In iOS 12, Do Not Disturb mode conveniently allows you to silence all calls, alerts, and notifications on iPhone or iPad for a given period and reduce the potential for unnecessary distractions.

Aside from new time-limited options in iOS 12's Control Center, Do Not Disturb can be turned on and scheduled ahead of time by going to Settings -> Do Not Disturb. Among these settings, there's also an Allow Calls From option for which you can choose Everyone, No One, or Favorites.

do not disturb allow calls from favorites
Given these last three choices, it would seem fair to assume that the only way to let specific contacts get through to you when Do Not Disturb is on, is to add them to your Favorites list. However, there's another way to let a contact bypass Do Not Disturb mode, and it has nothing to do with enabling the Repeated Calls option.

In fact, the little-known feature described below is arguably more powerful, since it lets you receive only text messages from that contact, or only phone calls from them (or both, if you wish) for just as long as the feature is enabled. Keep reading to learn how it's done.

  1. Launch the Contacts app on your iPhone.
    how to enable contacts bypass do not disturb

  2. Tap a contact in the list.
  3. Tap Edit.
    how to enable contacts bypass do not disturb 2

  4. If you want to let calls come through from this contact when Do Not Disturb mode is active, tap Ringtone and then on the next screen toggle the Emergency Bypass switch to the green ON position.

  5. Tap Done to return to the Contact card.
  6. Similarly, if you want to let text messages come through from the contact, tap Text Tone and then enable Emergency Bypass on the next screen.
  7. Tap Done to return to the Contact card.

  8. Tap Done to finish.

As some readers have noted, enabling Emergency Bypass also allows the contact's call ringtone or message alert to sound even when your iPhone or iPad is muted, so it's best to use the feature selectively, i.e. when you're expecting to hear from that contact.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Top Rated Comments

eternlgladiator Avatar
82 months ago
That is a little known feature and is really handy.

For me the problem I’ve encountered isn’t allowing notifications to get through but absolutely preventing them. I wish there was an ‘absolutely do not disturb’ option. The problem I’ve had is with alarms. Once I had a bedtime alarm set. I woke up well before the alarm and went to an earlier church service. I set my phone to vibrate with DND. Yet, during the worst possible time when it was especially quiet I suddenly hear my gentle bed time alarm song. I was mortified. After this I turn my phone off when I really don’t want to be disturbed.
Why would you want DND to stop alarms? That sounds like a recipe for disaster...

On a side note, I've been wondering how to do this for years. Now I can finally allow texts from my wife to come through while keeping my phone on DND when she's working late.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djs71a Avatar
82 months ago
One caveat to this, if you have your phone's side switch set to silent / vibrate, the sound of the call or text still comes through.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr$tone Avatar
82 months ago
One caveat to this, if you have your phone's side switch set to silent / vibrate, the sound of the call or text still comes through.
Yes, and that’s a VERY important caveat.

I learned this the hard way while being in a meeting where my phone was supposed to be completely silent (yes, there are such occasions) and all of the sudden the phone started playing the ringtone. It took a while for me to figure out why the mute switch didn’t do its job.

So, even though this is a great lesser known feature, you should be carefull playing with it!

To sum up, this feature doesn’t only affect the DND setting but also the mute switch—be careful since there’s no way making sure your phone stays silent once you enable this feature (except for turning your phone off)!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
82 months ago
I created a contact group called “DND Bypass” and selected that group in “Allow calls from”.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gretafour Avatar
82 months ago
I'm still waiting for a way to send all non-contact phone calls direct to voicemail without ringing (and mute the voicemail notification). That would take care of 99% of unwanted calls.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
82 months ago
One caveat to this, if you have your phone's side switch set to silent / vibrate, the sound of the call or text still comes through.
Awe man... I was excited about this until I read that it over rides the mute switch as well
Yeah, it's unfortunate that there isn't an option to bypass DND but not the side switch.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

'New' iPhone SE Product Listing Appears on French Website

Wednesday February 12, 2025 6:49 am PST by
As the wait continues for Apple's long-rumored, fourth-generation iPhone SE, French electronics retailer Boulanger has prematurely published a product listing for a "new" model of the iPhone SE. The placeholder page says the device is "coming soon," but it offers no further information, and the price shown is obviously not real. The listing was spotted by a reader of the French technology...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
M4 Mac mini Apple Video

Apple's Refurbished Mac Mini Pricing Has a Problem

Thursday February 13, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple this week began selling refurbished Mac mini models with the M4 chip for the first time, but this has led to a pricing conundrum. In the United States, Apple is offering a refurbished Mac mini with the base M4 chip, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet for $509, down from $599 new. This is the standard 15% discount that Apple offers on refurbished Macs. The issue is...
M4 mini Glowing Blue

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished M4 Macs

Wednesday February 12, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today added MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with M4 series chips to its certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland for the first time since the computers were introduced in October 2024. Some refurbished MacBook Pro models with M4 chips are also available in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and select other European countries. ...
iPhone 16 Apple Store

iPhone 17 in New Sizes This Year: What to Know

Thursday February 13, 2025 2:45 am PST by
Last year, Apple tweaked iPhone 16 Pro screen sizes to make them bigger than 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models, and this year we are also expecting a change in the size of the displays in the iPhone 17 lineup. Here's what we know. Standard iPhone 17 Apple could introduce a new display size for the standard iPhone 17 model in 2025. The iPhone 17 could measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches,...
Apple Ad on X

Apple Resumes Advertising on X

Wednesday February 12, 2025 2:18 pm PST by
Apple this month started advertising on X for the first time in more than a year. The company had stopped advertising on the social media platform in November 2023 following controversial remarks made by its owner Elon Musk. For example, the @Apple account is running an ad promoting Safari's privacy features. The ad was spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The @AppleTV account has a...