Apple announced new controls coming to iPhone notifications when iOS 15 is launched later this year. More detailed control over which app notifications will be silenced during the day will be a welcome improvement over the somewhat limited ability to switch notifications off with the ‘Do Not Disturb’ option that’s currently available in iOS 14. With the next major release, the iPhone will have three new classifications, ‘Personal,’ ‘Work’ and ‘Sleep,’ allowing a more fluid transition throughout the day.

iPhone notifications can appear on the Lock Screen, in the Notification Center that appears when swiping down from the top, and as temporary banners that appear at the top then slide up and out of view after a brief time. These can be customized by disabling or enabling any of the three forms that notifications can take for each installed app. Sounds can be turned off for any app using the same settings. This is a nice amount of control, but in terms of scheduling notifications, there was only one choice, which was called ‘Do Not Disturb.’ As implied, this disabled all calls and notifications during a particular period of time, a nice option when sleeping, but one that offers limited value when awake, and transitioning between personal time and work.

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Apple’s new Focus feature provides more notification options for iPhone owners, filtering into four categories that recognize that the user must split time between work and their personal lives, allowing a period for sleep and having some moments when there should be no interruptions whatsoever. These new refinements will come with the iOS 15 update that is due to launch later this year. Building upon the current options, iPhone owners can use the Focus settings to choose a work or personal profile and iOS will suggest relevant apps that can be adjusted manually. These apps will be allowed to send notifications, while others will be held for a summary when another Focus profile is selected. Notifications from work contacts will come when using the work profile and the same applies to personal, allowing friends and family to chat when the user is free to talk. Pages on the Home Screen can match the Focus settings including both apps and Widgets that best suit the moment, creating a better flow and a distraction-free experience.

iOS 15 Notification Summary & Focus Controls

iOS 15 will have a new notification summary that can be scheduled to appear whenever the user chooses so they don’t interrupt their workday or personal time. Apple’s on-device AI automatically prioritizes notifications in the summary based on user app patterns, rather than most recent, helping each person focus on what matters most to them. However, notifications from people will still appear rather than being held to be shown later in the summary. This ensures that important messages don’t get buried. Individual notifications will have larger icons to help identify which app they came from at a glance.

iOS 15 will help the user get started with the Focus feature by suggesting apps and contacts that are related to work and personal, using location and time of day to help identify the right moment for each. Customization is easy with the ability to add and remove apps and contacts from each profile. Apple associates the Focus settings with each Apple ID, so adjustments can be made on any device and they travel with the user from an iPhone to an iPad, Apple Watch, and a Mac computer. Apple’s AI will help the transition to the new notification controls and, with use and a few user-specific adjustments, the new Focus feature and notification summary should help tame the overload that many users experience.

Source: Apple

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Alan Truly
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Alan is a Tech Writer living in Nova Scotia, Canada. A tech-enthusiast since his youth, Alan stays current on what is new and what is next. With over 30 years experience in computer, video and photo equipment, you can expect useful tips and insights in his writing. Alan has a degree in programming, many years focused on design, editing, and animation. A period of managing logistics and e-commerce operations for a mobile accessories company rounds out a diverse background. Alan is a true jack of all digital trades in this ever-changing computer-enriched world. To stay flexible in mind and in body, he practices yoga, light cardio, and eats a whole food diet, based on minimally processed plants.

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