How to Use iPhone Focus Filters

iPhone Focus Modes let you create different "modes" for different parts of your day — Work, Personal, Sleep, Fitness, or custom ones you create yourself. When a Focus mode is active, only certain people and apps can send you notifications, reducing interruptions.

Focus Filters, introduced in iOS 16, take this a step further. They let certain apps show different content depending on which Focus mode is active. For example, when your Work Focus is on, Safari can show only your work-related browser tabs and bookmarks. When Work Focus is off, your personal tabs appear instead. The app knows which "version" to show based on the active Focus.

This feature is particularly useful for separating work and personal life on one phone. Instead of being distracted by personal social media during work hours, or seeing work emails during a relaxing evening, Focus Filters automatically adjust what you see.

Apps that support Focus Filters include Mail, Messages, Safari, and Calendar as built-in Apple apps. Developers of third-party apps can also add Focus Filter support to their apps.

In Mail, you can set a Focus Filter so that only certain mailboxes (for example, just your work email account) show when Work Focus is active. In Messages, you can configure which conversation groups appear. In Safari, you can set which Tab Group appears. In Calendar, you can choose which calendars are shown.

Home screen customization also works alongside Focus. Each Focus mode can be assigned a specific Home Screen page. When Work Focus activates, your phone displays a home screen with only your work apps. When it switches off, your personal home screen returns. This is a separate setting from Focus Filters but works together with them.

Getting the most out of Focus Filters takes some initial setup time, but once configured, it works automatically based on your schedule, location, or manual activation. Many people find it transforms their relationship with their phone.