Focus mode with “share across devices” disabled

[josh1014]

Seems like this use case should be possible but I can’t get it to work.

I am trying to use a work focus mode on my ipad that automatically enables/disables based on location. However, I do not want my iphone to go into this focus mode at all. My iphone is my primary device where location services are tracked for “share my location”. In the focus mode settings on my ipad, it does correctly say that my location will be determined by my iphone. If I have “share across devices” enabled on my iphone and ipad, then they both successfully go in and out of this work focus mode based on my location. When I disable share across devices on one or both of the devices, the ipad no longer goes into focus mode based on my iphone’s location.

Any idea how to get this to work? It seems I have to rely on my iphone’s location for focus modes because changing it to my ipad is a global setting that would wreck my iphone’s location services, but if “share across devices” is disabled, then even though it still says it will use my iphone’s location in the focus setting, it doesn’t actually work.

 

[NoBoMac]

I can't test this now, but I think the Share Across Devices switch needs to be disabled on the iPad and won't break anything.

Turn off SAD switch on the iPad. Create a new Focus on the iPad and give it a location/automation for the work location.

In theory, the iPad will recognize that the phone is at work and will turn on the iPad-only Focus.

 

[josh1014]

Yeah, I’ve tried it with SAD switch off on both, only enabled on the iphone and only enabled on the ipad. In none of those three situations will it enable a focus on my ipad based on my phone’s location.

It only works when SAD is enabled on both devices, putting both my phone and my iPad in Work Focus, which is not what I am trying to accomplish.

 

[josh1014]

I had a friend try to replicate on his devices with same results. Doesn’t seem to allow a device that isn’t the designated location services “Share my Location” device to use location based focus mode automation unless it is synced to the primary device via “Share Across Devices”, thereby making it impossible to have an ipad do location based focus modes without the primary iphone doing it too.

Can anybody confirm whether this is still broken on ios 16?