Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to set up and use Focus Assist and Do Not Disturb modes to minimise distractions on Windows and macOS. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Focus Assist on Windows 11 and Do Not Disturb on macOS are built-in tools that silence notifications, hide alerts, and help you concentrate during meetings, deep work sessions, or after-hours. This guide walks you through setting up both features, customising them to suit your workflow, and troubleshooting common issues.

Quick Fix Steps

If you just need notifications silenced right now, follow these shortcuts:

• Windows 11: Click the notification bell in the taskbar (bottom-right corner), then click the Focus Assist icon (a crescent moon) and select Priority only or Alarms only.
• macOS: Click the Control Centre icon in the menu bar, then click Focus and choose a focus mode such as Do Not Disturb or Work.

Setting Up Focus Assist on Windows 11

Opening Focus Assist Settings

1. Right-click the Start button and select Settings.
2. Navigate to System > Focus (in Windows 11 23H2 and later) or System > Focus Assist (in earlier builds).
3. You'll see three priority levels:
   • Off — all notifications appear normally.
   • Priority only — only notifications from your priority list are delivered.
   • Alarms only — only alarms are delivered; everything else is hidden.

Customising the Priority List

1. In the Focus settings, click Customise priority list.
2. Tick the categories you want to allow:
   • Calls — choose whether to allow all calls, calls from contacts, or specific people.
   • Messages — allow messages from contacts or specific people.
   • Reminders — let reminders through.
3. Under Apps, click Add an app to whitelist specific applications (for example, Microsoft Teams or Outlook).

Scheduling Focus Assist Automatically

1. In the Focus settings, scroll to Automatic rules.
2. Turn on During these times and set your typical work hours (for example, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM).
3. Turn on When I'm duplicating my display to silence notifications during presentations.
4. Turn on When I'm playing a game if you want full-screen games to remain distraction-free.
5. Set the Focus level for each rule (Priority only or Alarms only).

Reviewing Missed Notifications

1. Click the notification bell in the taskbar.
2. Click the arrow at the top of the notification panel to expand the Notification Centre.
3. Scroll to see notifications that arrived while Focus Assist was active.

Setting Up Do Not Disturb on macOS

Enabling Do Not Disturb Quickly

1. Click the Control Centre icon in the menu bar (top-right corner of the screen).
2. Click Focus.
3. Click Do Not Disturb to toggle it on. A moon icon will appear in the menu bar.

Alternatively, hold Option and click the Control Centre icon, then click Do Not Disturb for one hour, until the end of the day, or until you turn it off.

Creating a Custom Focus Mode

1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
2. Click Focus in the sidebar.
3. Click the + button in the top-right and select a template such as Work, Reading, or Personal.
4. Name your focus mode and choose a colour and icon if desired.
5. Under Allowed notifications, configure who and which apps can break through:
   • People — allow calls or messages from specific contacts.
   • Apps — allow notifications from selected applications.

Scheduling Focus Modes Automatically

1. In System Settings > Focus, select your focus mode.
2. Click Set a schedule (or Add schedule).
3. Choose a Time, Location, or App trigger.
4. For time-based schedules, set the days and hours you want the focus mode active.
5. Repeat for other focus modes as needed.

Sharing Focus Status Across Devices

1. Open System Settings > Focus.
2. Select your focus mode.
3. Turn on Share across devices.
4. Sign in with the same Apple ID on all devices to keep focus modes synchronised.

Syncing Focus Status with Microsoft Teams

If you use Microsoft Teams, you can have your status update automatically when a focus mode is active.

On Windows 11

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click the three dots next to your profile picture and select Settings.
3. Go to Privacy.
4. Turn on Sync device state.

On macOS

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click your profile picture and select Settings.
3. Go to Privacy.
4. Enable Sync device state.

Troubleshooting

Notifications Still Appear in Focus Mode

• Check that the app or contact is not on your priority list (Windows) or allowed notifications list (macOS).
• Confirm the focus mode is actually active — look for the crescent moon icon in the system tray or menu bar.
• Some third-party apps bypass focus settings by default. Open the app's settings and disable notifications manually.

Focus Mode Turns Off Unexpectedly

• Review your automatic rules (Windows) or schedules (macOS) for overlapping or conflicting entries.
• Check whether another user or a managed policy is resetting the setting. On work devices, your organisation may control focus settings.

Focus Status Not Syncing Across Devices

• Confirm you're signed in with the same Apple ID on all Apple devices.
• Ensure Share across devices is enabled for each focus mode.
• Check that Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff are turned on.

Quick Settings Toggle Missing on Windows 11

1. Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
2. Click Quick settings.
3. Add the Focus tile from the available buttons.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Focus Modes

• Combine focus modes with calendar integration so they activate automatically during meetings.
• Use the Focus status feature in messaging apps to let colleagues know you're unavailable.
• Review your notification history at the end of the day to catch anything important you may have missed.
• Avoid adding too many apps or contacts to your priority list — the goal is to reduce interruptions, not just filter them.

Still Having Issues?