If you see ‘has notifications silenced’ in iMessage, the person you are texting has Focus enabled preventing them from being notified of your message.
The recipient will still receive your messages, however they will not be notified by a visual or sound alert.
Do you know the different types of notifications alerts? If you do, here is how you can customize your notifications.
Why Would Someone Silence my Messages?
It’s best not to assume someone is ignoring you. There are several reasons they may have Focus enabled.
Firstly, Focus was a new feature in iOS 15, they may not realize it is enabled.
Apple designed focus to give its users the ability to reduce distractions.
If a user has it enabled they might not want to be disturbed by their phone. Simply they may be doing something that requires concentration.
For example, writing this blog post would be a great time for me to utilize Focus. It would help stop me from getting distracted by messages and allow me to be more productive.
How Does Focus Work?
The user can choose from multiple profiles;
- Do Not Disturb
- Sleep
- Personal
- Work.
We all have had that notification in the middle of the night either a message from a friend, an email, or a random app notification.
Using the ‘Sleep’ Focus profile for example. It allows the user to control the notifications they receive so they are not disturbed while sleeping and will be notified when they wake in the morning instead.
The Focus profiles are customizable. You can add a person or an app to the ‘Allowed Notifications’ list, So the user can still receive important notifications and have the rest silenced.
There is also an option to show others when your focus mode is active. This is why you are seeing the ‘has notifications silenced’ message at the bottom of the conversation.
How Can I Turn Off Focus Mode?
There are several ways to turn off focus mode.
Method 1
Swipe down from the top-right of the screen to see the Control Centre.
Press the press the Focus button to turn on/off.
Method 2
Open the Settings app and select Focus.
Look to see if one of the profiles says it is On and select that profile.
Turn the switch off at the top so it appears gray.
Turn Off Focus Status in Messages
If you do not want to share your focus in iMessage with others but still want Focus enabled.
Select Focus Status from inside the Focus profile you are using.
Select the green switch at the top so it appears gray.
If your focus still appears to be on, turn off Share Across Devices.
You might also need to turn this setting off on other Apple devices you are logged into.
Does Focus Block My Alarm?
None of the Focus profiles should block your alarm from ringing, however this may not be the case for third party alarm applications.
If you find you are having an issue and you can not hear your alarm. You can add your alarm app to the Notifications Allowed > Apps section.
Select the Add icon and select your alarm app from the list.
