in case of an emergency or important situation.
It’s not as good a solution as excluding contacts altogether, though. If you want to hide your Focus status from a few people, you can do so by opening their Messages thread and tapping on the profile icon.
Alternatively, you can exclude a contact by enabling the feature in their Messages settings, and then toggling the switch for the Focus mode you don’t want them to have access to. Then, they won’t be able to bypass your Focus mode in future and will see the Notify Anyway option instead.
How to exclude a contact
If you have iOS 15, Apple has introduced a feature called Focus Mode. This allows you to set a time during which you can not be bothered by notifications and apps. This is a great way to ensure you get work done without distraction. However, it does take some adjusting.
One of the features that Focus Mode offers is the ability to share your Focus status with other people on your device. This is a handy way to let people know that you are unavailable at a certain time.
By default, all iMessage users on your device will see the share focus status setting. This will notify them that your phone will not receive text messages, phone calls, or FaceTime calls during this Focus.
However, there are some people that you don’t want to share your Focus status with. Fortunately, it’s easy to exclude them from this feature on an iphone.
First, you must open Messages and find the contact with whom you want to hide your Focus status. From here, tap their profile to access their settings. Once you’ve opened their settings, go to the Share Focus Status section and toggle it off.
Afterward, they will not see the share focus status alert at the bottom of their conversation with you in Messages. This will prevent them from attempting to bypass your Focus restriction.
You can also choose to share your Focus status with specific contacts by adding them to your “Allowed People” list. This is a good way to keep your most important contacts from being able to use this feature.
This works in the Messages app only. It does not work with third-party apps or with Android devices.
It’s a good idea to exclude certain contacts from sharing your Focus status so they don’t have an easy way to bypass it. For example, if you’re in the middle of an important project and need to focus on it, you should not share your Focus status with your friends.
The process is simple and will ensure that the contact won’t be able to bypass your Focus status for a short period of time. To do this, simply go to a chat with the person you wish to exclude from your Focus status. After a few seconds, they should be unable to see the share focus status alert.