How to Auto-Silence Calls and Alerts During Apple Watch Workouts - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Auto-Silence Calls and Alerts During Apple Watch Workouts

by

If you set up a Focus for Fitness on your iPhone, you can automatically silence calls and alerts on your Apple Watch when you begin a workout. This article explains how it's done.

fitness focus
Often when you're working out, the last thing you want to receive is a phone call, message, or other alert that pulls you out of your flow. Fortunately, Apple includes a Fitness Focus that you can easily set up so that nothing distracts you from achieving your immediate fitness goals during a workout.

Follow the steps to set up your Fitness Focus.

  1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌, then tap Focus.
  2. Tap the + button in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select Fitness, then tap Customize Focus.
    focus

  4. If desired, use the People and Apps options to allow notifications from select people and/or apps when the Focus is active.
  5. You can optionally also choose an iPhone Lock Screen and Apple Watch face to help limit distractions.
    focus

That's all there is to it. Note that Workout under "Set a Schedule" is already set for you, making your Fitness Focus ready to kick into action the next time you start a workout.

You can also double-check on your Apple Watch that the Fitness Focus will turn on automatically the next time you start a workout.

  1. On Apple Watch, open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Focus.
  3. Tap Fitness.
  4. Make sure the switch is on for "Turn on automatically when starting a workout."

settings

Popular Stories

notification summaries

Apple Patenting Way to Improve Notification Summaries and 'Reduce Interruptions' Focus

Wednesday August 12, 2026 9:29 am PDT by
A newly published Apple patent application describes a system for deciding, in real time, whether to interrupt what someone is doing on a device or leave them alone. The application was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on February 5, 2026 and published on August 6, 2026, as spotted by patent tracking site Patentlyze. The patent describes how a device can observe what...
Apple Skipping iPhone 18 This Year

Apple Skipping iPhone 18 Launch This Year

Wednesday August 12, 2026 6:59 am PDT by
Apple supplier Pegatron today indirectly confirmed that the standard iPhone 18 model will not be released until next year, according to a new report. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Pegatron held an earnings call for the second quarter of 2026 today. On the call, Taiwan's Economic Daily News said Pegatron indicated that one of its customers will be changing its...
iPhone 18 Pro Rumored Colors

What's Coming in September: New iPhones, Apple Watches and More

Thursday August 13, 2026 4:20 pm PDT by
Apple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV. iPhone 18 Pro The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting ...