Most people only use Focus Modes on their iPhone for one thing: silencing notifications.
But that’s like driving a Ferrari to deliver pizzas — it technically works, but you’re missing the best parts.
Focus Modes are actually a built-in productivity system that let your iPhone adapt to whatever you’re doing. Work, fitness, commuting, relaxing at home… you can create different “personalities” for your phone with the exact apps, widgets and notifications you need in that moment.
Below is the full guide. And if you want to follow along in real time, the YouTube video on this page walks through everything step-by-step.
What Are Focus Modes?
Think of each Focus Mode as a different version of your phone.
Each one can have:
- A unique lock screen
- Specific home screens
- Custom widgets
- Allowed / blocked notifications
- A different Apple Watch face
- Automatic triggers (time, location, app)
It’s like having multiple iPhones in your pocket — but all in one device.
How to Create a New Focus Mode
1. Open Settings → Focus
This is where all your Focus Modes live. You’ll see the built-in ones:
- Work
- Personal
- Sleep
- Do Not Disturb
And any custom ones you’ve made (fitness, golf, commute, etc.).
To make a new one, tap the + button.
2. Choose “Custom” and Name Your Focus
You can start from Apple’s templates, but Custom gives you complete control.
Examples you might create:
- Commute
- Study
- Gym
- Deep Work
- Weekend
Pick an icon and colour to easily recognise the mode.
3. Choose Who Can Contact You
The first real decision:
Who do you want breaking through this Focus Mode?
You can choose to:
- Allow specific people
- Silence specific people
- Allow calls from everyone, favourites, or only your chosen contacts
If you’re using this Focus to reduce noise (e.g., Work, Deep Work), this is a key step.
4. Choose Which Apps Can Notify You
Next, do the same thing for apps.
Two options:
- Allow notifications from selected apps, or
- Silence notifications from selected apps
For example, in a Commute Focus you might:
- Allow Podcasts and Kindle
- Silence Gmail and Asana
This lets you protect your attention while still seeing what you want to see.
5. Adjust Notification Options
A few helpful optional settings:
- Show on Lock Screen?
- Hide notification badges?
- Silence always or only when locked?
- Dim Lock Screen (great for Sleep Mode)
These refine how the Focus Mode behaves.
Customising Your Focus Mode
This is the fun part — giving each Focus Mode its own personality.
6. Create a Custom Lock Screen
When your Focus Mode is active, you can have a totally different lock screen with:
- Custom widgets
- A specific wallpaper
- Different clock styling
Example for Commute:
- AirPods battery
- Weather
- Quick shortcut to Instagram Reels or podcasts
You can link the lock screen directly to the Focus Mode so it switches automatically.
7. Choose Which Home Screens Appear
Each Focus Mode can show:
- Specific home screens
- Hidden home screens
- Completely unique screens that appear only while that Focus is active
For example, a Work Focus might show:
- Calendar
- Asana
- Gmail
- Files
- ChatGPT
No games, no entertainment.
Meanwhile an Entertainment screen might only appear in your Home and Commute Focuses.
You can also create brand new screens with widgets like:
- Podcasts
- Music
- Fitness
- Notes
- Weather
8. Assign an Apple Watch Face
Each Focus Mode can also activate a certain watch face.
Examples:
- Work → Modular face with calendar + email
- Fitness → Activity face with workout shortcuts
- Golf → Bright outdoor face with maps + weather
It keeps your whole ecosystem aligned with your context.
Automating Your Focus Modes
This is where Focus Modes become incredibly powerful.
Scroll to the bottom of any Focus Mode to add:
9. Time-Based Triggers
For example:
- Activate Work at 7am
- Turn on Sleep at 10pm
10. Location-Based Triggers
For example:
- Turn on Fitness when arriving at the gym
- Turn on Golf at the course
- Turn on Work when you get to the office
11. App-Based Triggers
For example:
- Turn on Do Not Disturb when opening your meditation app
- Turn on Reading Focus when opening Kindle
This automation turns Focus Modes into a true background productivity system.
Real Examples From the Video
These examples come directly from the setup shown in the YouTube walkthrough.
Work
- Calendar + Gmail widgets
- Work apps only
- No entertainment
- Triggered by time in the morning
Golf
- Bright outdoor lock screen
- Only golf apps + maps + weather
- Dedicated watch face
Home
- Fitness, entertainment, and “personal life” screens
- No work apps
- Ideal for evenings
Fitness
- Triggers automatically when arriving at the gym
- Shows only Health + Activity widgets
- Clean, distraction-free layout
Best Way to Get Started
If this is your first time setting up Focus Modes, start simple:
Create just one Focus Mode — Work.
Set:
- Allowed contacts
- Allowed apps
- A custom lock screen
- A work home screen
- A time-based trigger
Once you understand how it works, you can build more advanced ones.
Want to See It All Step-by-Step?
This video walks through the full setup — including live examples, lock screen creation, and real home screens.
If you’ve created a Focus Mode after watching, leave a comment on the video. We’d love to see what you set up.