Notifications can be incredibly distracting when you are trying to concentrate on deep work, studying, or gaming. In Windows 11, Microsoft overhauled the “Quiet Hours” feature and rebranded it as Focus Assist (now simply called Focus in newer updates).
Focus allows you to temporarily silence all incoming notifications, sounds, and taskbar flashes, sending them directly to the Notification Center so you can review them later without breaking your concentration.
How to Manually Enable Focus Sessions
Windows 11 introduced a dedicated “Focus session” timer, which is deeply integrated with the Clock app and Spotify.
- Click on the Date and Time in the bottom right corner of your taskbar to open the Notification Center.
- At the bottom of the calendar flyout, you will see the Focus section.
- Use the arrows to set the duration of your focus session (e.g., 30 minutes, 45 minutes).
- Click the Focus button to begin.
During a Focus session, a small timer will appear on your screen, Do Not Disturb will be activated, and taskbar badging will be hidden. You can click the timer to stop the session early at any time.
How to Configure Automatic Focus Assist Rules
If you don’t want to start sessions manually, you can set rules so Windows automatically silences notifications during specific activities.
- Open the Settings app (Windows key + I).
- Go to System > Notifications.
- Expand the Do not disturb automatically dropdown.
- Check the boxes for the conditions when you want notifications silenced. Options include:
- During specific hours (e.g., 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM).
- When you are duplicating your display (crucial for presentations).
- When playing a game (full-screen).
- When using an app in full-screen mode.
Any notifications you receive while these rules are active will be quietly waiting for you in the Notification Center when you are finished.