In some cases your institution may require you to temporarily turn off notifications during exams. You may also do this if you are worried something private or inappropriate might be seen by your institution when your screen is being recorded.

This feature is called Do Not Disturb.

Tip: You can also turn the Do Not Disturb Focus on or off by pressing and holding the Option key while you click the date and time in the menu bar, or by pressing  (if available in the row of function keys on the keyboard).

1. In the menu bar on your Mac, click Control Center , then click anywhere in the Focus section.

   If you set the option in Control Center settings to always show Focus in the menu bar, you can click the Focus icon there.

2. Do any of the following:

   • Turn on a Focus: Choose the Focus. Its icon is highlighted in the list and is shown in the menu bar.

   • Change the duration of a Focus: Choose a duration, such as “For 1 hour.” If you turn on the Focus when you’re in a scheduled event, such as a meeting or class, choose “Until the end of this event” to have the Focus turn off when the event ends (as set in the Calendar app).

   • Turn off a Focus: Select the Focus. Its icon is no longer highlighted in the list, and the dimmed Do Not Disturb icon  is briefly shown in the menu bar.

3. To close Control Center, click anywhere on the desktop.

   If you keep Focus up to date across your Apple devices, turning a Focus on or off on your Mac turns it on or off on your other devices.