How to Allow Favorite Calls on Do Not Disturb iOS 12

Apple's iOS 12 allows you to receive incoming phone calls from your favorite contacts while Do Not Disturb mode is active. This feature ensures that you remain undisturbed by unwanted alerts and unknown callers while remaining reachable to close family members, friends, or important colleagues in an emergency. Setting this up requires adding the desired people to your Favorites list and configuring the Do Not Disturb settings to allow incoming calls from that group.

Step 1: Add Contacts to Your Favorites List

Before adjusting your settings, ensure the contacts you want to hear from are saved to your Favorites list:

  1. Open the Phone app on your iOS 12 device.
  2. Tap the Favorites tab in the bottom-left corner.
  3. Tap the + (plus) icon in the top-left corner.
  4. Select the contact you want to add, then tap Call and choose their phone number.

Step 2: Configure Do Not Disturb to Allow Favorites

Once your Favorites list is updated, configure your system settings:

  1. Open the Settings app on your device.
  2. Tap Do Not Disturb.
  3. Under the Phone section, tap Allow Calls From.
  4. Select Favorites.

A checkmark will appear next to Favorites. From this point forward, whenever Do Not Disturb is turned on—whether manually or via a scheduled timeframe—calls from anyone on your Favorites list will ring through normally, while all other calls and notifications will be silenced.

Optional: Enable Repeated Calls

If you want an extra layer of reachability for people not on your Favorites list, you can enable the Repeated Calls setting:

  1. Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb.
  2. Toggle the switch next to Repeated Calls to the On (green) position.

When this is active, a second call from the same person made within three minutes will not be silenced, allowing urgent calls from non-favorites to get through.