In the few weeks that I've had access to Apple Intelligence on my phone, I've kept "Reduce Interruptions" mode on nearly the entire time. To paraphrase Apple, Reduce Interruptions uses an on-device AI model to screen incoming notifications and silence anything that isn’t urgent or important. And let me tell you, it’s a revelation.
The funny thing is, almost nothing has gotten through the filter. A friend's text about a trip he was taking (not particularly urgent, but it included the words "right now,” which was enough to confuse poor Apple Intelligence). Some calls. And that's pretty much it. It really exposes how much of the urgency we feel when seeing those little red bubbles is completely manufactured.
A helpful guide to what’s happening here is the Priority Matrix (usually known as the Urgent/Important Matrix), a framework for sorting incoming information. In an ideal world, only Quadrant 1 information—things both urgent and important—would ever ping us. That might be something like a friend texting they're outside, or the workshop calling to update you on whether it's finally time to put your beater Subaru out to pasture. Instead, we get intrusive beeps almost exclusively from Quadrant 4—things like Google Maps wanting you to check out new restaurants in your neighborhood, or an email about a flash sale on toe socks. Suffice it to say, very few of the things crying for our attention actually deserve it. And Reduce Interruptions helps remind us of this.
In practice, it's basically Do Not Disturb—but it does something special psychologically. It allows us to comfortably say, "Actually, I'll just leave DND on." It provides the social cover of having a personal assistant who gently tells callers, "They're in a meeting right now," even if you're just enjoying a quiet cup of coffee and staring out the window. This virtual secretary isn't blocking your notifications; they're just delivering them at the right moment—which is when you consciously choose to reach out, unlock your phone, and open your notification panel.
And here's the thing: that assistant isn't lying. You are in an important meeting with yourself and your thoughts, one that deserves protection from the constant barrage of alerts demanding your immediate attention. Don’t let a news alert, forgotten tomorrow, get in the way of enjoying your day.
Throughout most of history, communication had natural delays built in, creating space for thought and presence. Letters took days or weeks to arrive. Even after telephones became common, if you weren't home, callers simply had to try again later. Immediate accessibility was never expected, yet businesses still ran, relationships still flourished, and society continued to function just fine.
Reducing interruptions helps bring us back to this time when communication was spacious and deliberate. Our collective insistence that we must respond to any incoming notification immediately is unhealthy and stressful. It doesn't let us switch off and do whatever else we'd like to do with our short time on this planet.
Before mobile phones, you had to choose to sit at your desktop to read an email. You had to choose to open the envelope to get a letter. You had to choose to pick up the receiver to dial a call. You chose the timing of all these interactions. Reduce Interruption returns that choice to you.
Treat yourself to some freedom from interruption. You deserve it.
Published March 6, 2025