Where to find Do Not Disturb on your iPhone

Do Not Disturb is in Settings, under Sounds & Haptics (on older iPhones) or Sounds (on newer models). Open Settings, scroll down, tap the Sounds option, and you will see Do Not Disturb listed near the top. You can also reach it faster by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen to open Control Center, then tapping the crescent moon icon.

The Control Center route is what most people use day to day because it takes one tap instead of navigating through menus. If you use Do Not Disturb often — during work, sleep, or meetings — the Control Center method saves time.

Key Takeaways

  • Do Not Disturb silences calls, texts, and notifications; you can reach it through Settings or Control Center.
  • You can set it to turn on for a specific time period, until you leave a location, or until you manually turn it off.
  • Starred contacts and repeated calls will still get through even when Do Not Disturb is on, unless you change those rules.
  • Focus modes (on iPhone 12 and newer) let you create custom Do Not Disturb profiles for work, sleep, or driving.

Turning Do Not Disturb on and off in Control Center

Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen (or up from the bottom on older iPhones) to open Control Center. Find the crescent moon icon — that is Do Not Disturb. Tap it once to turn it on when ready. The icon will highlight, and you will see a confirmation that Do Not Disturb is active.

To turn it off, open Control Center again and tap the crescent moon icon a second time. The icon will no longer be highlighted. This method turns Do Not Disturb on until you manually turn it off, or until the time you set in Settings expires.

Setting a time limit for Do Not Disturb

If you want Do Not Disturb to turn off automatically after a set period, use the Settings menu instead of Control Center. Open Settings, go to Sounds & Haptics (or Sounds), tap Do Not Disturb, and toggle it on. Below that, you will see "Scheduled" — turn that on and set a start and end time.

For example, you can set Do Not Disturb to run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. every night. Once you set the schedule, Do Not Disturb will turn on and off at those times automatically, even if you do not touch your phone. You can still override the schedule by turning Do Not Disturb on or off manually in Control Center at any time.

Allowing calls and messages from specific people

By default, Do Not Disturb silences everything. But you can let calls and messages through from people you mark as favorites. In Settings, under Do Not Disturb, look for "Allow Calls From" and "Allow Messages From." Tap either one and choose "Favorites," "Recents," "Contacts," or "None."

If you choose "Favorites," only people in your Favorites list will reach you. If you choose "Recents," only people you have called or messaged recently will get through. You can also allow repeated calls — if someone calls twice within three minutes, the second call will ring through even if they are not in your allowed list. This is useful for emergencies.

Using Focus modes for custom Do Not Disturb profiles

On iPhone 12 and newer, Focus modes replace the older Do Not Disturb system. Instead of one blanket silence setting, you can create separate profiles for Work, Sleep, Driving, or custom situations. Open Settings, tap Focus, and tap the plus icon to create a new one or edit an existing one.

For each Focus, you choose which contacts and apps can notify you. You can also set it to automatically turn on at a certain time, when you arrive at a location, or when you open a specific app. For example, your Work Focus could silence everything except calls from your boss and messages from your team app, and turn on automatically when you open your work email.

If your iPhone is older than 12, you will not see Focus modes — use the standard Do Not Disturb settings described above instead.

What Do Not Disturb actually silences

Do Not Disturb mutes incoming calls, text messages, and notifications from apps. Your phone will not ring or vibrate, and notifications will not appear on your lock screen. However, notifications still arrive in the background — you will see them when you unlock your phone or open the app later.

Do Not Disturb does not silence alarms, timers, or reminders you have set. It also does not stop calls or messages from people on your Favorites list or from repeated callers, unless you turn those exceptions off. If you are using Focus modes, the rules depend on which Focus is active.

Turning off Do Not Disturb when you leave a location

In Settings under Do Not Disturb (or in a Focus mode), you can set Do Not Disturb to turn off automatically when you leave a specific place. Tap "Turn Off Automatically," then "When I Leave This Location." Your phone will use location services to detect when you have left that area and will turn Do Not Disturb off on its own.

This is useful if you set Do Not Disturb during a meeting at a specific building or during your commute. Once you leave, your phone returns to normal notification mode without you having to remember to turn it off manually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people know I have Do Not Disturb on?

No. When someone calls or texts you while Do Not Disturb is on, they will not receive a message saying you have it enabled. The call or message straightforward will not ring through (unless they are on your allowed list). They may wonder why you did not answer, but they have no way to know the reason from your phone.

Can I use Do Not Disturb while driving?

Yes. On newer iPhones, there is a Driving Focus mode that turns on automatically when your phone detects you are driving. It silences notifications and can send an automatic reply to people who text you. You can also turn on standard Do Not Disturb manually while driving, though the Driving Focus is designed specifically for that situation.

What happens to notifications when Do Not Disturb is on?

Notifications still arrive, but they do not appear on your lock screen or trigger a sound or vibration. When you unlock your phone, you will see them in Notification Center. Apps will still show badge numbers (the red circles with numbers on app icons) so you know something came in.

Can I set different Do Not Disturb rules for different times of day?

Yes, using the Scheduled feature in Settings or by creating multiple Focus modes. You can have one schedule for sleep hours and another for work hours, each with different rules about who can reach you. Focus modes give you more control because each one can have its own allowed contacts and apps.

Does Do Not Disturb stop notifications from apps like email or social media?

Yes. Do Not Disturb silences all app notifications unless you have specifically allowed that app in your Focus settings. If you need work email to come through during Do Not Disturb, you would add the email app to your allowed apps in the Focus or Do Not Disturb settings.