Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How to set up Theater Mode on Apple Watch to avoid distractions at work

Theater Mode – or Cinema Mode – is a handy Apple Watch feature designed to limit disturbances when you’re at the cinema or watching a theatre show, but did you know it can also be used to avoid distractions at work? 

Theater Mode prevents your watch screen from lighting up and drawing attention when you raise your wrist. It also halts any annoying alerts by switching on silent mode and makes your Walkie-Talkie status unavailable. That doesn’t mean you can’t receive messages, but they’ll come through a lot quieter as haptic notifications. 

Keep reading to learn how to use Theater Mode on your Apple Watch. 

What you’ll need 

  • An Apple Watch 
  • WatchOS 3.2 or later 

The Short Version 

  1. Press the side button 
  2. Tap the Theater Mode icon 
  3. Select Theater Mode

How to set up Theater Mode on Apple Watch to avoid distractions at work

  1. Step
    1

    Press the side button on your Apple Watch

    This will open the Control Center. How to set up Theater Mode on Apple Watch to avoid distractions at work 1

  2. Step
    2

    Tap the Theater Mode icon

    This is the icon that looks like two masks overlapping.How to set up Theater Mode on Apple Watch to avoid distractions at work 2

  3. Step
    3

    You should receive a notification that Theater Mode/Cinema Mode is on

    The notification will disappear after a second but the icon will turn and remain orange as long as Theater Mode is on.How to set up Theater Mode on Apple Watch to avoid distractions at work 3

Troubleshooting

How to turn Theater Mode off

To turn off Theater Mode, wake your Apple Watch by tapping the display, pressing the Digital Crown or side button, or turning the Digital Crown. Then, just follow the steps above and tap the Theater Mode icon again to switch it off.

Will you still receive notifications in Theater Mode?

Theater Mode switches on silent mode but you’ll still be able to receive haptic notifications on your wrist, making it a great choice for the office where you might be expecting important calls and emails. If you want to turn off haptic notifications too, you’ll need to use Do Not Disturb.

Why trust our journalism?

Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

author icon

Editorial independence

Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

author icon

Professional conduct

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.

Trusted Reviews Logo

Sign up and get the best deals straight to your phone

Skip the hunt - get the latest discounts delivered directly to WhatsApp by signing up to the Trusted deals Whatsapp Channel.

Get Access