Apple Improves Focus Modes With Filters, Linked Lock Screens, and Set Up Enhancements

Apple unveiled a host of improvements to Focus modes at WWDC this week, including set up suggestions, linked custom Lock Screens and watch faces, Focus filters, and more.

ios 16 focus lock screen
Focus modes were introduced with iOS 15 last year and have been expanded and refined in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS Ventura. Accompanying the redesigned customizable Lock Screen in iOS 16, each Focus mode now has a linked Lock Screen. In addition to all of the pre-existing ways to activate a Focus mode, such as in Control Center or via automations, iPhone users can swipe between Lock Screens to enable a corresponding Focus. Users can also directly tie an Apple Watch face to a specific Focus.

One of the biggest additions to Focuses in iOS 16 is Focus filters. Focus filters allow users to set boundaries within apps like Calendar, Mail, Messages, and Safari to only display relevant content, such as a particular Tab Group in Safari, set of calendars in the Calendar app, or email accounts in Mail. With a new Focus filter API, developers can build this functionality into their apps and change content based on a user's current Focus.

ios 16 focus filters
The process of setting up Focus modes has also been improved with a personalized setup experience for each option. Now, iOS suggests a relevant set of Home Screens and Lock Screens for each Focus mode with relevant apps, wallpapers, and widgets. There are also more configurable options inside Focus modes, with a new ability to silence notifications from apps and people, effectively adding the ability to exclude notifications rather than only include as is the case in iOS 15.

iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS Ventura are currently undergoing beta testing to give Apple time to perfect the updates and address any bugs, as well as allow developers to prepare their apps. Beta versions of the updates are currently available to developers with compatible devices now and a public beta will become available in July.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

Saturnine Avatar
40 months ago
Apple listened to feedback. There now seems to be an option to 'silence notifications from...' in addition to 'allow notifications from...'

This is much more convenient. Now I can create a 'Personal' focus mode which allows notifications from all apps except Teams, Outlook and others which I only use for work.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
40 months ago
What I would really like is a "blacklist" so that I can easily mute all my work apps after hours and on weekends. Slack lets you do it natively, but Gmail doesn't. Would just be cleaner to set it at the OS level.

[edit: I now see from @Saturnine's comment above that they're doing this now. Great addition!]
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
40 months ago
Can you finally share your actual Focus status? I guess not, that would make too much sense.

There is a difference between „Sleeping“ and thus, not responding at all and „Working“ which may simple cause a delay in replies
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
x-evil-x Avatar
40 months ago
Is there a focus mode like the old do not disturb?
I want to just have the notification be silent and not light up the phone but still be on the Lock Screen when I tap it.
it’s one feature they got rid of when they released focus mode i think last year.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abazigal Avatar
40 months ago
If you need to use this convoluted filter functionality on a phone, you're either doing life wrong or are the most (self) important person on Earth.
I use it on my iPad to turn off notifications and present a custom homescreen when I am using it to teach in class. This way, my screen isn’t interrupted my incoming email / telegram notifications, students aren’t distracted by my media consumption page, and I have the apps I typically use in class at my fingertips.

So far haven’t found a way to make it work on my iPhone though, but I am thinking along the like of custom homescreens for differing use cases.

Still tinkering. [emoji846]
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MLVC Avatar
40 months ago
Does anybody have that wallpaper of Apple Park? I know it's a photo but maybe it's out there somewhere ?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)