Although our phones have become our constant companions these days, it’s paramount to take a break from them sometimes. Whether you’re working and want laser-like focus without the distracting notifications from your device or you need some personal time, it all comes down to putting the phone down.

The Do Not Disturb mode aids in getting this downtime. With the Do Not Disturb mode on, iPhone silences all notifications and calls, though you can create exceptions for that. Starting from iOS 15, Do Not Disturb is a part of Focus. Since the entire iPhone 14 lineup ships with iOS 16, DND works in the same manner. Here’s everything you need to know about using Do Not Disturb on iPhone 14 (and variants).

Enable DND from the Control Centre

Even though DND is a part of the Focus modes, you don’t have to set it up like other Focuses. You can directly use it from the Control Centre.

Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen to open the Control Centre.

Then, if the option for ‘Focus’ shows a crescent moon icon, you can directly tap the icon to enable ‘Do Not Disturb’.

But if the icon in the Focus tile is anything else, tap the tile instead.

Then, tap the option for ‘Do Not Disturb’ to enable it.

Do Not Disturb will stay enabled until you disable it.

You can also enable DND with certain conditions. From the expanded Focus view in the Control Centre, tap the three dots on the right of the DND tile.

Now, you can choose to enable DND for an hour, until that evening, or until you leave the current location. Tap the option to select it.

Disabling DND

When DND is enabled, you’ll see a crescent moon icon in the status bar.

You can disable DND from the Control Centre or even from the lock screen itself.

To disable it from the Control Centre, tap the ‘DND’ icon from the Focus tile.

In iOS 16, lock screens can be linked with a Focus. So, even if you haven’t linked a particular lock screen to a Focus, when any Focus is enabled (including DND), you’ll the option for it right on your lock screen. Tap the option.

Then, tap the ‘Do Not Disturb’ tile to disable it.

Change the Settings for DND

You can set a schedule for DND and tweak other settings for DND. Open the Settings app and tap the option for ‘Focus’.

Then, tap the ‘Do Not Disturb’ option.

To set a schedule for DND, scroll down and tap the option for ‘Add Schedule’.

Then, you can set Do Not Disturb to turn on automatically at a certain time, location, or while using a certain app.

You can also allow or silence notifications from certain people or apps while DND is on. Tap the option for ‘People’ or ‘Apps’ to create a silence or allow list. For more details, refer to our detailed guide to create a silence or allow list.

You can also connect your lock or home screens with DND. When DND is on, your connected lock screen will activate and only the home screens you select will be displayed. If you have an Apple Watch connected to your iPhone, you can also select a screen for it.

To select a lock screen, tap the ‘Choose’ option under the lock screen thumbnail.

Then, select the lock screen you want to link with DND and tap ‘Done’.

To select a home screen, tap ‘Choose’ under the home screen thumbnail.

Then, tap to select the home screen pages you want to keep during DND. Finally, tap ‘Done’ in the upper-right corner.

DND is essential to getting some peace and quiet in a life full of notification sounds. Hopefully, with this guide, you know how to get the most out of Do Not Disturb on your iPhone 14.