While the use of notifications on Mac can often be a convenient way to stay up to date with your schedule, emails, messages and more, there are also times when these same incoming alert can start to become a major distraction that takes your attention away from the things you need to be working on. However, the good news is that Apple usually offers the “Do Not Disturb” feature, which allows users to shut off all those alerts when you don’t want them. And while most Apple users are familiar with how to activate it on iOS, not many know how to turn it on their Macs so, we decided to put together a quick guide on how you can quickly and temporarily get rid of these annoying notifications on your Mac.

How Does “Do Not Disturb” Work?

Before we get into the how, for those who may not know what this feature does and how tit works, it essentially allows users to silence all notifications completely. This means that while you have this feature active, you will not see any notifications active on your screen. It will also not make any sound alerts. However, that does not include any notification pertinent to any external devices that you may have connected to your Mac using a 10 ft usb c cable, for example.

So, while the Do Not Disturb feature is not a big one, it is still a significant tool that you can use to help increase the level of focus and productivity that you are putting into your work, b cutting out the outside world. In fact, it is often recommended that you make use of it, whenever you need to start working on an important project.

Moreover, there are three methods that you use the feature with:

• As an on/off switch
• For an immediate period of time
• On a schedule

For instance, on your Apple iOS device, you can activate the feature by simply swiping up from the bottom of the screen and you should be able to see the DnD button that comes with a moon-shaped icon. This way if you find yourself working on something important on your iPad, for example, then you can always just turn off any disturbances and get back to work.

However, you should keep in mind that enabling this feature on your Mac will not affect notifications on an iPhone, as to do this you will have to do it directly on your iOS device. On a side note, if you want auto give yourself a more comfortable user experience, you can always utilize an ipad pro adapter to setup your iPad on your table, pull out your Magic Keyboard and you’re all set!

How to Activate Do Not Disturb On Mac

Ever since the introduction of macOS Big Sur, this software version introduced several new ways to utilise this feature via the menu bar. And which option you decide to use will depend on your personal preferences and how you have configured your Mac setup. One method that you use is the Control Center. You can open it by clicking the icon that is located at the top right corner of your menu and selecting the Do Not Disturb icon to either activate or deactivate the feature.

If your Mac does not seem to be displaying the Do Not Disturb icon, then that means that you need to head to your settings and configure it to do so. You can do this by heading to the Notifications section that is located within your Mac’s System Preferences. From there, you should be able to see the Do Not Disturb section and see a multitude of options to choose from. For instance, if you want to use the feature for a specific period of time in the day eg. from 7am-12pm, then you can simply input the timeframe from there and voila! Also, doing this will automatically activate the Do Not Disturb feature, so even if you cannot find the activation point, you can rest assured that it will be active within the set time.

In addition, you are also able to configure other situations where the feature automatically activates itself. For example, you can select the checkbox that says “when the display is sleeping” to active the feature, while your Mac is not in use. This way, even if you are transferring or downloading large files from one device to your Mac using a surface pro hub for example, then you can rest assure your device won’t be making unnecessary noise within that duration of time. Other scenarios include when your Mac is locked or mirrored. Moreover, you can also choose to receive call notifications even if the feature remains activated, which means that if something urgent pops up you won’t run the risk of missing it.