How to Disable Do Not Disturb on the iPhone

Do Not Disturb is a function on most smartphones that allows you to silence all notifications, including calls, texts, and alerts from third-party apps. Users can enable Do Not Disturb for a few minutes or several days.

This article will teach you how to turn off Do Not Disturb on your iPhone. We’ll also teach you some tips and tricks to tailor the Do Not Disturb function to meet your needs.

How to Turn Off Do Not Disturb on an iPhone

Do Not Disturb is pretty useful when you need some downtime. But, it can also cause many problems if you’re expecting an important call or text. Fortunately, it’s easy to disable the Do Not Disturb feature. However, the instructions do vary depending on what version of iOS you’re using. We’ll cover the most common methods in the sections below.

How to Disable Do Not Disturb – Older Versions of iOS

The fastest way to disable Do Not Disturb is to access the control center and tap the Half Moon icon. If your iPhone has a home button, swipe up from the bottom. If your iPhone doesn’t have a home button, swipe down from the upper left part of the screen. Here, you will see the Do Not Disturb icon.

If you’re using an older version of iOS, follow these steps to disable Do Not Disturb:

1. Open the Settings on your iPhone and tap on Do Not Disturb.
   
   
   
2. Toggle the Do Not Disturb switch off.
   
   

Now, Do Not Disturb is disabled. You will receive calls, texts, and other notifications. Of course, if you enjoy Do Not Disturb but need to tweak it a bit, there’s a section for you below.

How to Disable Do Not Disturb – Newer Versions of iOS

If you’ve upgraded your OS recently, you’ll see that the Do Not Disturb feature isn’t as easy to find or manage as it once was.

If you prefer to use the Control Panel to quickly access Do Not Disturb, Do this:

1. Swipe down from the right side of your screen and tap Focus.
   
   
   
2. Tap Do Not Disturb.
   
   

You can also disable Do Not Disturb in the Settings by following these steps:

All you need to do is follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings on your iPhone and tap on Focus.
   
   
   
2. Tap on Do Not Disturb.
   
   
   
3. Locate the Do Not Disturb toggle switch and move it to the off position.
   
   

While the Do Not Disturb feature is a little more difficult to find, the new layout makes it easy to customize the feature.

How to Customize Do Not Disturb

If you want to use the Do Not Disturb function, but you’re worried you may miss some important communication, don’t worry because you can customize the feature to meet your needs. Of course, just like disabling the feature, the steps vary depending on your iOS version.

Customize Do Not Disturb – Older Versions of iOS

Apple’s developers give us quite a bit of control over the notifications we allow. You can set Do Not Disturb to turn on during certain times automatically, allow specific contacts to call or text, and make app exceptions. Here’s what to do:

1. Open the Settings on your iPhone and tap on Do Not Disturb.
   
   
2. Toggle the Do Not Disturb switch, so it turns green. Toggle the Scheduled option to set a timer for the Do Not Disturb feature.
   
   
   
3. You can choose to allow notifications while your phone is unlocked by tapping the While iPhone is locked option.
   
   
   
4. You can add Contacts to your Favorites and allow calls and texts from those phone numbers anytime. Simply tap the Allow Calls From option and make the selection that best meets your needs.
   
   
   
5. Lastly, toggle the switch next to Repeated Calls if you’re worried about missing an emergency call.
   
   

Now, you can leave your iPhone in Do Not Disturb if you’d like but still receive notifications.

Customize Do Not Disturb – Newer Versions of iOS

Apple took the Do Not Disturb feature a little further with newer versions. Here’s how to customize Do Not Disturb on iOS 15.

1. Open the Settings on your iPhone and tap Focus.
   
   
   
2. Tap on Do Not Disturb.
   
   
   
3. Select any of the options on this page to set a timer, add exceptions for contacts or apps, and
   
   

Newer versions of iOS allow you to add app exceptions so you can put your phone in Do Not Disturb but still receive important notifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to more questions you may have about disabling Do Not Disturb on an iPhone.

What is the Bedtime option?

With the Bedtime option on, your Lock screen gets dimmed, calls are silenced, and notifications appear in the Notification Center only. When the scheduled time ends, all the settings automatically return to normal.

Pro Tip: You can enable Do Not Disturb from the Clock app. Launch the app, select Bedtime, and follow the set-up wizard. This action enables and disables Do Not Disturb according to your alarm/sleep settings.

What does the driving option do?

Aside from scheduling, you can also choose different Silence and Driving mode settings. For example, if you set the Silence mode to Always, the incoming calls get silenced when the phone is locked and unlocked. You can allow calls from your list of Favorites or if someone repeatedly calls you within 3 minutes.

Do Not Disturb can automatically be triggered once you connect to a car Bluetooth, and there’s also a manual option. Plus, you can set up a custom automatic text message to reply to your contacts while this mode is on.

Airplane Mode

Airplane mode is the way to go if you want to go off the grid completely. It temporarily disables the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular network. Like with the Do Not Disturb mode, you can easily enable/disable it via the Control Center.

Just tap the airplane icon to enable or disable it. When enabled, the icon turns orange, and it instantly switches off your cellular network and Bluetooth. You can do the same from the Settings or your iWatch. However, there are no automatic settings for this mode.

Get Back on the Grid

You are always just a tap away from disabling the Do Not Disturb mode on your iPhone. But why not utilize all the automatic options that are at your disposal? This can help you keep to a regular sleep schedule. Don’t forget to keep Do Not Disturb on while driving, making your time on the road safer.