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How to turn on Do Not Disturb on Apple Watch

Keep unwanted notifications away using Apple Watch’s DND mode features.
Turn On Do Not Disturb on Apple Watch

Your Apple Watch is a great companion that can help you stay connected even if you don’t have your iPhone near you. However, there are times when you need minimum distractions. This is where the Do Not Disturb Focus comes in handy.

Turn On Do Not Disturb on Apple Watch

Once enabled, it silences all notifications and calls while allowing important alerts, like emergency notifications, to come through. Keep reading to learn how to enable Do Not Disturb on an Apple Watch.

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3 ways to enable Do Not Disturb on Apple Watch

You can turn on Do Not Disturb on your Apple Watch in three ways: from the Control Center, via Settings, or using the paired iPhone. Below, I’ve explained each method in detail.

Turn on Do Not Disturb on Apple Watch from Control Center

This is the quickest way to turn on Do Not Disturb on your Apple Watch without needing to touch your paired iPhone. Here’s how it is done:

  1. Press the Side button to access the Control Center.
  2. Here, locate and tap the Do Not Disturb button (with a crescent Moon icon).
  3. Next, tap Do Not Disturb on the subsequent menu.
  4. Select the period during which you want the Do No Disturb focus to remain active.

    Enabling Do Not Disturb on an Apple Watch from the Control Center

Enable Do Not Disturb on Apple Watch via Settings

While you need to manually enable Do Not Disturb on your Apple Watch via the Control Center, you can create a Do Not Disturb Focus schedule to automate its activation and deactivation on your Apple Watch. Below are the steps to do this:

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch and select Focus.

    Accessing Focus settings in the Apple Watch Settings app
  2. Next, tap on Do Not Disturb. Here, tap the + Add New button.

    Accessing the Do Not Disturb Focus in watchOS Settings app and creating a new schedule
  3. Now, set a Do No Disturb Focus schedule and ensure the Enabled toggle is on.

    Adding a Do Not Disturb schedule and enabling it on an Watch

You can manually turn off Do Not Disturb directly from the Control Center or head to the Do Not Disturb settings and turn off the Enabled toggle for the schedule.

Turn on Do Not Disturb on Apple Watch using paired iPhone

Any Focus mode, including Do Not Disturb, you enable on the paired iPhone is also enabled on the Apple Watch automatically. Now, just like on an Apple Watch, there are two ways to enable Do Not Disturb on an iPhone, either from Control Center or the Settings app. Here are the detailed steps for both.

From Control Center:

  1. Swipe down from the top-right corner to bring up Control Center.
  2. Next, locate and tap the Focus button (considering you didn’t remove it when you customized the Control Center in iOS 18).
  3. Here, tap on Do Not Disturb to activate it.

    Turning on Do Not Disturb mode from the Control Center on an iPhone

Via Settings:

  1. Open the Settings app and head to Focus.
  2. Here, tap on Do Not Disturb.

    Navigating to Do Not Disturb under Focus settings on an iPhone
  3. Next, locate and tap on Add Schedule under Set a Schedule.
  4. Create a schedule on the subsequent menu.
  5. Also, make sure the Smart Activation toggle is ON.

    Creating a schedule for Do Not Disturb mode on an iPhone

Turning off Do Not Disturb on an iPhone is also similar to turning it off on an Apple Watch.

How to use separate Focus modes on iPhone and Apple Watch

Many of you might think that the same Apple Account is why turning on Do Not Disturb Focus on your iPhone enables it on your Apple Watch and vice versa. While true, this alone isn’t the reason. It is also because Apple, by default, has enabled Focus mirroring between the two devices, so changing the Focus setting on one device will change it on the other.

While this is useful in most scenarios, there are times when you might want separate Focus modes active on your Apple Watch and iPhone. You can disable Focus mirroring in such instances to do this. This is what you need to do.

  1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to General.
  2. Next, locate and tap on Focus.
  3. Here, toggle off Mirror my iPhone.

    Toggling off the Mirror my iPhone option in Focus settings on the Watch app on an iPhone

Less distraction more focus….

Having Do Not Disturb enabled on your Apple Watch is a great way to enjoy a digital detox when you need it the most. It helps you manage distracting notifications without completely disconnecting from the digital world.

Do you use Focus modes on your iPhone or Apple Watch? Do share your experience in the comments.

FAQs

Why is my Apple Watch vibrating on Do Not Disturb?

If your iPhone’s Do Not Disturb settings allow certain notifications, they will automatically sync to your watch, causing it to vibrate.

Why is there a half-moon on my Apple Watch?

The half-moon icon on your Apple Watch indicates that the Do Not Disturb Focus is active on your Apple Watch. This might have happened because Focus modes are mirrored between the Apple Watch and paired iPhone by default, but you can disable this setting using the steps shared above.

How to turn off Do Not Disturb on Apple Watch?

Simply head to the Control Center and tap the Do Not Disturb button (with a crescent Moon icon).

Also read:

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