iPhone outline with an Apple logo

Apple’s “Do Not Disturb While Driving” is a potentially lifesaving iPhone feature, but it doesn’t always turn on automatically at the appropriate time. For example, you might be a passenger in a moving car, but your iPhone may think you’re the one driving. In those cases, here’s how to turn it off.

First, open “Settings” by tapping the gray “gear” icon.

In “Settings,” tap “Do Not Disturb.”

Tap "Do Not Disturb" in Settings on iPhone.

In “Do Not Disturb” settings, scroll down until you see the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” section. Tap “Activate.”

In iPhone "Do Not Disturb" settings, tap "Activate."

On the next screen, you will see a list of options that determines when Do Not Disturb While Driving activates. The options are “Automatically,” “When Connected to Car Bluetooth,” and “Manually.” In this case, we’ll be disabling the automatic feature entirely, so tap “Manually.”

In "Do Not Disturb While Driving" activation settings, tap "Manually."

After that, Do Not Disturb While Driving will only turn on if you manually activate it using the crescent moon-shaped icon in Control Center. Safe travels!

RELATED: How to Temporarily Enable Do Not Disturb Mode on iPhone

Profile Photo for Benj Edwards Benj Edwards
Benj Edwards is a former Associate Editor for How-To Geek. Now, he is an AI and Machine Learning Reporter for Ars Technica. For over 15 years, he has written about technology and tech history for sites such as The Atlantic, Fast Company, PCMag, PCWorld, Macworld, Ars Technica, and Wired. In 2005, he created Vintage Computing and Gaming, a blog devoted to tech history. He also created The Culture of Tech podcast and regularly contributes to the Retronauts retrogaming podcast.
Read Full Bio »