This new update brings along tons of background improvements, enhancements, and new features never before seen in Windows 11. Among these new features are Focus Sessions for Focus, a new way to interact and work on your computer. Here’s how you can use Focus Sessions on your Windows 11 PC.

What Are Focus Sessions in Windows 11

Companies around the world have been focused on increasing productivity and improving quality of life since the pandemic started. As more and more people started working from their homes, the need to concentrate and maintain focus became imperative. Microsoft has introduced Focus Sessions with the same mentality to increase productivity and help its users focus and concentrate on the task at hand. Focus Sessions are predetermined times to carry out a task that you set. Your notifications and other distractions are suppressed during this time, allowing you to stay focused on the task at hand. Focus Sessions allow for short breaks between sessions to help you relax while you work regularly. This helps ensure that you don’t run out of energy or feel fatigued while carrying out your daily tasks. As more and more people worldwide work and study from their computers, the need to manage productivity has risen immensely. Staring at a screen for hours is no easy feat. It can strain your eyes, back, shoulders, and much more. Thus many people need a reminder to take a break every once in a while. Focus Sessions help you delegate this task of managing your time by allowing you to set timers for each task. The timer will then track and count down as you work while reminding you to take a break every once in a while. If you’re someone who works from home, then Focus Sessions will be a great addition to your daily workflow.

How to Use Focus Sessions In Windows 11

You can use Focus Sessions on Windows 11 in a couple of ways. You can access and activate a session from your notification center or the Settings app. But to get the best experience, we recommend using the new Clock app in Windows 11. Microsoft has enhanced and improved the Clock app to include Focus Sessions and offer integrations with other apps like Microsoft To Do and Spotify. Here’s how you can use either of these methods to start and use Focus Sessions on your Windows 11 PC. Once you start a Focus Session, the clock app allows you to keep an active timer always on top of all your windows in the top right corner. This is a great way to track progress and realize how much time you’ve spent in the current focus session. The small always-on-top overlay also lets you know about your upcoming break and how long it will be.

Start a Focus Session in Windows 11

Use the sections below to help you start and use a Focus Session on your Windows 11 PC.

From the Notification Center

The notification center lets you track all notifications on your PC. It also gives you easy access to the calendar, which now features a new addition, Focus Sessions. You can use the new icons at the bottom of your calendar in the notification center on Windows 11 to start a Focus Session on your PC. Use these steps to help start a focus session from your notification center.

  1. Click today’s date in the top right corner of your taskbar to bring up the notification center. You can also use the Windows + N keyboard shortcut to bring up the notification center on your Windows 11 PC.
  2. Now use the + and – at the bottom of your calendar to set your focus session duration. The current focus session will be run for this duration of time, and it will add breaks to your session appropriately.
  3. Once you have set the desired time, click Focus. This will begin your Focus Session instantly and redirect you to the Clock app on your PC.
  4. Click the Keep on top icon to add a timer overlay that always stays on top of all windows on your PC in the top right corner of your screen. You can also choose to track your session from the Clock app if the overlay is too distracting for you. You will now have started a Focus Session on your Windows 11 PC from the notification center.

From the Settings app

You can also choose to start a Focus Session from the Settings app. This will allow you to customize what happens when you start a Focus Session. You can further customize Focus Session behavior from the Clock app, which we will take a look at in the dedicated section after this guide. Here’s how you can start a Focus Session on your Windows 11 PC from the Settings app.

