Do Not Disturb stops notifications and calls from reaching you — turn it off in Settings or Control Center
Do Not Disturb is an iPhone feature that silences calls, texts, and app notifications so they do not light up your screen or make sounds. When it is on, people who call you hear a busy signal or are sent to voicemail. Turning it off takes about 10 seconds and can be done two ways: through the Control Center (the fastest method) or through Settings (if you want to change when it turns back on automatically).
Most people turn on Do Not Disturb by accident — either by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and tapping the moon icon, or by asking Siri. If your iPhone has been silent and you could not figure out why, Do Not Disturb is usually the reason.
Key Takeaways
- The fastest way to turn off Do Not Disturb is to swipe up from the bottom of your screen, find the moon icon, and tap it once.
- If you have an older iPhone with a home button, swipe down from the top-right corner instead to open Control Center.
- You can also turn it off in Settings by going to Focus, then Do Not Disturb, and toggling it off.
- If Do Not Disturb turns back on at the same time every day, you have a schedule set — go to Settings to change or delete it.
- Turning off Do Not Disturb does not delete your missed notifications; they will appear on your lock screen and in your apps.
Turn off Do Not Disturb using Control Center
Control Center is the quickest way. On an iPhone without a home button (iPhone X and newer), swipe up from the bottom-right corner of your screen. On an iPhone with a home button (iPhone 8 and earlier), swipe down from the top-right corner instead.
Look for a moon icon — that is Do Not Disturb. If the icon is highlighted or colored in, Do Not Disturb is on. Tap it once to turn it off. The icon will no longer be highlighted, and your notifications will start coming through again.
Turn off Do Not Disturb in Settings
If you want to see when Do Not Disturb is scheduled to turn back on, or if you want to delete a schedule entirely, use Settings instead. Open Settings, then tap Focus. You will see Do Not Disturb listed at the top.
Tap Do Not Disturb. At the top of the screen, you will see a toggle switch next to "Do Not Disturb." If it is green, Do Not Disturb is on — tap it to turn it off. Below that, you will see "Scheduled," which shows whether Do Not Disturb is set to turn on and off at specific times. If you see a schedule listed and do not want it, tap Edit, then tap the red minus sign next to the schedule to delete it.
Why Do Not Disturb keeps turning back on
If Do Not Disturb turns on at the same time every day, you have a schedule set in Settings. This is useful if you want your phone silent during sleep or work hours, but it can be confusing if you do not remember creating it.
To stop this, go to Settings, then Focus, then Do Not Disturb. Scroll down to "Scheduled" and tap Edit. You will see one or more schedules listed with times. Tap the red minus sign next to each one you want to remove, then tap Done. Do Not Disturb will no longer turn on automatically.
What happens to your notifications when you turn it off
When Do Not Disturb is on, your phone does not delete notifications — it just hides them. Once you turn Do Not Disturb off, all the calls, texts, and app notifications you missed will appear on your lock screen and in the notification center. You can swipe down from the top of your screen to see them all at once.
If someone called you while Do Not Disturb was on, they heard a busy signal or were sent to voicemail. Turning off Do Not Disturb does not call them back or send them a message — you will need to contact them yourself if you want to return the call.
Do Not Disturb vs. Airplane Mode
Do Not Disturb and Airplane Mode are different. Do Not Disturb silences notifications but keeps your phone connected to the network — you can still use WiFi, send messages, and browse the internet. Airplane Mode turns off all wireless connections, so you cannot make calls, send texts, or use data.
If you want your phone silent but still usable, use Do Not Disturb. If you are on an airplane or need to completely disconnect, use Airplane Mode. Both can be toggled on and off in Control Center.
Customize what gets through Do Not Disturb
You can set Do Not Disturb to allow calls or messages from certain people even when it is on. Go to Settings, then Focus, then Do Not Disturb. Tap "Allowed Notifications" and choose which apps can send notifications. Tap "Phone" or "Messages" to allow calls or texts from specific contacts — for example, you might let calls from family members through while blocking everyone else.
This is useful if you want silence from most notifications but do not want to miss urgent calls from your family or work. You can set different rules for different times of day by creating multiple schedules with different settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my iPhone not ringing when people call?
Do Not Disturb is the most common reason. Swipe up from the bottom of your screen and check whether the moon icon is highlighted. If it is, tap it to turn Do Not Disturb off. Also check that your ringer volume is turned up — press the volume up button on the side of your phone to make sure.
Can I turn off Do Not Disturb with Siri?
Yes. Press and hold the home button (or side button on newer iPhones) and say "Turn off Do Not Disturb." Siri will do it when ready. You can also say "Turn on Do Not Disturb" to set up it the same way.
Does Do Not Disturb stop text messages?
Yes, unless you have set it to allow messages from specific people. By default, Do Not Disturb silences all texts, calls, and app notifications. You can customize it in Settings to let messages from certain contacts through while blocking others.
Will people know I have Do Not Disturb on?
No. When someone calls you while Do Not Disturb is on, they hear a busy signal or are sent to voicemail — they do not get a message saying you have Do Not Disturb enabled. From their perspective, it looks like your phone is off or you did not answer.
Can I set Do Not Disturb for just one hour?
Yes. In Control Center, press and hold the moon icon (do not just tap it). A menu will appear with options like "For 1 Hour," "Until This Evening," or "Until I Leave This Location." Choose the time frame you want, and Do Not Disturb will turn off automatically when that time is up.