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Notify Anyway iOS 15 – What is it?

For emergencies only
Last Updated on December 1, 2023
Notify anyway ios 15
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If you’ve been using iOS 15, and most recently, iOS 15.2, you’ll have probably come across the ‘Focus’ feature. Serving as an extension of ‘Profiles’ and ‘Do Not Disturb’, Focus allows users to adapt certain profiles, such as mindfulness or reading, to make sure only the contacts and notifications they want appear. For more information on how to set up Focus the way you want to, click here for our how-to guide.

Notify Anyway iOS 15 – What is it?

As an iOS user, you may have noticed a notification underneath a sent iMessage stating “This person has notifications silenced” with a hyperlink underneath giving you the option to “Notify Anyway”. This option bypasses a person’s notification settings and lets Notify Anyway iOS 15 messages ping through. 

The first thought for a lot of people will be ‘Well what’s the point of Focus then?’, and they’d be correct for thinking that. Emergencies aren’t exactly predictable, and no one would want to be ignorant to a message that could potentially save there’s, or someone else’s life. 

At the same time, using Notify Anyway should be used responsibly. As much as you want to wind up your best friend, there’s a reason why people use Focus modes. Whether someone is in an important meeting at work or not, Notify Anyway is meant for emergencies only.

Users of Focus can concentrate easily knowing that no sensitive data is shared when Notify Anyway appears for contacts. The message only confirms you have notifications turned off rather than telling others which Focus mode, iPhone, or Location you’re using. Under the ‘Focus Shared’ settings menu section, the following message is stated:

“Apps only know that you have notifications silenced. Apps don’t know which Focus you have on, so the name is never shared, but they can control how Focus is shown.”


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Christian 'Reggie' Waits' is a contributor to PC Guide, having written a wide array of how to and buying guide content.