How To Use iPhone Focus So Work Doesn’t Follow You On Holiday

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Your phone doesn’t need to know you’re on holiday. But you probably do.

One of the most useful features people either forget exists or never bother to configure properly is available on the iPhone. It is handled through Focus, Apple’s system for managing notifications by context.

Done right, it lets you disappear without actually disappearing.

Putting your phone in Focus (holiday) mode doesn’t mean you might miss important calls. You’re just controlling interruptions, which means:

The Focus Mode You Should Use

You have two good options:

For a proper holiday setup, a Custom Focus works best.

How To Set Up a Holiday Focus on iPhone

Go to Settings → Focus → Add Focus → Custom.

I named my focus “Off Grid”. Once that’s done, configure these four areas.

Notifications You Actually Want

Silence:

You can allow people, not apps. Or apps, not people. Most people do both. Keep it minimal.

Silence Work Without Blocking Everyone

Under Apps, remove:

This doesn’t delete notifications. It queues them quietly for later. You’ll see everything when the Focus is turned off.

Lock Screen and Home Screen Clean-Up

Focus lets you:

This matters more than it sounds. If you can’t see work apps, you’re less likely to open them.

Automatic Replies Without Saying Too Much

You can enable Focus Filters to:

A simple reply like “Away until next week” is enough. No explanations needed.

Make It Turn On Automatically

You can schedule Holiday Focus to:

For trips, date-based scheduling works best. You won’t forget to switch it on — or off.

What This Doesn’t Do

Holiday Focus:

It just removes noise.

Why This Works Better Than Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb is blunt. Focus is selective. You get to decide what deserves your attention while you’re away, and what doesn’t. With the right Focus setup, your phone can travel with you without dragging your notifications along. Now, that is the real holiday mode.

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