Why Are Focus Assist Prompts Bothersome?
Windows 11 includes a feature called Focus (previously Focus Assist or Do Not Disturb) designed to silence notifications so you can work without interruptions. However, Windows often tries to be helpful by displaying a notification prompt asking if you want to turn on Do Not Disturb when you start playing a game or duplicate your display.
Ironically, this prompt itself is a distraction. If you want Windows to handle notifications quietly without ever asking you to confirm your Focus settings, you can disable these automatic prompts.
How to Disable Focus Prompts in Windows 11
You can turn off these suggestions directly in the Windows 11 Settings app.
- Click the Start button and select the Settings app (the gear icon).
- In the left-hand sidebar, ensure System is selected.
- Click on Notifications in the main panel.
- Scroll down and click on Turn on do not disturb automatically to expand the section.
- You will see several checkboxes outlining when Windows will enable Do Not Disturb (e.g., “When playing a game”, “When duplicating your display”).
- Leave those checkboxes checked if you want the feature to work silently.
- Now, scroll down further to the section labelled Get tips and suggestions when using Windows. Uncheck this box to stop Windows from suggesting Focus sessions.
- Additionally, click on Focus in the System menu.
- Uncheck Show a badge on taskbar apps and Flash taskbar apps if you want to minimize visual distractions entirely.
By adjusting these settings, Windows 11 will still suppress notifications during full-screen activities, but it will do so silently without asking for your permission via a pop-up prompt.