What Is Focus Assist in Windows 11 and How to Use It
Because your time and attention is valuable
In today’s digital environment, getting distracted is way too easy. Focus assist is a gadget included with the Windows 11 operating system that tries to combat the many distractions of modern life so that its users can maximize their productivity.
In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Focus assist to use focus sessions and your time more effectively.
How to Start a Focus Session
You can use Focus assist as a configurable Do Not Disturb button that stops notifications from popping up on your screen. Focus assist was initially released in Windows 10; however, Windows 11 has several new features and operates quite differently.
In Windows 10, the easiest way to use focus sessions is via Quick Settings in theAction Center. In Windows 11, they have integrated the setting into the Clock app. Now, you can manually start a focus session via the Windows Settings app or the Clock app.
To start a focus session via the Clock app:
You’ll be guided to a page that helps you set up the time you want the session to last. You can also set a daily goal if you want to.
There are tiles that let you link your Spotify account (should you have one) to your focus sessions or use Microsoft To Do to pick a task for that session.
To start a focus session via the Settings app:
How to Configure Your Focus Session
Focus assist has some features that you can configure to optimize your session. For example, you can add breaks to your session, add tasks, link your Spotify account, set daily goals, and change to alarm sound for the end of your sessions.
To add breaks:
Utilize your time as best as possible by listing all the tasks you want to complete in a session. This also allows you to tick them off as you go so you can watch your progress.
To streamline your task list during your focus session, you can deselect the tasks you don’t want to complete during that session by right-clicking them and choosingDeselect.
By linking Spotify to your focus sessions, you can pause, play, and skip songs or podcasts via the Clock app. You can also set Spotify to automatically start playing music from a specific playlist when you start a focus session.
Daily goals allow you totrack your progress and productivity. Windows also shows you how many minutes of focus sessions you completed compared to yesterday and how many days in a row you’ve done focus sessions.
You can easily change the noise for when a Focus session or break is over. You can also turn them off entirely.
Focus Assist Settings
There are a number of Focus Assist settings you can change to modify how Focus assist works. If you navigate toSystem>Focusin your Windows Settings, you will find four basic settings you can toggle on or off.
Focus Assist Modes
The Windows 10 version of Focus assist had three modes you could use:
While the Windows 11 counterpart does not have these options as easily, you can essentially achieve the priority-only result by configuring your Do Not Disturb settings. Simply set Do Not Disturb to turn on in focus sessions. In Windows 11, alarms will always sound, even when Do Not Disturb is on.
You can customize your notification priority list in the notification settings. This will determine which notifications are allowed to come through while your PC is set to do not disturb (and by extension, focus mode).
Focus Assist Automatic Rules
Focus Assist in Windows 10 allows you to set it to activate automatically in certain circumstances. This was a useful feature that has been transferred to Do No Disturb in Windows 11. In the notifications settings, selectTurn ondo not disturbautomatically.A few options will appear:
Windows 11 Focus Assist
While quite different from focus assist in Windows 10, Windows 11 focus assist has some useful features that users can use to keep on task and track their progress. Many features lost from the Windows 10 update were merely transferred to the Do Not Disturb feature so you should still be able to do most of what you want in Windows 11.
Jake Harfield is an Australian freelance writer whose passion is finding out how different technologies work. He has written for several online publications, focusing on explaining what he has learned to help others with their tech problems. He’s an avid hiker and birder, and in his spare time you’ll find him in the Aussie bush listening to the birdsong.Read Jake’s Full Bio
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked*
Comment*
Name*
Email*
Website
Welcome to Help Desk Geek- a blog full of tech tips from trusted tech experts. We have thousands of articles and guides to help you troubleshoot any issue. Our articles have been read over 150 million times since we launched in 2008.
HomeAbout UsEditorial StandardsContact UsTerms of Use
Copyright © 2008-2024 Help Desk Geek.com, LLC All Rights Reserved
