Apple introduced Focus Modes to help users manage notifications, but with iOS 16, they took this functionality a step further with “Focus Filters.” While a standard Focus Mode can silence an app completely, a Focus Filter actually changes how the app behaves internally. For example, your Work Focus can filter your Mail app to only show your work inbox, completely hiding your personal emails until you clock out.
What are Focus Filters?
Focus Filters allow compatible apps to customize their content based on your current state of mind. Instead of blocking the entire Messages app, a Focus Filter can hide conversations with everyone except your immediate colleagues. This granular control allows you to keep essential apps open while stripping away the specific content that distracts you.
How to Set Up a Focus Filter on iPhone
To use a Focus Filter, you must first have an active Focus Mode configured.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap on Focus.
- Select the Focus Mode you want to modify (e.g., “Work” or “Personal”).
- Scroll down to the very bottom of the page until you see the Focus Filters section.
- Tap Add Filter.
Configuring App Filters
When you add a filter, you will see two categories: App Filters and System Filters. App Filters control the content inside specific applications.
- Mail: Select specific email accounts to display. For a Work Focus, you can check only your corporate Exchange account, making your personal Gmail disappear from the unified inbox.
- Messages: Filter the Messages app to only show conversations from people you have explicitly allowed in this Focus Mode’s notification settings.
- Calendar: Hide specific calendars. You can hide your family calendar while at work, or hide your work meeting calendar on the weekend.
- Safari: Bind a specific Safari Tab Group to the Focus Mode. This allows you to have a dedicated set of tabs for research that only appears when you are in your study mode.
Tap on any of these apps, configure the specific parameters, and tap Add.
Configuring System Filters
System Filters change device-wide settings when the Focus Mode activates.
- Dark Mode: Automatically switch the entire operating system to Dark or Light mode.
- Low Power Mode: Automatically toggle Low Power Mode on or off to conserve battery during specific activities.
- Always On Display: If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or newer, you can force the Always On display to turn off when a specific Focus Mode (like “Sleep” or “Cinema”) is active.
Third-Party App Support
Focus Filters are not limited to Apple’s native apps. Many popular third-party applications, such as Fantastical, Slack, and Microsoft Teams, have updated their software to support Focus Filters. If an installed app supports the feature, it will automatically appear in the App Filters list when you are configuring your settings.