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    Windows Focus Assist and Do Not Disturb: Silence Notifications

    Windows Focus Assist (called Do Not Disturb in Windows 11) lets you mute pop-up notifications so you can concentrate on your work or sleep without interruptions.

    3 min read 4 stepsApril 20, 2026Verified April 2026
    1

    Turn on Do Not Disturb from the taskbar

    ~28s
    Click the group of icons in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar — the area showing Wi-Fi, volume, and battery. A Quick Settings panel opens. Look for a bell icon labeled "Do not disturb" and click it to turn it on. The icon will turn blue or highlight to show it is active. Click it again to turn it off.

    Quick Tip

    If you do not see the bell icon, click the pencil (Edit) icon at the bottom of the Quick Settings panel to add it.

    2

    Review missed notifications

    ~15s
    While Do Not Disturb is on, notifications are saved rather than shown immediately. To see what came in, click anywhere on the date and time in the bottom-right corner. The Notification Center opens showing all saved notifications. Click any notification to act on it.
    3

    Set up automatic Do Not Disturb rules

    ~19s
    Open Settings (Windows key + I). Go to System > Notifications. Click "Do not disturb" or "Focus Assist" to expand the options. You will see rules like "During certain hours" — click it to set a start time and end time. Windows will automatically turn on Do Not Disturb during those hours every day.
    4

    Allow priority notifications through

    ~23s
    In the same Notifications settings, look for "Set priority notifications" or "Priority list." Click it and add the apps or contacts that can always reach you. For example, you might allow phone calls and messages from family members while silencing everything else.

    Quick Tip

    Adding only your messaging app to the priority list is a good balance — you stay reachable to people but screen out all the less-urgent app alerts.

    You Did It!

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    Windows notifications are helpful — but they can become a distraction. Every banner that pops up in the bottom-right corner of your screen pulls your attention away from what you are doing. Windows has a feature to silence them temporarily.

    In Windows 11, this feature is called "Do Not Disturb." In Windows 10, it was called "Focus Assist." Both do the same thing: they stop notification banners from appearing on your screen. Notifications are not deleted — they are stored in your Notification Center and you can review them when you are ready.

    Turning it on quickly

    The fastest way to turn on Do Not Disturb is through the Quick Settings panel. Click the area in the taskbar that shows the Wi-Fi signal, sound level, and battery icons (bottom-right corner). A panel opens. Click the bell icon to toggle Do Not Disturb on or off.

    Scheduling it automatically

    You can set Windows to turn on Do Not Disturb automatically — for example, every night from 10 PM to 7 AM, or whenever you are duplicating your screen for a presentation. Go to Settings > System > Notifications > Do not disturb (Windows 11) or Focus Assist (Windows 10) and set up rules.

    Priority notifications

    If there are specific people or apps whose notifications you always want to see even in Do Not Disturb mode, you can create a priority list. In the Do Not Disturb settings, find "Priority notifications" and add the apps or people who can always reach you.

    Quick Tip: Windows 11 automatically turns on Do Not Disturb when you are playing a game, mirroring your screen, or running a presentation — so notifications do not pop up during important moments.

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    Official Resources

    Microsoft SupportHow-To Geek — WindowsGCFGlobal — Windows Basics

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    Windows Focus Assist and Do Not Disturb: Silence Notifications — Step-by-Step Guide | TekSure