How to turn on Do Not Disturb on Mac (and actually stay focused)

You can turn on Do Not Disturb in seconds: through the Control Center icon in the menu bar, or with a shortcut, like pressing the F6 moon key. This way, no pop-up, badge count, or sound will chip away at your focus. Your Mac automatically saves all notifications to the Notification Center for you to review later.

Here's a summary of the key methods and tools for managing Do Not Disturb. Detailed instructions follow below:

Method	How to access	Best for
Control Center	Click Control Center icon > Focus > Do Not Disturb	Quick temporary activation
Keyboard shortcut	Hold Option + click date/time or press F6	Instant on/off toggle
System Settings	System Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb	Detailed customization
One Switch	Menu bar toggle	Managing multiple settings at once
Custom shortcuts	System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts	Personalized workflow
Focus modes	System Settings > Focus > Add Focus	Different contexts (work, sleep, personal)

Quickly turn on Do Not Disturb on Mac

There are two basic methods to enable Do Not Dxisturb.

Method 1. A keyboard shortcut

The quickest way to enable Do Not Disturb is with a keyboard shortcut. Here are the built-in shortcuts I reach for most:

• Menu-bar toggle. Hold Option and click the date/time
• Dedicated key. Press F6 (the one with the moon icon) if available

Repeating the shortcut turns Do Not Disturb off.

Method 2. From the Control Center

Here's how to put your MacBook on Do Not Disturb:

1. Open Control Center by clicking its icon in the upper-right corner of the menu bar.

2. Then click the Focus section (look for the moon icon).

3. Click Do Not Disturb and choose your duration: For 1 hour, Until this evening, or Until tomorrow.

4. From there, you can also customize your focus by clicking Focus Settings.

To turn off Do Not Disturb, simply click on the moon icon in the Control Center. The icon is highlighted when Do Not Disturb is on, and it's gray when it's off.

Create a keyboard shortcut for Do Not Disturb

To create a custom keyboard shortcut for enabling and disabling Do Not Disturb, follow these steps:

1. Open System Settings.

2. Click Keyboard in the left sidebar > Click the Keyboard Shortcuts... button.

3. From the left sidebar, choose Mission Control.

4. Check the box for Turn Do Not Disturb On/Off if it's not checked already.

5. Double-click on None or the key next to that box.

6. Press the keys you want to use as your Do Not Disturb shortcut.

7. Click Done.

Want shortcuts that go beyond what macOS allows? Keysmith records your clicks and keystrokes and turns them into one-tap macros — for any app, any workflow. Try Keysmith Free.

Schedule Do Not Disturb on Mac

Basic Do Not Disturb might not be enough if you want control over exactly who and what can reach you — and when. 

To turn on Do Not Disturb temporarily or create a specific time frame, follow these steps:

1. Open System Settings > Focus.

2. Click Do Not Disturb.

3. Click Add Schedule > Set your preferred schedule.

You can turn on Focus automatically at a set time or location, or while using a certain app. In addition to setting a Do Not Disturb schedule, you can choose the apps and people you want to receive notifications from.

Customize Do Not Disturb feature on Mac

Beginning with macOS Monterey, Apple introduced Focus, an updated version of the Do Not Disturb feature. The Focus feature offers multiple modes and allows you to get specific, setting up notifications for when you're working, driving, exercising, sleeping, or enjoying personal time.

To enable Do Not Disturb and customize it with Focus, simply:

1. Open System Settings > Focus.

2. Click Add Focus... 

3. Create custom options.

A nice bonus is that Focus settings sync across your Apple devices by default, so if you enable Do Not Disturb on your Mac, it'll also kick in on your iPhone and the other way around.

Explore more apps to boost focus

If you feel that built-in Do Not Disturb isn't enough, there are a couple of apps that make distraction management a lot easier:

• One Switch is my go-to for quick toggles. It unites all the features that help me manage distractions — like Do Not Disturb, dark mode, and hiding desktop items in one menu that can be opened directly from your Mac’s menu bar. Super easy to use.

• Another app I use for concentrating is Be Focused. It’s built around the Pomodoro technique — you break your work into focused intervals, track your tasks, and stick to the timing. What I find really helpful is that the app syncs across macOS and iOS (if you have the iOS version of the app, too), so the task list follows me whether I’m at my desk or on the phone. Break work into focused Pomodoro-style intervals, track tasks, and monitor your progress. Try Be Focused Free.

Wrap-up: Do Not Disturb mode on Mac

Do Not Disturb is a solid start, but pairing it with the right tools makes a real difference. One Switch handles your menu bar toggles in one click, Keysmith takes care of custom shortcuts, Be Focused keeps your work sessions structured with the Pomodoro technique.

All three are available on Setapp along with 270+ other Mac apps for one flat monthly fee. There's a free 7-day trial, so it costs nothing to try. Start your free trial.

FAQ

How do I turn on Do Not Disturb only on my Mac?

Open System Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb. Turn off Share Across Devices, then switch Do Not Disturb on. With sharing disabled, the change stays on your Mac and won't silence alerts on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.

Why does Do Not Disturb keep turning on by itself?

Your Mac may have a schedule, automation, or Focus sharing enabled. Go to System Settings > Focus and check:

• Set a Schedule: delete times you don't need

• Smart Activation: turn it off if you don't want macOS to guess when you need silence

• Share Across Devices: disable if another device is triggering Do Not Disturb on your Mac.

Will alarms or emergency calls still come through?

Yes. Built-in Clock alarms and government emergency alerts always bypass Do Not Disturb. To let specific people or apps through, open System Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb and add them under Allowed Notifications.