How to Allow Certain People to Call You in ‘Do Not Disturb’ Mode

Do Not Disturb is a useful iPhone feature that blocks calls and texts for as long as it’s on.

This can be great for a staycation or a relaxing afternoon, but emergencies, of course, don’t always wait for you to turn Do Not Disturb off.

Luckily, there’s a way for you to keep the mode on while allowing certain phone numbers to bypass Do Not Disturb and still reach you.

1. Go into the Contacts app.
2. Tap on the Contacts you want to be able to bypass Do Not Disturb.
3. Tap on the Add to Favorites option, near the bottom of the contact’s page.
4. Select the iPhone option.
5. You can add as many contacts to your favorites as you want.
6. Now, go to the Settings app.
7. Tap on Allow Calls From 
8. Select Favorites.

Alternatively, you can create new Groups by category in iCloud — and then give them permission to call you during Do Not Disturb.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to do this in iOS. But to do so on a Mac or PC.

1. Go to icloud.com.
2. Click on the Contacts app.
3. In the left-most column, near the bottom, there’s a plus sign. Click on it.
4. From here, select New Group. Name it whatever you want.
5. You can now proceed to add your contacts to that Group. (This is a great way to organize your contacts into different categories.)
6. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Do Not Disturb.
7. You should see these groups on the Allow Calls From menu now.

If creating groups from a computer is a bit inconvenient for you, there’s a free iOS app called Groups that allows you to create and manage groups right from your iPhone or iPad.