Focus: Stay on Task Without Distractions in Windows

Focus is Windows feature designed to help you stay on task by minimizing distractions. Whether you're working on an important project, studying for an exam, or simply need some uninterrupted time, Focus can help you maintain your concentration and productivity.

How Focus works

Focus works by temporarily blocking notifications, sounds, and alerts from apps and contacts. You can customize the settings to allow certain notifications to come through if needed.

By default, when you're in a focus session, the following happens:

• A Focus period appears on the screen
• Do not disturb turns on
• Flashing and badges of the apps on the taskbar are temporarily turned off

You'll receive a notification when your focus session ends. If you need to, you can end a focus session early.

How to use Focus

You can start a Focus session in different ways. Expand each section to learn more:

From the calendar and notification area

From Settings

1. In the Settings app on your Windows device

 select System > Focus or use the following shortcut:

2. Under Focus, select Start focus session   to start your session

From the Clock app

1. In the Clock app on your Windows device, select Focus sessions or use the following shortcut:

   Focus sessions

2. Choose an amount of time for your focus session and if you want to have breaks

3. Select Start focus session to start your session

When you start a focus session, a focus timer appears on screen. To use additional focus tools in the Clock app, expand the focus timer to get the full view of the Clock app.

Do not disturb during focus

When you start a focus session, do not disturb turns on automatically to silence your notifications. To review notifications that you received during your session, open the notification center.

To learn more, see Notifications and Do Not Disturb in Windows.

How to configure Focus

1. In the Settings app on your Windows device

 select System > Focus or use the following shortcut:

2. Under Focus, select the options you want to apply to future focus sessions:

   • Session duration
   • Show the timer in the Clock app
   • Hide badges on taskbar apps
   • Hide flashing on taskbar apps
   • Turn on do not disturb

Play audio from Spotify during focus sessions

Connect your Spotify account to the Clock app and find the perfect audio to help you focus. Here’s how to link your Spotify account: 

1. In the Clock app on your Windows device, select Focus sessions or use the following shortcut:

   Focus sessions

2. Select Link your Spotify and sign in with your Spotify account. Your top playlists and podcasts will appear. Select the playlist or podcast you want to listen to

3. Your music will play when you start a focus session

Keep track of tasks with Microsoft To Do

If you use Microsoft To Do to manage tasks, you can integrate your task list into the Clock app. Before you start a focus session, you can select the tasks you want to work on. Get it from the Microsoft Store:

Focus assist allows you to avoid distracting notifications when you need to stay focused. It's set by default to activate automatically when you're duplicating your display, playing a game, or using an app in full screen mode. You can control any or all of these, as well as determining to what level notifications are suppressed.

1. In the Settings app on your Windows device

 select System> Focus assist or use the following shortcut:

2. To set the current state of focus assist, select Off (receive all notifications), Priority only (receive only notifications from a list you can customize to your liking), or Alarms only (hide everything except alarms)
3. Under Automatic rules, you can determine the conditions that cause focus assist to activate automatically. Select the item to turn that condition on or off and to determine the time and/or level of focus assist that condition activates, or just select the switch as a shortcut to turning a condition on or off
4. Select Show me a summary of what I missed while focus assist was on to be sent a notification when you exit from focus assist about what was redirected to Action Center. Deselect this to deactivate this notification
5. When focus assist turns on automatically, by default a notification appears in the action center explaining that focus assist is on and suppressing notifications. If you would prefer not to see this message, click the Change focus assist button in the notification, and uncheck Show a notification in action center when focus assist is turned on automatically in the Settings page that launches