You're in the middle of browsing a website, creating a document, or playing a game. Then Windows taps you on the shoulder to tell you about an update or some other notification. It's a case of bad timing, but you can avoid unwanted interruptions with Focus Assist.
Formerly known as Quiet Hours, Focus Assist was introduced to Windows 10 in 2018 and is also available in Windows 11 (which also has the productivity-centered Focus Sessions). The feature offers greater control over notifications, helping you get more work done without distractions.
Focus Assist can be used while playing games, sharing your screen, using an app full screen, or during specific hours. You can tell Windows to hide all notifications while still allowing alarms or anything deemed high priority. A summary of any notifications you missed can then be viewed in the Windows Action Center. Here's how to get started.
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Turn on Focus Assist
To activate Focus Assist, go to Settings > System > Focus Assist and select one of the options. By choosing Priority only, you allow only notifications that are considered high priority. Selecting Alarms only will block all notifications except for any alarms you've set.
Set Priority List
If you chose Priority only, you can set what you consider to be important by clicking Customize your priority list. At the Priority list page, opt to allow or disallow incoming phone calls, text messages, and reminders for an Android phone linked to Windows. Unfortunately, the feature doesn’t support iPhone at this time.
Scroll down to allow or disallow notifications from specific contacts and apps. Click Add contacts and select any people from whom you want to receive notifications. Click Add an app and select any apps from which you’d like to see notifications.
Set Days and Times
From the Focus Assist settings screen, you can choose when you want the feature to automatically go into action. Turn on the switch next to During these times, then select the start and end times. Choose whether you want your Focus Assist schedule to repeat daily, on weekends, or weekdays. Set the focus level to alert you for alarms or priority notifications. You can also opt to see a notification in the Action Center when Focus Assist turns on.
Set Automatic Rules
You can also set how Focus Assist will work in different situations, including when you’re duplicating or sharing your screen, playing a game, or in full-screen mode. Click into each section and choose the focus level.
Laptop and tablet users will also see a When I'm at home option, which will block notifications if you’re on your home or private network. Windows 11 kicks in an additional option called For the first hour after a Windows feature update.
View Notifications in Action Center
An option on the Focus Assist settings page called Show me a summary of what I missed while focus assist was on controls whether or not you see missed notifications in the Action Center. Check the box for this option if you want to see everything you missed in one location.
To open the Action Center, click the Action Center icon in the lower-right corner. A list of notifications will appear in the side panel. You can also control Focus Assist from here. Click the Focus Assist button to cycle through Priority only or Alarms only or turn it off completely.