How to Enable Do Not Disturb While Driving in iOS 11

Do Not Disturb While Driving is an iOS 11 feature that automatically silences notifications and calls when it detects you are driving, helping you stay focused on the road. This guide walks you through enabling it, setting up automatic activation, and customizing how it behaves. You’ll need an iPhone running iOS 11 or later and, for automatic detection, a phone with a motion coprocessor (iPhone 5s or newer).

What You’ll Need

An iPhone running iOS 11 or later
For automatic activation: iPhone 5s or newer (with motion coprocessor)
Bluetooth or CarPlay connection for car-based activation (optional)

Step-by-Step

Open Settings. Tap the gray gear icon on your home screen.
Tap Do Not Disturb. It’s in the third group of settings, below Sounds & Haptics and above Screen Time.
Scroll down to the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” section. It’s near the bottom of the Do Not Disturb settings page.
Tap “Activate.” You’ll see three options:
- Automatically: Uses the iPhone’s motion sensors to detect when you’re driving.
- When Connected to Car Bluetooth: Activates when your iPhone connects to your car’s Bluetooth system.
- Manually: You turn it on yourself from Control Center.
Choose the one that fits your driving habits. For most people, “Automatically” works best.
Select your activation method. Tap the option you want. A checkmark appears next to it.
Set up auto-reply (optional). While still in the Do Not Disturb settings, tap “Auto-Reply To” and choose who gets an automatic text reply when you’re driving: Favorites, Recents, or No One. The default is Favorites.
Customize the auto-reply message (optional). Tap “Auto-Reply” to edit the message that’s sent. The default is “I’m driving right now. I’ll check my messages when I get where I’m going.”
Exit Settings. Your changes are saved automatically.

Common Mistakes

Choosing “Automatically” but expecting it to work on older iPhones. Automatic detection requires a motion coprocessor (iPhone 5s or newer). On older models, the option may not appear or may not work reliably.
Not enabling the feature at all. If you skip step 4, Do Not Disturb While Driving stays off by default.
Setting auto-reply to “No One” and then wondering why you don’t get replies. If you choose “No One,” no automatic responses are sent.
Thinking the feature is broken when it doesn’t activate during short trips. The motion detection may take a minute or two to kick in, especially if you’re driving slowly or in stop-and-go traffic.
Forgetting that manual activation exists. You can always turn it on from Control Center if you’re a passenger or on a bus.

Tips

Use CarPlay if you have it. When your iPhone is connected to CarPlay, Do Not Disturb While Driving activates automatically, regardless of your chosen setting.
Add Do Not Disturb While Driving to Control Center. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, then add “Do Not Disturb While Driving” for quick manual toggling.
Allow calls from certain people. In Do Not Disturb settings, you can allow calls from Favorites or everyone. If you need to receive urgent calls, set “Allow Calls From” to Favorites.
Tell passengers about the feature. If someone is using your phone while you drive, they can tap “I’m Not Driving” on the lock screen to disable the feature temporarily.
Check your emergency override. If you need to use your phone while driving (e.g., to pull over), you can tap “I’m Not Driving” on the lock screen notification.

Troubleshooting

If Do Not Disturb While Driving doesn’t activate as expected, try these fixes:

Make sure the feature is enabled. Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb and confirm “Activate” is set to something other than “Off.”
Restart your iPhone. A simple reboot can fix many glitches.
Check your motion sensors. If you chose “Automatically,” ensure your iPhone is not in a fixed position (like a dashboard mount) that might confuse the motion sensor. Try placing it in a cup holder or your pocket.
Update iOS. If you’re on an early iOS 11 version, updating to the latest iOS 11 or later may fix bugs.
Reset all settings. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. This won’t delete your data but will restore default settings, which can resolve conflicts.
If using Bluetooth activation, re-pair your car’s Bluetooth. Delete the car from Settings > Bluetooth, then pair it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Do Not Disturb While Driving block calls from my boss?

Yes, unless you’ve set “Allow Calls From” to Favorites and your boss is in your Favorites. You can also allow repeated calls (if someone calls twice within 3 minutes, the second call will come through) by enabling “Repeated Calls” in Do Not Disturb settings.

Can I still use navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze?

Yes. Do Not Disturb While Driving only silences notifications and calls. Navigation apps continue to work and provide voice directions. However, you won’t see text message notifications or receive non-navigation alerts.

How do I turn it off while I’m a passenger?

When the feature activates, you’ll see a lock screen notification. Tap “I’m Not Driving” to disable it for that trip. You can also manually toggle it from Control Center if you’ve added it.

Does it work when I’m riding a bike or using public transit?

Yes, the motion sensor can’t tell the difference between driving and other forms of transportation. It may activate on a train or bus. You can manually turn it off if needed.

Will I still get notifications from apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger?

No, all notifications are silenced while Do Not Disturb While Driving is active. The auto-reply only works for text messages and iMessage, not third-party apps.

Can I schedule Do Not Disturb While Driving?

No, this feature doesn’t have a schedule. It’s based on motion, Bluetooth, or manual activation. If you want scheduled silence, use the regular Do Not Disturb feature.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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