Why this 3-year-old iOS feature is one of my favorite things about the iPhone

Apple’s latest package update for nan iPhone — iOS 18 — is simply a large deal. Between much customizable location screens, a immense Control Center update, and each of nan caller Apple Intelligence features, this year’s iOS update has a batch to like.

However, arsenic I’ve been utilizing my iPhone 16 complete nan past fewer weeks, I’ve realized that 1 of nan iOS features I usage nan astir has thing to do pinch nan iOS 18 update. Instead, it’s an iOS characteristic that was introduced complete 3 years agone and remains 1 of my favourite iPhone features twelvemonth aft year. Yes, I’m talking astir Focus modes.

How I usage Focus connected my iPhone

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Apple introduced Focus modes to nan iPhone arsenic portion of its iOS 15 update successful 2021. The thought down them is simple: You tin usage different Focus modes depending connected what you’re doing passim nan day. For example, you whitethorn person a Gaming Focus mode, a Reading one, a Vacation one, etc.

You tin person aggregate Focus modes and customize them nevertheless you want. There’s nary correct aliases incorrect measurement to usage Focus modes, but aft religiously utilizing nan characteristic for nan past 3 years, I’ve recovered a method that useful perfectly for really I usage my iPhone.

What is it? My Work Focus mode is automatically enabled betwixt 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. each weekday. While it’s on, I only person notifications from 3 contacts (my partner and my parents), and I only let notifications from a prime fistful of apps — including Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and my banking apps. So far, beautiful elemental stuff. However, nan existent magic of my Work Focus is really it changes my iPhone location screen.

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Once my Work Focus kicks on, my iPhone location surface changes completely. Instead of my accustomed location screens filled pinch time-wasting apps for illustration NFL Fantasy, Letterboxd, and Duolingo, it’s replaced pinch a azygous location surface dedicated to my job.

I person 8 apps (Teams, Asana, Parse.ly, Apple News, Notes, Feedly, Authy, and X/Twitter) connected my azygous work-focused location screen, positive 2 widgets, pinch 1 showing my regular reminders. I besides person a timepiece widget showing nan various clip zones successful which different Digital Trends employees/contributors are located.

My Work Focus location surface (left) and my “normal” location screen Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Apple has allowed you to necktie location screens to Focus modes since nan feature’s preamble complete 3 years ago, and if you inquire me, it’s nan azygous champion portion of utilizing Focus modes connected iOS. Having my activity apps/widgets correct wherever I request them during nan workday is fantastic, and erstwhile nan timepiece strikes five, my iPhone returns to nan usual, non-work-centric setup I for illustration erstwhile I’m disconnected nan clock.

It’s specified a elemental thing, but I besides find it invaluable. When it’s worktime, I tin look astatine my telephone and person contiguous entree to activity messages, emails, etc. When it’s clip to log disconnected for nan day, each of my activity apps disappear, and my location surface again shows each my favourite non-work apps. It’s great.

Android doesn’t person thing for illustration it

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Some Android phone manufacturers person tried to transcript Apple’s Focus modes complete nan years, but annoyingly, nary of them person copied nan portion I find astir useful.

Samsung, for example, has a Modes characteristic that, astatine slightest visually, looks for illustration it was pulled consecutive from iOS. You tin customize notification preferences during Modes and subordinate circumstantial wallpapers pinch them. However, you cannot nexus a Mode to a customized location screen.

OnePlus finds itself successful a akin boat. OnePlus phones person a Zen Space app that allows you to group up “spaces” pinch allowed applications and customized wallpapers/backgrounds you spot while a abstraction is active. Once again, however, these can’t beryllium tied pinch location surface layouts.

Frankly, it’s shocking that nary 1 successful nan Android abstraction has yet to transcript this. So galore Android phones try to person their ain type of iOS Focus modes, but they hide to adhd nan 1 facet that makes it truthful useful to me.

Still 1 of my favourite iOS features

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

I don’t actively deliberation astir Focus modes erstwhile I usage my iPhone passim nan day. When I’m working, I person my activity location screen. When I’m not, I person my “normal” location surface setup. It each useful flawlessly successful nan inheritance without fail, truthful it’s not thing I salary overmuch attraction to.

That tin make Focus modes not each that breathtaking to talk about, but I deliberation that’s precisely why they’re specified a adjuvant feature. I spent astir 20 minutes configuring my Work attraction really I wanted 3 years agone erstwhile my iPhone sewage iOS 15, and ever since then, it’s been an integral portion of really I usage my iPhone each and each day.

This is nan type of characteristic I dream to spot much of from Apple. The institution is throwing a lot at nan wall correct now pinch Apple Intelligence — beryllium it Writing Tools, Genmoji, aliases thing else. Not each of this is going to stick, but I dream this unreserved of caller AI features leads to thing arsenic applicable and functional arsenic Focus modes. All these years later, it remains 1 of my favourite things astir my iPhone.