System Turn On or Off Focus Assist in Windows 11


  • Staff
Focus_assist_banner.png

Starting with Windows 11 build 22557, Microsoft reimagined focus assist experiences on Windows. It is now called Do not disturb.

Do not disturb makes it easy to silence notifications. Additionally, you can set priority notifications to control whether calls, reminders, and specific apps break through when do not disturb is on. Focus is a new experience that enables everyone to stay in the moment and minimize distractions on their PC. To help you stay on track, focus integrates with the Clock app for other focus tools, such as a focus timer and calming music.



This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off focus assist for your account in Windows 11.

Notifications are alerts from apps, system, and other senders.

Focus assist allows you to avoid distracting notifications when you need to stay focused, and is set by default to activate automatically under certain conditions.

To stay focused, you can choose which notifications you would like to see and hear, and the rest will go straight to the Notification Center (Win+N) where you can see them any time.
  • Off - Get all notifications from your apps and contacts.
  • Priority only (on) - See only selected notifications from the priority list.
  • Alarms only (on) - Hide all notifications, except for alarms.
Automatic rules allows you to choose the times and activities when you do not want to be disturbed and focus assist will turn on automatically even if focus assist is currently turned off.

You can turn on Show a summary of what I missed when 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.


Contents

  • Option One: Turn On or Off Focus Assist in Quick Settings
  • Option Two: Turn On or Off Focus Assist in Settings


EXAMPLE: Focus assist icon on taskbar corner indicating it's turned on

Focus_assist_taskbar_corner.png





Option One

Turn On or Off Focus Assist in Quick Settings


1 Open Quick Settings (Win+A).

2 Click/tap on the Focus assist quick setting button to cycle between Off, Priority only, or Alarms only for what you want. (see screenshots below)

Focus_Assist_Quick_Settings-1.png
Focus_Assist_Quick_Settings-2.png
Focus_Assist_Quick_Settings-3.png





Option Two

Turn On or Off Focus Assist in Settings


1 Open Settings (Win+I).

2 Click/tap on System on the left side, and click/tap on Focus assist on the right side. (see screenshot below)

Focus_Assist_Settings-1.png

3 Select (dot) Off, Priority only, or Alarms only for which notifications you want to see and hear with focus assist. (see screenshot below)

Focus_Assist_Settings-2.png

4 You can now close Settings if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

Attachments

  • Focus_assist.png
    Focus_assist.png
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Last edited:
I's like to find a reg key for this also
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
I have it turned off (I never use it). But it always appears in Notification. Is this normal?

ss1.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 11 Enterprise
    Computer type
    Laptop
    CPU
    i7
    Hard Drives
    SSD

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
Nope! It seems there is something wrong.

ss1.png


It's very distracting. Every time I want to read the notification first, my eyes go for that blue icon (crescent)!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 11 Enterprise
    Computer type
    Laptop
    CPU
    i7
    Hard Drives
    SSD
I want to get rid of the focus assist panel below the calander panel that is now inexplicably bound to the notifications panel.

What I'm seeing is different from the screenshots here so I imagine it's been changed since this was written.

Can it be done?

