Quick Answer
Start with what your iPhone already includes: a Focus (Settings > Focus), a Scheduled Summary for notifications (Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Summary), and Time Allowances in Screen Time (Settings > Screen Time). If you also want your own notes in front of you, NoteWall, our app, writes them onto your Lock Screen wallpaper; it needs a subscription. These are everyday tips, not medical advice.
Why do phone notifications make it harder to focus?
Because a notification can pull your attention away even when you never touch the phone. In one well-known lab study, getting a call or text without answering it was enough to hurt performance on an attention task. The study was not about ADHD, so treat it as a reason to cut interruptions, not as a diagnosis.
Stothart, Mitchum & Yehnert (2015), Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. The Association for Psychological Science summary reports about three times the probability of a mistake for students who received a message during the task. Limits: college students, a lab task, and not an ADHD study.
You can read the Association for Psychological Science write-up or the paper itself (doi:10.1037/xhp0000100). The students were randomly assigned to get a call, a text or nothing, and the researchers contacted each student's own phone. That makes the finding about interruptions in general, which is why the settings below focus on reducing them.
Which built-in iPhone settings help with focus?
Five built-in tools cover most of it: a Focus to silence notifications, a Scheduled Summary to batch them, Time Allowances in Screen Time, Home Screen folders, and Voice Memos to capture a thought. All come with iPhone and cost nothing. The menu names below follow Apple's current iOS 27 guides and may differ on older versions.
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Focus: Apple says Focus "helps you concentrate on a task by minimizing distractions" and can "temporarily silence all notifications, or allow only specific notifications." Go to Settings > Focus, tap a Focus such as Do Not Disturb or Work, then tap People or Apps to choose what can still reach you. To silence everything quickly, open Control Center, tap Focus, then turn on Do Not Disturb. Source: Set up a Focus on iPhone.
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Scheduled Summary: Apple describes it as a way "to minimize interruptions from notifications throughout the day." Go to Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Summary, turn it on, set the times, then tap A to Z to choose which apps are included. Source: Change notification settings on iPhone.
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Screen Time: Apple's guide says you can use Time Allowances to balance time across entertainment, games and social media apps, found under Settings > Screen Time > Time Allowances. For a reality check, go to Settings > Screen Time > Daily Average and scroll to Pickups and Notifications. Source: Set up Screen Time for yourself on iPhone.
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Home Screen folders: Touch and hold the Home Screen background until the apps jiggle, then drag one app onto another to make a folder; Apple notes a folder can hold multiple pages of apps. Putting a distracting app in a folder is one way to add a step before you open it (that part is our suggestion, not Apple's). Source: Organize your apps in folders on iPhone.
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Voice Memos: Open the Voice Memos app (in the Utilities folder), tap the record button, and tap it again to stop. Apple says the recording is saved as New Recording, and you can rename it by tapping the recording, then the name. Source: Make a recording in Voice Memos on iPhone.
Can notes on your Lock Screen help you remember what to do?
They can, if a short list in view each time you pick up your phone is the cue you need. It is a visual reminder, not a treatment, and it works differently for different people. You can make one yourself as a wallpaper image, or use an app that writes the notes into the wallpaper for you.
Disclosure: NoteWall is our app. It writes your own notes into your Lock Screen wallpaper through an Apple Shortcut. Other apps, such as LockScreenNotes and 3minders, also put notes on the Lock Screen, so compare a few before you choose. For the general idea, see our guide to putting a note on your iPhone Lock Screen.
NoteWall is listed on the App Store as "Lock Screen Notes: NoteWall" from seller Karol Billik. It is iPhone only and needs iOS 17.0 or later. iOS does not let apps change the wallpaper directly, so NoteWall uses a Shortcut called "Set NoteWall Wallpaper". As of October 28, 2026, the US App Store shows version 2.4.1 and an average rating of 4.4 from 109 ratings. A subscription is required, and the App Store shows the terms before you pay. Per NoteWall's own FAQ, setup takes about 2 minutes:
Install the Set NoteWall Wallpaper shortcut.
Add your notes.
Choose a wallpaper background.
Allow permissions: tap Allow for every prompt.
Generate and apply the wallpaper.
The Shortcut step is the fiddly part for many people. If the wallpaper does not change, our troubleshooting guide on a Shortcut not changing the Lock Screen wallpaper on iPhone may help. Typically 3-8 notes fit, depending on their length, so keep the list to the few things that matter today.
Where should you start?
Pick one change this week, not five. Set up a single Focus or turn on Scheduled Summary, then notice whether your day feels quieter. Add a Lock Screen note only if you want your own words in view. These are everyday tips, not medical advice; for ADHD diagnosis or treatment, talk to a qualified clinician.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are short answers on cost, updating your notes and what a Focus does. The Apple settings above come with iPhone, while NoteWall is a separate app with its own terms, so the first question is the one most people ask.
Is NoteWall free?
No. A subscription is required to use NoteWall, and the App Store shows the terms before you pay. Apple's built-in tools covered above, including Focus, Scheduled Summary, Screen Time, folders and Voice Memos, cost nothing.
How do I change the text on my NoteWall Lock Screen?
Per NoteWall's FAQ, edit a note and tap "Update Wallpaper". The Shortcut opens and takes about 5 seconds. You can also swipe left on a note to mark it done, which shows it with a strikethrough.
Does a Focus block every notification?
Not necessarily. Apple says a Focus can temporarily silence all notifications or allow only specific ones. In Settings > Focus, tap a Focus, then tap People or Apps to choose who and what can still get through.
Keep Reading: If you found this helpful, check out these related guides:
ADHD Object Permanence Reminders on iPhone That Stick
How to Remember Tasks Throughout the Day: Cues That Work
For a comprehensive overview, visit our ADHD Focus Tips.
Try NoteWall on Your Lock Screen
NoteWall is one of several apps that put notes on the Lock Screen. It writes your own notes into your wallpaper using an Apple Shortcut. iPhone only, iOS 17.0 or later, and a subscription is required; the App Store shows the terms before you pay.
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