One of the most important things a person needs for high-level creative work is no interruptions. Whether you’re creating a masterpiece in PhotoShop, preparing for a test, or writing a new app, you need to focus.
Hidden underneath all the other unnoticed features of Windows 10, Microsoft actually included a feature in the April 2018 Update that lets you control how and when Windows interrupts you with notifications.
Anyone who has switched their computer to a barrage of calls knows how valuable this can be. This feature is called Focus Assist and it is very easy to use if you know where to find it.
Use focus assist to regain Zen
If you don’t want to be disturbed during a video game or presentation at work, Windows has already taken care of you. Focus Assist is automatically activated.
If you want to enable it yourself by doing other things, you need to go to the app itself. Just click on the start menu and type “Focus Assist”.
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Click the settings link to open the Focus Assist dialog box.
Here you can manually switch the function from “Off” To Priority Only or Alarms Only.
In the first case, only notifications from the list of exclusions will be displayed. Everything else will be sent to the Support Center, and you can view them at a convenient time.
You can customize this list by clicking Customize Priority List.
You can now fine-tune what is allowed so that only the most important notifications reach you.
If you select Alarms Only instead, everything will be blocked except for the alarms you set.
You can also turn off the game and projection options in the Automatic Rules.
You will also find a very useful feature here where you can set a specific time every day when your computer will not show any notifications.
This is useful, for example, if your laptop is in your room, but you do not want to be bothered by it.
That’s it, one simple new feature in Windows 10 that can nonetheless make a significant difference to your quality of life. Enjoy!
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