I installed the new iOS 16 and finally set up my work calendar account to sync with my phone, mostly so I could take advantage of viewing all my calendar events (personal and professional) in the calendar widget on my Home Screen.
Up until now, I’ve just had my personal events in iCloud in the native calendar app and work events in the Google Calendar app. Annoying to check two calendars when making dentist appointments? Oh absolutely. Still an improvement from when I worked at Verizon and they gave us a separate phone! Anyway. At least this way I only looked at my work calendar when I was in work mode.
I thought the new focus mode feature would be my savior. I logged into my work account through settings, only enabled calendars (I really don’t want commingled mail thank you very much!), clicked through a bunch of calendar notifications (including a coworker’s vacation from April. Thanks Apple.) and — focus modes filters work by hiding things only!?!?!
Like you’re telling me I have to see my work and personal calendar events all commingled together. But then I can turn on my “work” focus and hide my personal calendars? Thanks, I guess? This is the opposite of what I want! I want to hide my work calendars until I’m, you know, working. I don’t need my damn 9am Monday meeting showing up on my Lock Screen all weekend long thank you very much.
No problem, I thought, I could just create a shortcut to hide work calendars when the work focus mode turns off. Noooope! You can’t change calendar visibility from shortcuts, so far as I can see.
So should I just leave my phone in a “personal“ focus mode 100% of the time I’m not working? I guess I could do that, and then set the notification/text to allow all notifications — oh this isn’t supported on my SE3 watch that’s not going to get anymore updates.
Ugh. Maybe I should just go back to two phones.