How to Use Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode on iPhone in iOS 18

With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple brings a new Reduce Interruptions Focus mode that prioritize notifications to minimize distractions while making sure that you don’t miss out on anything important. It’s one of the Apple Intelligence features that allows you to stay on top of your important notifications while blocking all unwanted distractions. Read on to learn what is Reduce Interruptions Focus mode, how it works, and how to use it on your iPhone or iPad.

What Is Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode in iOS 18

Reduce Interruptions is a new Focus Mode in iOS 18 that uses Apple Intelligence to surface only the important notifications while filtering out everything else. With this feature turned on, you’ll only see notifications that might need immediate attention, like notifications about your dental visit appointment or an early pickup from playschool.

With the Reduced Interruptions Focus Mode, you get more control over the notifications flowing to your devices and have the freedom to decide who can interrupt you and when. It’s worth knowing that this feature is only available on devices compatible with Apple Intelligence. So, you can only use it on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 models, Apple Silicon iPads, and M-series Macs.

How to Use Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode

You can set up and use Reduce Interruptions like any other Focus mode on your iPhone. Just like the existing Focus modes, the new addition also gives you control over what apps can interrupt you, what people can reach you, what wallpaper you use, and what lock screen & home screen you want on your device.

While Apple Intelligence does the prioritization, the Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode also allows you to make exceptions. So you can create a list of people and apps you wish to receive notifications from. Here’s how to use and set up Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode on iPhone or iPad:

• Open the Settings app and navigate to the Focus section.
• Tap on the “+” icon from the top right corner.

• Choose Reduce Interruptions and tap on Customize Focus.

• You’ll see the “Intelligent Breakthrough & Silencing toggle is turned on by default.
• If you wish to customize an existing focus, tap on it, and turn on the Intelligent Breakthrough & Silencing option.
• To allow/block notifications from certain people, tap on People.

• Then, select either Silence Notifications From or Allow Notifications From, and tap on Add People
• We recommend choosing “Allow Notifications From” rather than Silence. This way, you have to choose a few names you’re happy to receive notifications from.

• Once you’ve done this, go back, tap on Apps, and repeat the same. If you don’t want to miss time-sensitive notifications from any app, turn on the Time Sensitive Notifications toggle.

Going forward, Apple Intelligence will work behind the scenes and you’ll only receive important notifications. For instance, if you get an email saying your dental appointment is confirmed for 4 PM today, it will be moved to priority notifications because it has today’s date and needs your attention. Also, you can also choose not to see any notifications from one contact or ten apps on your device.

Furthermore, just like other Focus modes, you can schedule Reduce Interruptions to run automatically or turn it on/off from the Control Center. That’s not all. You can Focus Filters to fine-tune how your apps and device should behave when a specific focus is on.

That’s all about Reduce Interruptions in iOS 18. Unarguably, it’s a useful feature that helps you focus and reduces unnecessary interruptions without missing out on any important notifications.

Have you Reduced Interruptions on your iPhone or iPad? What do you think about this feature? Don’t forget to drop your views in the comments below.