How to Use Focus Mode “Reduce Interruptions” on iPhone and iPad

With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple is introducing a new Reduce Interruptions Focus mode that prioritizes notifications to minimize distractions while making sure you don’t miss anything important. This is one of the Apple Intelligence features that arrived with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer Beta. This incredibly useful addition lets you stay on top of important notifications while blocking out all the unwanted distractions. Read on to find out what Reduce Interruptions Focus mode is, how it works, and how to use it on your iPhone or iPad.

What is Focus Mode “Reduce interruptions” in iOS 18

Reduce Interruptions is a new Focus mode in iOS 18 that uses Apple Intelligence to only show you important notifications while filtering out everything else. With this feature turned on, you’ll only see notifications that might require your immediate attention, like dentist appointments or early daycare pickups.

With Focus Mode Reduced Interruptions, you have more control over the notifications sent to your devices and the freedom to decide who can interrupt you and when. It is worth noting that this feature is only available on devices compatible with Apple Intelligence. So you can only use it on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Silicon iPads, and Mac M series computers.

How to use the “Reduce Interruptions” focus mode

You can set up and use Reduce Interruptions like any other Focus mode on your iPhone. Like the existing Focus modes, the new addition also gives you control over which apps can interrupt you, who can contact you, what wallpaper you use, and what lock screen and home screen you want on your device.

While Apple Intelligence takes care of prioritization, Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode also lets you create exceptions. So you can create a list of people and apps you want to receive notifications from. Here’s how to use and set up Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode on your iPhone or iPad:

Note:
Reduce Interruptions focus mode is only available in iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer Beta on devices compatible with Apple Intelligence. Because the feature is in beta, it may contain some bugs.

• Open Settings application and go to Center section.
• Click on “+” icon from the upper right corner.

• To choose Reduce interruptions and touch Adjust sharpness.

• You will see “Smart Breakthroughs and Silencing The switch is on by default.
• If you want to customize an existing focus, tap it and enable it Smart Breakthroughs and Silencing option.
• To allow/block notifications from specific people, tap People.

• Then select one of the options Mute notifications from Or Allow notifications fromand touch Add people
• We recommend choosing “Allow notifications from“instead Silence. This way, you need to select several names from which you want to receive notifications.

• Once you’ve done that, go back and tap Applications, and repeat the same. If you don’t want to miss time notifications from any app, turn on Time-based notifications toggle.

From now on, Apple Intelligence will run in the background, and you will only receive important notifications. For example, if you get an email saying your dentist appointment is confirmed for 4:00 PM today, it will be moved to priority notifications because it has today’s date and requires your attention. You can also choose not to see any notifications from one contact or ten apps on your device.

Additionally, like other Focus modes, you can schedule Reduce Interruptions to automatically start or enable/disable it from Control Center. That’s not all. You can use Focus Filters to fine-tune how apps and your device should behave when a specific focus is on.

That’s all about the Reduce Interruptions feature in iOS 18. It is undoubtedly a useful feature that helps you stay focused and reduces unnecessary interruptions by not missing any important notifications.

Have you Reduced Gaps on your iPhone or iPad? What do you think about this feature? Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below.