Time Sensitive Notifications iPhone: Meaning & Turn Off
Understand what “Time Sensitive” means on iPhone notifications, how to turn off or allow them in Focus/Do Not Disturb, and how to set them per app in iOS.
Apple’s Time Sensitive notifications on the iPhone are a special class of alerts designed to ensure you don’t miss anything truly urgent or important. Introduced with iOS 15 alongside the Focus mode feature, these notifications have a higher priority level and can break through Do Not Disturb or Focus mode restrictions when necessary. If you’ve ever seen a notification on your iPhone labeled “Time Sensitive,” you might wonder what that means. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain what Time Sensitive notifications are, why they matter, how to use them, and how to turn them off if needed, all while answering common questions about this feature.
What Are Time Sensitive Notifications on iPhone?
Time Sensitive notifications are a type of notification meant for alerts that require your immediate attention. Unlike regular notifications, Time Sensitive ones are considered urgent – they will notify you right away and even override certain iPhone settings that would normally silence or delay notifications. For example, notifications marked as Time Sensitive can bypass your scheduled Notification Summary and Focus/Do Not Disturb settings to alert you immediately. They also stay on your Lock Screen for up to an hour, prominently labeled as "Time Sensitive," so you’re less likely to overlook them.
Apple added Time Sensitive notifications in iOS 15 as part of improving notification management. Prior to iOS 15, all notifications were treated the same way – you could silence an app or allow it, but there was no built-in differentiation for urgent alerts. Now, apps (and iOS itself) can flag certain notifications as “Time Sensitive” if they contain time-critical information. Typical examples include:
Communication or delivery alerts: A ride-share app notifying you that your car has arrived, a food delivery update, or someone at your door (from a doorbell camera app).
Reminders and calendar events: Important reminders (e.g., medication time) or calendar events happening soon.
Security or financial notifications: Banking apps might warn of suspicious login attempts, or Find My might alert you that you left an AirTag or device behind.
Health and safety alerts: For instance, an app that monitors health vitals might send an urgent warning. (For truly critical, life-and-death alerts like severe weather or emergency warnings, Apple uses a higher category called Critical Alerts, which are even more urgent than Time Sensitive and always break through silent mode.)
Under the hood, iOS classifies notifications into four interruption levels: Passive, Active, Time Sensitive, and Critical. Passive are the least intrusive (no sound or vibration), Active are standard alerts (your iPhone makes a sound or banner as usual), Time Sensitive are high-priority (breaking through focus modes with notification banner and sound), and Critical are reserved for the most urgent alerts (like government or health emergency alerts which even bypass the mute switch). Time Sensitive notifications sit right below Critical in priority – they will alert you prominently but you have some control over them, whereas Critical alerts require special permission from Apple and are very rare.
Example: A Time Sensitive notification appears with a prominent label and remains on the Lock Screen longer than usual. iOS may also ask if you want to keep receiving Time Sensitive alerts from that app or turn them off. If an app abuses this feature or you find the alerts unnecessary, you can disable Time Sensitive notifications for that app in Settings.
It’s worth noting that you, as the user, do not manually mark notifications as Time Sensitive – it’s determined by the app’s developers and the iOS system. Apple provides guidelines to developers to only flag truly urgent notifications with this status. Some native Apple apps like Messages, Calendar, Reminders, and third-party apps (e.g., delivery or home security apps) make use of Time Sensitive notifications. Not all apps support Time Sensitive notifications, so you might not see the option for every app in your settings. If an app doesn’t support them, its notifications will just come through as normal Active alerts (or be silenced by Focus modes as usual).
Why Time Sensitive Notifications Are Useful
Time Sensitive notifications exist to help you strike a balance between staying focused and staying informed. Here are a few key benefits and reasons why Apple introduced them:
Never miss urgent alerts: With Time Sensitive notifications enabled, you can put your iPhone on Focus or Do Not Disturb and still get notified about critical things. It gives peace of mind that truly important info will get through.
Reduce distractions from non-urgent pings: By filtering out less important notifications (using Focus modes or scheduled summaries) and only letting Time Sensitive ones interrupt you, you can improve your productivity and concentration. (If you want deeper control—like blocking specific apps and websites during focus sessions—Refocus is an iPhone app that helps you control screen time by blocking apps & sites so fewer notifications get generated in the first place.)
User control and customization: You can allow or disallow Time Sensitive notifications on a per-app basis. If you trust an app to only send crucial alerts, leave them enabled. If an app is overusing the label for things you don’t find urgent, turn it off for that app.
Stays visible longer: Time Sensitive notifications persist on the lock screen for an hour, giving you a longer window to notice and act on them.
