The moon icon on your iPhone means Do Not Disturb is turned on. While it’s on, calls, texts, and notifications are silenced and won’t light up your screen. To turn it off, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Center and tap the Do Not Disturb (moon) button. If the moon keeps coming back, Do Not Disturb is probably on a schedule, which you can change in Settings > Focus.
A moon can also appear in a few other places, and each one means something slightly different. Here’s what each moon means and how to handle it.
What the moon means in different places
| Where you see the moon | What it means |
|---|---|
| Status bar at the top, next to the time | Do Not Disturb is on |
| Lock Screen, with “Do Not Disturb” written below the time | Do Not Disturb is on, and notifications are silenced |
| In Messages, under a contact’s message or in a chat | That person has a Focus on and chose to share their status: “has notifications silenced” |
| Next to a conversation in the Messages list (older iOS versions) | You hid alerts for that conversation. Newer versions show a bell with a line through it instead. |
| In Control Center, on the Focus button | The button that turns Do Not Disturb on and off |
Other Focus modes use different icons. A bed means Sleep, a person means Personal, an ID badge means Work, and a car means Driving.
How to turn off Do Not Disturb
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Center. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge.
- Tap the Do Not Disturb button (or Focus) so the moon is no longer highlighted.
You can also touch and hold the moon on the Lock Screen and tap Do Not Disturb to turn it off, or go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb.
Why does the moon keep turning back on?
1. It’s on a schedule
- Open Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb.
- Under Set a Schedule, tap each schedule.
- Turn off Schedule, or tap Delete Schedule.
2. It’s shared across your Apple devices
If you turn on Do Not Disturb on your iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch, it turns on for your iPhone too. To stop this, go to Settings > Focus and turn off Share Across Devices.
3. A smart activation or automation turns it on
In the Do Not Disturb settings, check for Smart Activation under the schedule list and turn it off. Also check the Shortcuts app > Automation for anything that turns on a Focus.
4. Sleep Focus is linked to your sleep schedule
If you see a bed rather than a moon at night, it’s Sleep Focus. Change it in the Health app > Browse > Sleep > Full Schedule & Options.
What happens when Do Not Disturb is on
- Calls go to voicemail, and notifications are delivered silently to Notification Center.
- Alarms still ring.
- Your Favorites can still call you, depending on your settings.
- If the same person calls twice within three minutes, the second call rings when Allow Repeated Calls is on.
- If you share your Focus status, people who text you in Messages see that you have notifications silenced. They can choose Notify Anyway for urgent messages.
How to let certain people through
- Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb.
- Tap People and add contacts under Allow Notifications From.
- Tap Apps to allow important apps, like your calendar or a work app.
What if I see a moon next to someone’s message?
That person has a Focus turned on and chose to share their status. You’ll see “has notifications silenced” below the chat. Your message was still delivered. They just won’t get an alert right away. It isn’t a sign that they blocked you.
Frequently asked questions
Does the moon mean my iPhone is in Low Power Mode?
No. Low Power Mode turns the battery icon yellow. The moon is only for Do Not Disturb.
Can someone tell if I have Do Not Disturb on?
Only if Focus Status sharing is on. Turn it off in Settings > Focus > Focus Status.
Why don’t I get notifications even without the moon?
Another Focus might be on, like Sleep or Work, or notifications might be turned off for that app in Settings > Notifications. Also check that the Ring/Silent switch or Action button isn’t set to silent.
How do I get rid of the moon on the Lock Screen?
Turn off Do Not Disturb. The moon and the “Do Not Disturb” label disappear from the Lock Screen right away.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.