Do Not Disturb on Mac - How to Use

Mac has tremendously improved its do not disturb features with the introduction of Focus in the previous years, which allows you to focus on the important things and automates several tasks depending on the location, time, and other things.

You can turn On or Off Do Not Disturb on Mac with only a few simple steps. Simply open Control Center from the taskbar above. Now, click on Focus. Here you can choose between options such as For 1 Hour, Until Tomorrow Morning, or simply open the Preferences for other settings. The same can be done to turn off the Do Not Disturb function.

This article details how to turn on/off Do Not Disturb on Mac and what other functions it follows. Keep reading to find out more.

Table of Contents

How to Turn on Do Not Disturb Mode on Mac?

If you are looking to turn on Do Not Disturb on Mac, you can follow the steps below.

Sign in to your Mac and click on the control center icon from the Menu bar.
Click on Focus and select Do-Not-Disturb from the list.

Subsequently, you can also do this via System Preferences. Open System Preferences from the Menu bar or the shortcut present on the dock.

Head to the Notifications & Focus tab and click on the Focus tab.
Toggle on the Do-Not-Disturb option.

You will see a crescent moon icon on your Menu bar, which means that Focus mode has been turned on.
You won’t receive any more notifications or sounds from the applications till you turn off do not disturb.
You can also add several automation like location-based, time-based, and application-based. Time-based automation will allow you to mute the notifications entirely for a particular time duration.

Furthermore, you can still fine-tune the settings to filter notifications from specific people or applications. Click on the “+” icon below the Allowed notifications from section and choose the people and applications from which you would still like to receive notifications even when Mac is on do not disturb.

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How to Turn Off Do Not Disturb on Mac

Moving on, disabling the Do Not Disturb feature is straightforward and can be done in several ways. Refer to the steps given below to see how it is done.

Power on your Mac and sign in to it.
Head over to the Menu bar and click on the Control Center icon.
Click on Focus to turn off do not disturb.

Alternatively, you can turn the do not disturb on and off by holding down the Option key and clicking on the date and time on the Menu bar.

How Does Do Not Disturb on Mac Function?

With the introduction of Focus, the do not disturb features are handled a little differently on Mac. Focus can be considered an intelligent extension of the Do-Not-Disturb feature, which allows you to set up and manage notifications depending on the time, location and application.

You can automate your notifications and choose when they are silenced and allowed depending on the abovementioned factors. Furthermore, read the instructions provided below to learn more about the process.

Sign in to your Mac and open System Preferences from the dock.
Alternatively, you can also click on the Apple logo on the Menu bar and select System Preferences from the list.
Head to the Notifications & Focus tab and click on the Focus tab within the new window.
Click the “+” icon under the Turn on automatic section.

Select from time, location, or app-based automation, depending on what you want to set up.
If you chose time-based automation, select the days and the timings you want this automation to remain active and click on Add when you’re done.
If you choose location-based automation, select the area or locality you want this particular automation to act.
If you chose app-based automation, select the app of your choice and click on Add when you’re done.

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Why Does Do Not Disturb Keep Turning On?

If you’ve set a focus previously, according to a certain time, then there’s a high chance that it does not disturb is turning on. It can be pretty irritating if you are not receiving any notification when you want to because of this, and you keep wondering why.

Sometimes, do not can turn on after a restart or at midnight by itself. Furthermore, refer to the steps given below to see how to remedy this issue.

Power on your Mac and sign in to it.
Head over to the System Preferences from the Menu bar, or use the dock shortcut to do the same.
Click on the Notifications & Focus tab.
Click on focus.
If there are any pre-made focus settings in the left-hand menu, select them and make sure they are disabled.
Now, check for any schedules to be switched on in the Turn on automatic section.
Deselect and remove all automation and exit System Preferences. This should hopefully fix the issue.

Conclusion

That’s it for this article, folks; you now know how to enable and disable do not disturb along with all of the Focus features on mac.

We recommend setting up app-based, time-based, or location-based automation so that do not disturb turns on and off automatically without you having to do it physically. Furthermore, as mentioned in this guide, the best way to easily handle the switch is from the control center on the taskbar.

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Robert

Robert is a tech expert (with more than 10 years of experience in using mac os and iPhone) who loves to help others learn about the Mac operating system and iPhone. He provides helpful tutorials on how to use Mac OS, tips and tricks for getting the most out of your Mac operating system, iPhone tips and tricks, and more. He’s always up for a challenge and enjoys learning new things about his favorite OS. When he’s not helping people get the most out of their technology, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two cats. Check out more.