In short, Time Sensitive notifications are important for ensuring you’re alerted to time-critical information while still allowing you to silence the noise from everything else.
How to Enable and Set Up Time Sensitive Notifications on iPhone
Time Sensitive notifications can be managed in two main places: per app in your notification settings, and within Focus mode settings. By default, if an app supports Time Sensitive alerts, this capability is enabled for that app (meaning it can send Time Sensitive notifications). However, those notifications might still be blocked by Focus modes unless you specifically allow them. Here’s how to configure both:
Verify Time Sensitive Is On for an App
Open Settings > Notifications.
Under Notification Style, tap the app (e.g., Messages, Calendar, or a third-party app).
Ensure Time Sensitive Notifications is ON. If the option isn’t present, that app likely doesn’t support Time Sensitive alerts.
Allow Time Sensitive Notifications to Bypass Focus Modes
Open Settings > Focus and select a Focus (e.g., Do Not Disturb, Work, Sleep).
Tap Apps under Allowed Notifications.
Turn Time Sensitive Notifications ON. This lets any app deliver Time Sensitive alerts immediately, even if it isn’t explicitly allowed in that Focus.
Repeat for each Focus profile where you want urgent notifications to break through. (Note: Notification Summary always lets Time Sensitive alerts through immediately; they aren’t held for later.)
Focus Modes | Sleep Focus Mode | Focus Mode Notifications |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
How to Turn Off Time Sensitive Notifications on iPhone
If an app is overusing the feature—or you want no interruptions during a certain Focus—here’s how to turn Time Sensitive off.
Turn Off Time Sensitive for a Specific App
Settings > Notifications.
Tap the app.
Toggle Time Sensitive Notifications OFF.
You’ll still get the app’s notifications (if Allow Notifications is on), but they’ll be treated as normal priority and won’t bypass Focus.
(If you also want to cut down on distractions at the source, Refocus can block selected apps & websites entirely during your work or study sessions—fewer notifications, fewer temptations.)
Disable Time Sensitive During a Focus
Settings > Focus > choose the Focus.
Tap Apps.
Toggle Time Sensitive Notifications OFF for that Focus.
Now, when that Focus is active, even Time Sensitive alerts won’t break through.
Managing People’s Messages as Urgent (Bonus Tip)
Beyond app alerts, Apple offers Emergency Bypass and “Notify Anyway” options for people. Edit a contact and enable Emergency Bypass for calls or texts to let that person reach you even in Focus or Silent. You can also allow specific people within a Focus so their messages aren’t silenced. This complements Time Sensitive by ensuring VIP contacts can always get through.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does “Time Sensitive” mean on iPhone notifications?
It means the app and iOS flagged the alert as urgent. Time Sensitive notifications are delivered immediately, can break through Focus/Do Not Disturb (if allowed), and stay on the Lock Screen longer.
What are Time Sensitive notifications used for?
For time-critical info—delivery arrivals, ride-share pick-ups, urgent reminders, financial/security alerts, and certain health or safety notifications. Developers decide which alerts qualify.
Can I mark a notification as Time Sensitive myself?
No. Only apps can classify their own notifications as Time Sensitive. Your control is to allow or disallow that capability per app and per Focus.
Do all apps support Time Sensitive notifications?
No. Many Apple and popular third-party apps do, but not all. If an app doesn’t support it, you won’t see the toggle in its notification settings.
How are Time Sensitive notifications different from Critical Alerts?
Critical Alerts are a higher level reserved for emergencies and can override the mute switch and all Focus modes. Time Sensitive alerts are urgent but not life-or-death, and you can turn them off per app/Focus.
Will Time Sensitive alerts work if my phone is on silent or in Do Not Disturb?
They’ll still appear (and light the screen) and can sound if your physical Silent switch isn’t on—provided you’ve allowed Time Sensitive in that Focus. If the Silent switch is on, you’ll see them but won’t hear them.
How long do Time Sensitive notifications stay on the Lock Screen?
Up to 1 hour if you don’t act on them, after which you can still find them in Notification Center.
I saw “Time Sensitive Message Failed to Send.” What is that?
That’s typically an iMessage send failure surfaced as a Time Sensitive alert so you notice and retry. Persistent occurrences may indicate connectivity issues or carrier settings to check.
Conclusion
Time Sensitive notifications on the iPhone give you more control over what can interrupt you and ensure truly important alerts don’t get buried. Configure them per app and Focus mode to strike the right balance between staying focused and staying informed. (And if you want an easy way to keep distractions off your phone while you work or study, Refocus helps you control screen time by blocking apps and websites—a perfect complement to iOS Focus and Time Sensitive settings.)
