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How to use focus assist in windows 11.

October 06, 2021

It's all too easy to let distractions like social media or videos tempt us away from what we're supposed to be doing, like writing articles on Windows 11. 

Operating systems are now including features such as Focus assist to help us keep our eyes on the road, so to speak. Focus Assist was first introduced in a 2018 update to Windows 10, replacing a feature known as Quiet Hours, and while Windows 11 doesn't bring any significant changes, it does make the tool easier to use.

 Focus assist prevents messages from appearing on your screen and can be turned on automatically when your display is in presentation mode or when you're playing a game or an app in full screen mode.

    Here is how to do it!

START A SESSION
The clock app in Windows 11 now includes focus assistance. To manually start a session, search "clock" into the taskbar's search icon. You'll be directed to a page where you can choose how long you want the session to go and establish a daily goal if you like. There are also tiles that allow you to connect your Spotify account (if you have one) to your focus sessions or utilize Microsoft To Do to choose a task for that session. Neither of these are required?

You can alter the length of your concentrate time (including breaks) and select a sound to play when your focus period (or break) ends by clicking the settings icon in the bottom left corner of the Clock app. Also, the Spotify and/or To Do tiles can be removed.

You may also choose a layout for the app and change your notification settings, such as which notifications should not be blocked out during a Focus assist session, on the Clock settings page.To personalize this feature a bit more and to edit the automatic settings, you need to go to “Focus assist settings.”

FOCUS ASSIST SETTINGS
You can get to Focus assist settings in several ways: by clicking on “Settings” > “System” > “Focus assist,” by using the taskbar search icon to find “Focus assist,” or by clicking on the system clock at the right edge of the taskbar and then on “Focus assist settings.”

Once you’re there, there are two main sections.
The first section lets you turn Focus assist on and off and set certain parameters when it is active:

  • “Priority only” limits active notifications to those specified in a priority list. You can set that list up by selecting the “Customize priority list” link right below the “Priority only” subhead. You can have it always notify you of incoming calls, always notify you of reminders, or allow notifications from specific apps. New to Windows 11 is the ability to prioritize notifications from contacts who are either pinned to your taskbar or whom you specify via an “Add contacts” button.
  • “Alarms only” lets you hide all your notifications, except for any alarms you may have set up.
  • Concerned that you may miss something? If you check “Show a summary of what I missed when focus assist was on,” then you will be automatically notified of all your filtered notifications as soon as Focus assist is no longer active.
The second section, under "Automatic rules," allows you to change a number of pre-defined rules. You can turn each one on and off from this page, but you must first click on the feature's name to alter its settings.

  • You can use the “During these hours” feature to choose certain times and days when Focus help will be activated. To change the settings, go to the next page and toggle on "During these hours." You'll be able to set the start and end timings for each session, as well as whether it applies to all days, just weekdays, or just weekends, and whether priority or alarms are allowed.
The other alternatives under "Automatic rules" work in a similar way. Click the toggle to turn them on or off, and then click their name to alter them on the Focus assist page.

  • When you have two displays running, “When I'm duplicating my display” activates; turn it on to alter it to allow either priority only or alarms only.
  • When I'm playing a game, it's self-explanatory; toggle it on again to convert it to priority only or alarms only.
  • Finally, the setting "When I'm using an app in full-screen mode only" may be changed to "Priority only" or "Alarms only."
REMARK: When Focus assist is active, you will see a small moon icon at the far right of your taskbar. Click on it, and you should be able to see any missed notifications.

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