  1. Launch the Settings app on your Windows 11 PC using the Start menu icon. You can also use the Windows + i keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app on your PC.
  2. Click and select Focus on your right. This will allow you to begin a Focus Session on your PC.
  3. Use the + and – signs to set the duration of your Focus Session. Your PC will automatically determine and add breaks to your Focus Session depending on the duration you choose to set.
  4. Now uncheck the box for Show timer in the Clock app if you do not wish to view or track a timer for your Focus Session in the Clock app. This can be helpful if you find tracking your focus session duration to be too distracting. If you wish to view a timer, then you can keep this option checked.
  5. Similarly, uncheck the box for Hide badges on taskbar apps if you wish to view badges for currently open apps in your taskbar. This will allow you to keep track of incoming notifications and other developments without being notified by Windows using a banner or sound. You can keep this option checked if you wish to hide badges from your taskbar and find them too distracting while working.
  6. Windows will flash apps in the taskbar that have an ongoing task or an incoming notification. These app icons will continuously flash until clicked on, which can get quite distracting. However, there might be times when you’re using apps that you might need to keep yourself updated with. In such cases, you can uncheck the box for Hide flashing on taskbar apps. You can keep this option checked if you find this feature too distracting during your focus session.
  7. Focus Sessions automatically turn on Do Not Disturb to suppress notifications on your Windows 11 PC. This helps keep notifications at bay, allowing you to focus on the task at hand. However, if you wish to receive notifications during a focus session, you can uncheck the box for Turn on do not disturb.
  8. Now that you’ve customized your Focus Session, you can begin it by clicking Start Focus Session at the top. You will now have started a Focus Session from your Settings app. Depending on how you customize your session, you might be redirected to the Clock app. You can then click the Keep on top icon to add a timer overlay in the top right corner of your screen.

From the Clock app

The Clock app handles all Focus Sessions regardless of where you start them on Windows 11. The app offers tons of customizable options and the ability to link Spotify and Microsoft To Do to your Focus Sessions. Here’s how you can use it to start a Focus Session on your Windows 11 PC.

  1. Launch the Start menu and search for the Clock app. Click and launch the app when it shows up in your search results.
  2. Click and select Focus Sessions from the available options in the sidebar on your left.
  3. Now use the Focus Session timer widget to set the duration of your Focus Session.
  4. Once you have set the desired time, click Start Focus Session.
  5. Your Focus Session will now begin. Click the Keep on top icon if you wish to have an overlay displaying the timer for your Focus Session in the top right corner of your screen. You will now have started your Focus Session from the Clock app on your Windows 11 PC.

Customize Your Focus Sessions in Windows 11

You can customize your Focus Sessions to suit your needs and requirements. You can control the duration of each session, the duration of your breaks, how you are notified, and integration with Microsoft To Do and Spotify. Linking Spotify to your Focus Sessions will allow you to play curated playlists designed to help you Focus while you work. You can also play custom playlists that you might have created for your account. If you use Microsoft To-Do, you can link the same to the Clock app, allowing you to keep track of all your tasks during your Focus Sessions. Here’s how you can customize Focus Sessions on your Windows 11 PC using the Clock app.