Capture.PNG
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-14900K Raptor Lake Refreshed 6.0 GHZ
    Motherboard
    MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi
    Memory
    32GB (2x16) GSKILL Trident Z5 RGB Series (Intel XMP 3.0) DDR5 RAM 6700MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 12GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek® ALC4080 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor #1 Samsung Odyssey G50A WQHD G-Sync HDR10 Monitor #2 HP LA1911
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 and 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 (150GB System / 850GB More Games)
    Crucial CT2000MX500SSD1 2TB (Games)
    Western Digital Green WD40EZRX 4TB (Data/Backup)
    Western Digital Blue WD60EZAZ 6TB (Storage)
    Western Digital Blue WD60EZAZ 6TB (Media)
    PSU
    Rosewill Hive-750S
    Case
    Cooler Master Elite 430 Mid Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro Series H60 Liquid CPU Cooler + 3x120mm out + 2x120mm in + Isolated PSU
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Elite White PS/2 (with usb adapter)
    Mouse
    Microsoft D67-00001 Trackball Optical Mouse (rebuilt with ceramic bearings)
    Internet Speed
    350Mb/s hard wired
    Browser
    Edge, FF, Tor
    Antivirus
    Win Def
    Other Info
    Razer Tartarus V2 Gaming Keypad
    Logitech Z-5500 5.1 THX 505w (Orignal 10" Sub with (Fr, Rr, Ctr) Polk Audio satellites
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-14900K Raptor Lake Refreshed 6.0 GHz FCLGA1700 (Gen 14)
    Motherboard
    MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi
    Memory
    32GB (2x16) GSKILL Trident Z5 RGB Series (Intel XMP 3.0) DDR5 RAM 6700MT/s
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060Ti 8GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek® ALC4080 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor #1 Samsung Odyssey G50A WQHD G-Sync HDR10 Monitor #2 Samsung TU7000 55" TV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 and 3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 (System)
    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 (Games)
    Crucial CT1000MX500SSD1 1TB (More Games)
    WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB (Data/Backup)
    WD Blue WD60EZAZ 6TB (Media)
    PSU
    Rosewill Hive-750S
    Case
    Cooler Master N400 NSE-400-KKN2 Mid-Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair H60x RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler + 4x120mm in + 2x120mm out (Exhausts out the front) + Isolated PSU
    Mouse
    MSI G20 Elite and Logitech MK345 Wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK345 Wireless
    Internet Speed
    350Mb/s hard wired
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Win Def
    Other Info
    Razer Tartarus Gaming Keypad
    MSI GC30 Gaming Controller (Xbox style)
I want to get rid of the focus assist panel below the calander panel that is now inexplicably bound to the notifications panel.

What I'm seeing is different from the screenshots here so I imagine it's been changed since this was written.

Can it be done?

View attachment 90936

Hello, :alien:

I'm not aware of a way to remove it, but it's now called a "Focus Session" as part of "Do not disturb" below instead


 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-14900K Raptor Lake Refreshed 6.0 GHZ
    Motherboard
    MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi
    Memory
    32GB (2x16) GSKILL Trident Z5 RGB Series (Intel XMP 3.0) DDR5 RAM 6700MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 12GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek® ALC4080 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor #1 Samsung Odyssey G50A WQHD G-Sync HDR10 Monitor #2 HP LA1911
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 and 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 (150GB System / 850GB More Games)
    Crucial CT2000MX500SSD1 2TB (Games)
    Western Digital Green WD40EZRX 4TB (Data/Backup)
    Western Digital Blue WD60EZAZ 6TB (Storage)
    Western Digital Blue WD60EZAZ 6TB (Media)
    PSU
    Rosewill Hive-750S
    Case
    Cooler Master Elite 430 Mid Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro Series H60 Liquid CPU Cooler + 3x120mm out + 2x120mm in + Isolated PSU
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Elite White PS/2 (with usb adapter)
    Mouse
    Microsoft D67-00001 Trackball Optical Mouse (rebuilt with ceramic bearings)
    Internet Speed
    350Mb/s hard wired
    Browser
    Edge, FF, Tor
    Antivirus
    Win Def
    Other Info
    Razer Tartarus V2 Gaming Keypad
    Logitech Z-5500 5.1 THX 505w (Orignal 10" Sub with (Fr, Rr, Ctr) Polk Audio satellites
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-14900K Raptor Lake Refreshed 6.0 GHz FCLGA1700 (Gen 14)
    Motherboard
    MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi
    Memory
    32GB (2x16) GSKILL Trident Z5 RGB Series (Intel XMP 3.0) DDR5 RAM 6700MT/s
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060Ti 8GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek® ALC4080 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor #1 Samsung Odyssey G50A WQHD G-Sync HDR10 Monitor #2 Samsung TU7000 55" TV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 and 3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 (System)
    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 (Games)
    Crucial CT1000MX500SSD1 1TB (More Games)
    WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB (Data/Backup)
    WD Blue WD60EZAZ 6TB (Media)
    PSU
    Rosewill Hive-750S
    Case
    Cooler Master N400 NSE-400-KKN2 Mid-Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair H60x RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler + 4x120mm in + 2x120mm out (Exhausts out the front) + Isolated PSU
    Mouse
    MSI G20 Elite and Logitech MK345 Wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK345 Wireless
    Internet Speed
    350Mb/s hard wired
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Win Def
    Other Info
    Razer Tartarus Gaming Keypad
    MSI GC30 Gaming Controller (Xbox style)

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