How to Set Up and Use Focus Modes on a Mac

You want fewer interruptions on your Mac — a mode that silences notifications except for the people and apps you actually need.

Why: A Focus pauses notifications you don’t want and lets through the ones you do. You can build a custom Focus (like Study or Work), choose who and what can break through, and have it switch on automatically at set times.

Step 1: Create a Focus

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings, then click Focus in the sidebar (scroll down if needed).
2. Click Add Focus. Pick a ready-made one (such as Work or Gaming) or click Custom.
3. For a custom Focus, type a name, choose a color and icon, then click OK.

You can create up to ten Focuses.

Step 2: Choose who and what gets through

Open the Focus you just made and set its exceptions.

1. Click Allowed People, then choose Allow Some People (only these get through) or Silence Some People (everyone except these). Use the + button to add contacts, and set Allow calls from for phone calls.
2. Click Allowed Apps, then choose Allow Some Apps or Silence Some Apps, and add the apps with the + button.
3. Turn on Time Sensitive Notifications if you want urgent alerts (like a reminder that’s due) to come through anyway.

Step 3: Schedule it to turn on automatically

So you don’t have to remember to enable it:

1. In the Focus, find Set a Schedule and click Add Schedule.
2. Choose a trigger:
   • Time — specific hours and days (for example, 9 to 5, weekdays).
   • Location — turns on when you arrive at or leave a place.
   • App — turns on when you open a chosen app.

You can also add a Focus filter (click Add Filter) to change how Calendar, Mail, Messages, or Safari behave while the Focus is on.

Step 4: Turn the Focus on and off

1. Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar, then click anywhere in the Focus section.
2. Click your Focus to turn it on (its icon highlights). Click it again to turn it off.
3. To run it for a set time, choose an option like For 1 hour when you turn it on.

FAQ

Is Do Not Disturb a Focus? Yes. Do Not Disturb is the built-in Focus that silences everything. The custom Focuses you create work the same way but let you choose exceptions.

Will my Focus sync to my iPhone and iPad? If Focus sharing is on across your Apple devices, turning a Focus on or off on your Mac applies to your other devices automatically.

How many Focuses can I have? Up to ten, including the built-in ones.

Sources: Apple Support — Set up a Focus on Mac · Apple Support — Turn a Focus on or off on Mac