Share Focus Status is an iPhone setting that tells people you have notifications silenced when a Focus mode, such as Do Not Disturb, Sleep or Work, is turned on. It does not explain why or which Focus you are using. It simply adds a small note in conversations so people know you may not answer right away.
What other people see
When someone opens a conversation with you in Messages while your Focus is on, they see a line under the conversation: “[Your name] has notifications silenced.” If they consider the message urgent, they can tap Notify Anyway, which delivers that message with a notification despite your Focus.
Other messaging apps can also display your Focus status if you give them permission. Apps ask for this permission the first time they want it.
What other people do not see
- which Focus you are in (Sleep, Work, Driving and so on)
- your schedule or the reason
- your location
How to turn it on or off
- Open Settings > Focus.
- Tap Focus Status.
- Turn Share Focus Status on or off for everyone, then choose, under Share From, which Focus modes are allowed to share.
You can, for example, share your status during Sleep and Driving, where a quick “I’ll answer later” makes sense, but keep it private during a Personal Focus.
Why you might want it
It lowers the pressure to reply immediately, because friends know the silence is deliberate. Family members can still reach you in a real emergency through Notify Anyway. If you work from your phone, sharing during a Work Focus shows colleagues that you are concentrating, not ignoring them.
Why you might turn it off
Some people prefer that nobody knows when they mute their phone, or they find that friends tap Notify Anyway for trivial messages. If that happens, turn sharing off for that Focus, or allow specific contacts to break through the Focus instead, in Settings > Focus > [Focus name] > People.
Related settings
- Focus filters can hide certain mail accounts or calendars during a Focus.
- Share Across Devices applies a Focus to your iPad, Mac and Apple Watch at the same time.
- Time Sensitive notifications from apps like delivery or banking can still reach you if you allow them.
Focus modes are also handy before you film your screen, since they stop banners from appearing in the video; see how to screen record on iPhone. And if what you want to hide is where you are, not whether you are available, use location settings instead, as explained in how to stop sharing your location.
