Apple’s New Focus Feature May Be Overkill

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Originally published at: Apple’s New Focus Feature May Be Overkill - TidBITS

Apple’s Do Not Disturb feature has evolved into the ecosystem-wide Focus, which provides so many options and capabilities that it may be impossible to predict when notifications will work and when they won’t. Adam Engst shows you how to use Focus and suggests that you stick to the basics.

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This is a remarkably detailed and comprehensive explanation for an absurdly complex set of features. You persuaded me to stick to the bare minimum which is where I was by default!

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For a company that in the past usually preferred simplicity over giving users many options, I’m surprised by the complexity Apple introduced with Focus.

I am using it as DND only and truthfully, the fact that I now have to carefully aim to make sure I tap the right one of those half dozen options that pop up when I tap and hold Control Center’s Focus button is annoying. I was hoping I’d be able to delete those extra Focus scenarios and then these options would disappear from the GUI (ideally I’d just like my one single DND button back), but I couldn’t find a way to do that. :frowning:

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My problem with the new system was that I used to be able, when in a meeting (appointment), I could choose to have “Do not disturb” to come on automatically. I haven’t been able to find a way to do this with the new system. Now I have to remember to turn on Do not disturb. It’s very frustrating. Is there a way to automate this? I can’t find it.

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I was exited by Focus when I first read about it. I needed to mute specific people or groups of people and my head about exploded trying to figure it out. I’m not sure it’s even possible.

And yes, I hate having to pay attention to what I hit when I want to DND the phone in a meeting. These old eyes aren’t as good as they used to be.

Diane

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I think Apple way over-designed this thing. If people need this much versatility, fine, but I wish they would have a toggle to ignore all this complexity and just have DND on or off. Yes, you can still do that but it’s more steps, and confusing.

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If a function evolves to the point that a long article (or book - “Take Control of Do Not Disturb”?), then it is often no longer user friendly enough to retain universal acceptance or use. I see a danger of Focus doing that to DND.

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A few notes on this:

For the DND focus, the former options to preset conditions for turning it being turned off are still there. On an iPhone, tap the three dots at the right end of the bubble to see them. On an Apple Watch, they appear after you tap the DND bubble.

I use the app Autosleep to do sleep analysis. Apple’s Bedtime settings didn’t work for me because as a retired person, my bedtime and wake-up times are usually flexible. My former procedure on going to bed was to activate ‘Lights out’ in Autosleep and then turn on Theater Mode (to stop the screen from coming on) and DND. Now, after setting ‘Lights Out’, I just turn on Sleep Focus, which also enables measurement of the Respiration Rate is Autosleep.

Thanks for noting the Mindfulness focus. Several times a month, I lose my Mindfulness minute when a notification interrupts it. However, it would be nice to have a more general focus for Watch applications that don’t appear on the iPhone. For example, a Blood Oxygen measurement is interrupted when a notification appears.

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Tee hee! Thanks, Adam! I think. . . .

It is overkill and its very complexity is another form of attention-sapping technology created by careful engineers who have the best intentions but who entirely miss the boat on utility.

They’d be better-off with 4 modes:

  1. Off—as in turn the damn thing off.
  2. On.
  3. Don’t Bother Me—no notifications or chimes or buzzes.
  4. Don’t Bother Me Except For the Following People (not apps, people)—Family, best friends, the pizza delivery guy.

And all four modes should be controlled by a physical button. No swiping, 3-fingers rotating to 30º, hold button while blowing nose into microphone.

Oh yeah, don’t forget that spiffy mute button. . . .

Dave

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Wow. Just, wow. I thought I was the only one who was feeling Windows-level intimidated by this feature.

But. I’m taking delivery of a drone tomorrow (will be using it for videography). It uses iPhone as part of its control system. I can see using a Focus that is active when the drone’s control app is active, to keep me from being distracted by interruptions while I’m flying the drone.

Then again, I’d want to shut out all notifications and interruptions. So I’m back to the simple “Do Nor Disturb” case, simply needing to remember to turn it on.

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I’m a simple man, I don’t use it.

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I wanted a “YOU PEOPLE can’t bother me at all, but everyone else can” mode. And I think it was the other way around.

I’d also like a complete DND mode, which may exist? I have a few people set to break through but there are times I’m in an appointment and it would be nice for the phone not to go off if one of them happens to text me then.

Diane

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That’s known as powering your phone off, so if you don’t want any texts to break through, what is it you want to allow at an appointment?

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DND is quicker than turning it on and off.

I’ll read a book on the phone if I have to wait.

Diane

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If I go into a meeting I just put the phone on silent and leave it in my pocket. Maybe it’s because I’m old and grew up without phones but I have no issue ignoring my phone.

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I think I might dislike Focus even more than you do. I’m DND only on a single daily schedule that I override manually if I need to.

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I thought maybe Focus was overkill for me because I’m retired, mainly putter around the house, and filling my days correcting people on the Internet who are wrong. Maybe if I meditated, ran marathons, worked at an exciting and fulfilling job, and taught orphans proper etiquette, I’d find Focus being very useful.

I’ve turned off notifications for Facebook and Twitter. I know there’s always some important post waiting for me there (Someone liked a picture you posted! Second rate celebrity just tweeted!). I turned off notifications for email except for VIPs. There’s always some young hot girl whom I never heard of who’s very interested in me or my credit card. On my phone, I have “Do not disturb” on and in my voicemail tell people if they need to reach me, text me.

That pretty much silences the cacophony of notices. A simple Do Not Disturb was always more than enough for me. I’m either available or busy.

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Mine is (nearly) always on silent but I have a few people set to come through in case of emergency. They will ring and override all other settings.

Diane

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I DELETED Facebook from my phone 4 years ago. Even with all notifications turned off, the phone would still light up anytime one came in. Granted, older phone and iOS but I really don’t miss it. I also stopped email notifications and removed just about all of my email accounts, really just kept a couple so I could send emails if I needed to while away from my computer.

Diane

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The new Focus is fine for me. You can still use DND as you used to if you wish, but there are more options for discrete control if you need them. I suppose it’s one extra step to turn on compared to before, but I almost always use it scheduled DND anyway. Basically nothing has changed for me. (Well, I’ve added a shortcut that turns on driving focus when it connects to the audio system of one of my cars, which the phone doesn’t think is a car. It does automatically in the other car.)