Focus Modes
Not only will iOS 15 enhance the way notifications look, but it’s also making a big change to how they work as well, with a new Focus feature that allows you to filter notifications based on whatever different “modes” you may find yourself in throughout the way.
For example, you can create a “Work” mode that silences non-relevant personal notifications when you’re working, or a “Fitness” mode that turns off almost everything when you’re at the gym. You can switch between these modes on-demand or on a scheduled or location basis, and iOS 15 will even offer intelligent suggestions for what people and apps should be let through in each mode to help you get started.
Of course, there’s still the full Do Not Disturb (DND) mode to silence all notifications (except emergency calls), but as an added bonus, your DND status can be shown to others when they sent you a message, and optionally allow them to punch through if they do need to urgently reach you.
This also works in the various focus modes, where the sender will see a note that you’ve “silenced notifications with Focus.” It also appears that Messages will include a small “Notified” tag to advise a sender when you’ve been notified of a new message, as opposed to when it’s merely been delivered to your device.
The new Focus features also go a nice big step beyond just managing notifications. You’ll also be able to switch up your Home screen based on what Focus mode you’re in, so you can have a page dedicated to your work apps in “Work” mode, or a page dedicated to your fitness apps when you’re about to start a workout.