Gmail finally adds support for iOS' Focus mode

Apple introduced Focus mode in iOS 15 late last year, but some apps still don’t support the feature. Just like Android’s Digital Wellbeing tool, iOS’ Focus mode lets users set notification, call and message filters, and adds the ability to auto-reply to others when they’re not available.

Think of it like an upgraded version of the Do Not Disturb feature. If you’re using an iPhone or iPad running iOS 15, you’ve probably used Focus mode in some measure, but one thing that you definitely couldn’t customize was Gmail’s behavior.

Gmail didn’t offer full support for iOS’ Focus mode until recently, but Google announced that iOS users should now be able to set which Google Chat and Gmail contacts they still want notifications from when their iPhone is in Focus mode.

It’s welcomed change that comes in handy when you need to limit screen time, yet don’t want to miss an important message when other notifications are silenced. According to Google, support for iOS’s Focus mode will arrive for Gmail users in the next two weeks.

The feature will be available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers. Users with personal Google accounts will benefit from the new feature too.