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What does half moon mean on iPhone (and how to get rid of it)

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Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Herby has a healthy obsession with all things technology, especially smartphones. He loves to rip things apart to see how they work. He is responsible for the editorial direction, strategy, and growth of Gotechtor.

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As an iPhone user, you may have seen a small half moon (crescent moon) icon next to your text messages. It may confuse you and makes you wonder:

What does half moon mean on iPhone? And how do I get rid of the crescent moon on my iPhone?

The short answer is the half moon is a symbol of “Do Not Disturb” mode. Continue scrolling through to get into more details.

What does the moon mean next to a message on iPhone?

A crescent moon icon next to your text messages is not an indication of iMessage problems. It means that you have enabled the “Do Not Disturb” mode for a specific conversation. You may even think something is wrong with your iMessage

You’ll get no notifications of new incoming messages from that particular conversion. But your unread messages will sit there so you can read them at your convenience. This feature comes in handy when you prefer not to block someone on iMessage.

The moon icon will appear in two different colors, blue or gray. A blue icon means the person hasn’t opened up and read your messages.

blue crescent moon iMessage
Screenshot: Herby Jasmin/Gotechtor

While a gray icon tells you that the recipient of your messages has opened up and read them.

gray crescent moon iMessage
Screenshot: Herby Jasmin/Gotechtor

What does half moon mean on iPhone?

If the half moon icon only appears in the status bar at the top of the home screen, it means you’ve turned on the “Do Not Disturb” mode.

All your phone calls will go straight to voicemail. You’ll still receive text messages, but you won’t see any notifications when new ones come in.

Screenshot: Herby Jasmin/Gotechtor

Moreover, your apps won’t be able to send you notifications even if you’ve allowed them to do so.

How to remove crescent moon on iPhone

Now that you know what the crescent moon on iPhone means, time to get rid of it. Removing the crescent moon icon on your iPhone is fast and simple.

Option 1: Access the control center by pulling up on your iPhone screen (or from the upper right corner on the iPhone X and later).

Then, tap the half moon icon to turn off the “Do Not Disturb” mode. The little box will turn white when “DND” mode is turned on. This will remove the crescent moon icon in the status bar of your iPhone.

Screenshot: Herby Jasmin/Gotechtor

Option 2: Go to your iPhone settings, and tap “Do Not Disturb.” Move the slider on the right to the off position (light gray). You’ll have many options to choose from, such as scheduling a time period.

How do I get rid of the moon next to my text messages?

Hide alerts in iMessage
Screenshot: Herby Jasmin/Gotechtor

Here’s how to get rid of the crescent moon to the left of a text message on your iPhone.

  1. Open the Messages app and select the conversation where the half moon appears.
  2. Next, tap on the circle “i” or “Details” button on the top right corner of the messages thread. This will take you to the “Details” screen, where you can turn the “Do Not Disturb” mode off.

For iOS 11 or later, tap on the person’s name at the top of the conversation thread. An options panel will appear; tap on the “i” or “info” button. Then, slide the button next to “Hide Alerts” to the off position. (It’s light gray when OFF, and green when ON)

You could also swipe left on the conversation (without actually opening it up) and tap “Hide Alerts” on the right.

If you have any feedback or questions, then please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Herby has a healthy obsession with all things technology, especially smartphones. He loves to rip things apart to see how they work. He is responsible for the editorial direction, strategy, and growth of Gotechtor.

Herby Jasmin

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