iOS 12 finally brings improvement to the Do Not Disturb mode feature. While it’s nowhere near as versatile as Android, it’s still way better than it used to be. The feature is no longer binary. You can now enable Do Not Disturb mode for an hour or during a particular meeting.
The iPhone also behaves differently when it’s in Do Not Disturb mode. The Lock screen turns black and hides all notifications. It won’t light up when you get new notifications either.
Read more: iOS 12: All the New and Hidden iOS 12 Features
Do Not Disturb Options in Control Center
How do you get to the new advanced Do Not Disturb options? From the Control Center. After revealing the Control Center, 3D Touch or long press on the Do Not Disturb control (the one that looks like half a moon).
You’ll now see contextual options for enabling Do Not Disturb mode. You can enable it for an hour, until your current calendar event is over, or till you’re in the current geofence area.
I personally love the 1-hour feature. It’s a quick way to shut your phone up, without worrying if you’ll forget to turn it off again.
Related: iOS 12 Hands-on: Enhanced Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb During Bedtime
There’s a new addition in the Do Not Disturb section in Settings. Once you’ve enabled a schedule for Do Not Disturb mode, you’ll find a Bedtime toggle below.
Turn it on and your phone will basically leave you alone for the night. The screen will turn black and you’ll see a dark notification saying that Do Not Disturb mode is now active and that notifications will be silenced and will go directly to Notification Center. You won’t hear any sounds and the screen won’t light up every time you get a notification either.
And here’s a pro tip: Enable location access for the Weather app and when you wake up, you’ll have a brand new widget telling you about the weather for the day. It only shows up if you’re using the Bedtime mode.
Do Not Disturb On Steriods: Downtime Mode
If you’re addicted to social media or you just can’t stop using your phone at night, there’s a nuclear option. There’s a new Downtime mode in Screen Time feature which I suggest you use along with Do Not Disturb mode.
Go to Settings -> Screen Time -> Downtime and create a schedule. Keep it the same as your Do Not Disturb schedule.
Now, as soon as Do Not Disturb mode kicks in, you’ll be locked out from most apps on your iPhone. Everything from Instagram to Facebook will be disabled until you wake up. Yes you can turn off Downtime feature from Settings (if you really want to).
Read more: How to Use Screen Time and App Limits in iOS 12 To Reduce Distractions
Do Not Disturb More
I think this is a great start for a more robust Do Not Disturb feature. One thing I hope to see in iOS 13 is more granular control. The ability to let some notifications in and block others would be great. It could work together with the new Shortcuts app as well.
What do you think of the new Do Not Disturb features in iOS 12? Share with us in the comments below.