  1. Open the Clock app on your Windows 11 PC from the Start menu. You can search for the app by typing on your keyboard and then launching it from your search results.
  2. If you wish to use Microsoft To-Do with your Focus Sessions, click Sign In in the bottom left corner of the Clock app. This will allow you to sign in with your Microsoft Account, which will help you link Microsoft To Do to the Clock app.
  3. Sign in with your Microsoft Account using the on-screen instructions. If you’re already signed into Windows using a Microsoft Account, you can click and select the same from the options available on your screen.
  4. When you’re signed in with your Microsoft Account, you will be asked to grant the Clock app permission to read your profile and manage your tasks in the To-Do app. Click Yes to grant the necessary permission to the Clock app.
  5. To-Do will now be linked to your Clock App, allowing you to keep track of upcoming tasks during your Focus Sessions. You will now get a list of all your tasks in the To-Do widget in the Clock app. You can add new tasks by clicking + Add a task and following on-screen instructions.
  6. Click the More Options icon to customize your task lists. This will help you manage your task lists if you have multiple ones created in the To Do app.
  7. Hover over Choose a task list to change the task list currently displayed in the Clock App.
  8. Now click and choose the list you wish to view in the Clock app. The tasks will now change in the To-Do widget to reflect the selected list.
  9. You can also collapse your To Do task list in the Clock app by clicking the More Options icon and then selecting Collapse task list.
  10. Let’s customize your Focus Sessions now. Start by clicking Settings in the bottom left corner in the Clock app.
  11. Now click and select Focus periods. This will allow you to customize how long your focus sessions last between breaks and how long your breaks last.
  12. Click the drop-down menu beside Focus period and choose the desired duration for your focus sessions between breaks. Choosing Automatic will allow Windows to determine your Focus period based on the duration you set for a Focus Session.
  13. Similarly, click the drop-down menu beside Break period to change how long breaks between Focus periods last on your Windows 11 PC.
  14. Click and choose the desired break duration for breaks during your Focus session.
  15. Now turn off the toggle for End of session sound to disable the alarm played once your Focus Session ends.
  16. You can choose the sound played at the end of your Focus Session by clicking End of session sound. Then use the drop down menu for Alarm sound to choose the sound you wish to play when your Focus session ends.
  17. Similarly, turn on or turn off the toggle for End of break sound if you wish to receive a notification once your Focus Session break ends.
  18. You can choose your End of break sound as we did for End of session sound by using the drop down menu for Alarm sound.
  19. Turn on the toggle for Spotify if you wish to play playlists in the background during your Focus Sessions. I will be showing you how you can link Spotify to the Clock app in subsequent steps in this guide.
  20. Lastly, turn on or turn off the toggle for To Do , depending on your preference. You will need a Microsoft Account to use Microsoft To-Do during your Focus Sessions.
  21. Now click Focus sessions in the top left corner of the Clock app.
  22. Click Link your Spotify to link Spotify to the Clock app. This will allow you to listen to relaxing playlists and podcasts in the background when using Focus Sessions on your Windows 11 PC. You will need the Spotify app installed on your PC for this process, and you should be logged into your Spotify account.
  23. You will now be asked to sign in to your Spotify account. Type in your credentials and follow the on-screen instructions to link your Spotify account to the Clock app.
  24. Click and select Agree when you’re prompted to grant Focus Sessions permissions to use and view your Spotify account.
  25. Once linked, you will be shown your saved playlists and suggested Focus playlists curated by Spotify. You can click and select a playlist you wish to listen to before starting a Focus Session. The Clock app will automatically launch Spotify and play the selected playlist the next time you start a Focus Session. If this doesn’t occur, you can always click Play audio in the Focus Session widget to manually start playing the selected playlist. Similarly click Stop audio when you don’t wish to listen to background audio. You will now have customized your Focus Session experience on your Windows 11 PC.

What Happens When You Use Focus Sessions In Windows 11?

Windows 11 makes a few changes to help you focus better when you activate a Focus Session on your PC. Here are all the major changes taking place when you start a Focus session.

A Focus timer is started to track your session and breaksDo not Disturb is turned on automatically to minimize distractionsFlashing alerts are disabled for active apps and programs in your taskbarBadges won’t be shown for pending notifications on app icons in your taskbar

Do you need a Microsoft Account to use Focus Sessions on Windows 11?

No, you don’t need a Microsoft Account to use Focus Sessions. You will, however, need your Microsoft Account if you wish to use Microsoft To-Do during your focus sessions.

What happens If I have already turned on Do Not Disturb?

Do not Disturb won’t be affected if you have it turned on during a Focus Session. It will remain active as per your choice once your Focus Session comes to an end.

Can you delete the Clock app and still use Focus Sessions?

No, if you delete the Clock app, you will be redirected to the Microsoft Store to download it first before using Focus Sessions on your Windows 11 PC.

Why are there no breaks in my Focus Session?

Breaks are only available in Focus Sessions lasting more than 30 mins. If you do not have any upcoming breaks, your Focus Session is likely set for 30 mins.

Final Words

Increasing productivity and improving your workflow is a great way to better your work life. It will help your mental state and help you perform better at your job. Microsoft has introduced Focus Sessions with the same concept in mind. I hope this post helped you understand and use Focus Sessions on your Windows 11 PC.

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