PlayInfoBox

Home /Utilities /How to Set Up Focus Assist to Silence Notifications on Windows

How to Set Up Focus Assist to Silence Notifications on Windows

Tap through each step to set up Focus Assist.

  1. Go to "Settings β†’ System β†’ Focus assist"

    Open the Settings app and go to "System," then "Focus assist."

  2. Choose a level (Off / Priority only / Alarms only)

    Pick whether you want to receive all notifications, only priority ones, or only alarms.

  3. Set up automatic rules

    Under "Automatic rules," you can set Focus assist to turn on by itself during specific times, while gaming, or while duplicating your display.

  4. Toggle it quickly from the notification center

    Clicking the notification icon on the taskbar opens quick settings, where you can turn it on or off instantly.

  5. Why it's useful

    When you need to concentrate on work or you're in the middle of a presentation, Focus assist stops unnecessary notification pop-ups from interrupting your screen.

When notifications keep popping up while you're trying to focus

Whether you're deep in a task or presenting to an audience, a stream of notification pop-ups breaks concentration and can be embarrassing on a shared screen. Focus assist blocks that stream while letting you decide exactly how much still gets through.

Let it turn on automatically

Rather than remembering to switch it on every time, setting an automatic rule β€” such as during a set time window, while a game is running, or when mirroring your display β€” means Focus assist activates on its own exactly when you'd want it to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still see notifications I missed while Focus assist was on?

Yes β€” notifications that arrive while it's on are still collected in the notification center, so you can review all of them later at once.

Can I keep getting notifications from just one specific app?

Yes β€” adding an app or contact to the "priority list" lets their notifications keep coming through as an exception, even while Focus assist is otherwise on.