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One of the coolest Focus features is the ability to customize which Home Screen notifications and apps you are able to view! Limiting which alerts and apps you see can help you avoid distractions while you're trying to work or wind down before bed. We'll walk you through customizing which Home Screen pages and apps you see while a Focus mode is enabled.
Why You’ll Love This Tip
- Avoid bothersome Home Screen notifications while a Focus mode is enabled.
- Hide unnecessary apps so you don't have to worry about distractions.
How to Customize Home Page Settings for a Focus Mode
You can create an iPhone Home Screen page that shows only what you want to see while in a Focus mode. This will allow you to avoid distractions and worries about missed notifications while you're trying to focus on other things! Below we'll show you how to customize the notifications and apps shown on your Home Screen while a Focus mode is activated. Focus is a feature available on devices running iOS 15 or later, so if you have an earlier software version you will need to update to the latest version of iOS before using this tip.
Want more iOS 16 and iPhone tips? Try signing up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. For now, here's how to make Focus Home Screen pages in iOS 16:
- Open Settings.
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- Tap Focus.
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- Tap the Focus mode you want to customize your Home Screen settings for, or tap the + icon to create a new Focus.
![Tap the Focus mode you want to customize your Home Screen settings for, or tap the + icon to create a new Focus.]()
- Select what this type of Focus will be used for. For this example, we're going to customize the Work Focus. Please note, you will only see the screen below if you are creating a new Focus. If you are only editing an existing Focus, you'll be taken to the screen in Step 5.
![Select what this type of Focus will be used for. For this example, we're going to customize the Work Focus.]()
- Tap Choose under the Lock or Home Screen (or the Watch Face if you have an Apple Watch) to customize how these screens appears in this Focus. If you are editing an existing Focus, you will instead see Edit under the Lock and Home Screen options.
![Tap Choose under the Home Screen to customize how your Home Screen appears in this Focus.]()
- You can choose from your existing Home Screens or create a new one altogether.
![You can choose from your existing Home Screens or create a new one altogether.]()
- Tap Edit Apps to select which apps appear on this Home Screen when this Focus is enabled.
![Tap Edit Apps to select which apps appear on this Home Screen when this Focus is enabled.]()
- Tap each app to add or remove it from this Home Screen. Tap Done when you are satisfied to continue.
![Tap each app to add or remove it from this Home Screen, Tap Done when you are satisfied to continue.]()
- Tap Add to add this Home Screen to your Focus.
![Tap Add to add this Home Screen to your Focus.]()
- You can also customize how notifications appear in this Focus. Tap People to select which contacts you want to allow notifications from.
![You can also customize how notifications appear in this Focus. Tap People to select which contacts you want to allow notifications from.]()
- Tap Apps to choose which apps you want to allow notifications from while in this Focus.
![Tap Apps to choose which apps you want to allow notifications from while in this Focus.]()
- Tap Options to customize your notifications in this Focus.
![Tap Options to customize your notifications in this Focus.]()
- Tap the toggle next to Hide Notification Badges until it turns green to make it so there are no notification badges on apps on your Home Screen. The other toggles on this screen also allow you to make further customizations to your notifications.
![Tap the toggle next to Hide Notification Badges to make it so there are no notification badges on apps on your Home Screen.]()
Related: How to Hide Apps on the iPhone & Find Them Later
Now when you activate this specific Focus mode (we used Work in our example), notification badges will be hidden and you'll only be able to view the apps on the Home Screen pages you selected. If you ever need to access a hidden app while in a Focus mode, you can still swipe left and pull it up in your App Library! This just makes it a little more difficult to mindlessly open your social media apps or to get worried you're missing out on something fun when message notifications show up.
Once the Focus mode in question is disabled again, you'll go back to seeing what you normally see on your Home Screen pages! Additionally, there are some other Focus customization options available that we did not go over in this tip, so be sure to check those out! Every time you turn on a Focus, you can also opt to share your Focus across your other devices.
