iOS 6 – Apple’s latest mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch includes over 200 new features.

But one of our favorite features, which we’ve been using quite frequently is the Do Not Disturb feature. While notifications and alerts ensure we don’t miss new information and events, there are times when we’ve felt the need to silence all the notifications and calls so that they don’t disturb us.

In this article, we show you everything one needs to know about the Do Not Disturb feature such as how to enable it, customize the settings, schedule the Do No Disturb settings and how to quickly find out if the Do Not Disturb feature is enabled, so you can make the best use of the feature.

But, before we tell you how to enable, it is important to understand how it works. When the Do not Disturb toggle is enabled and the iPhone is locked, all notifications and calls are silenced expect for the alarm sounds. You will continue to get notifications and calls, iOS will also update the numbered badges, just that they will be silenced so you don’t get disturbed by them when your iPhone is locked. It is important to note that when the iPhone is unlocked, you will get all the notifications and calls as usual (as if the feature is disabled).

Enable Do Not Disturb:

• Launch the Settings app from your iPhone or iPad’s Home screen.
• Tap on the Do Not Disturb toggle just above Notifications to turn it ON.

Customize Settings:

Apple also allows you to customize the settings for Do Not Disturb feature so you can fine tune it to your requirement.

• Launch the Settings app
• Tap on Notifications under the Do not Disturb toggle

• Then tap on Do Not Disturb. You will now be able to schedule the Do Not Disturb feature, allow some phone calls or allow persistent callers to right through.

• Tap on Allow Calls From to ensure you don’t miss an important call from anyone in your Favorites list in Contacts (which is the default). You can also choose any Groups you have set up in your Contacts or you can also select Everyone to let all calls ring through or No One if you don’t want to talk to anyone, say while you’re taking a short nap.

• You can enable the Repeated Calls toggle, if you want a second call from an unknown number within three minutes to ring through. This feature may be useful in a situation where you get an emergency call from an unknown number. Repeated Calls toggle is enabled by default. You can tap on the toggle to turn it OFF to disable this feature.

If you don’t want to enable and disable the Do Not Disturb feature manually, then you can set the starting and ending hours for when you don’t want to be disturbed, so that your iPhone or iPad turns on the Do Not Disturb settings during these hours each day. If you’re worried about disabling or enabling the feature then scheduling is meant for you. You can use it, if you don’t want to be disturbed by calls or notifications on your work phone after work hours.

You can follow these simple steps to schedule the Do Not Disturb settings.

• Launch the Settings app
• Tap on Notifications under the Do not Disturb toggle
• Then tap on Do Not Disturb
• Tap on the Scheduled toggle to enable it.

• Tap on the From/To section and choose the hours for when you don’t want to be disturbed