About this tag
The do not disturb tag on WindowsForum.com covers Windows 11's built-in Do Not Disturb feature, which suppresses notification banners and sounds to reduce interruptions. Discussions include how to enable and configure Do Not Disturb via the Notification Center or Settings, its integration with Focus Sessions for timed work periods, and its role in a broader notification hierarchy alongside priority alerts and per-app settings. Troubleshooting guides address cases where notifications fail to appear due to Do Not Disturb being active. For enterprise users, a planned Microsoft Teams setting for GCC High and DoD tenants will allow disabling automatic Do Not Disturb during screen sharing. The tag also explores the design philosophy behind Windows 11's managed attention approach.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Focus Sessions: Silence Notifications With Do Not Disturb

    ZDNET has highlighted Windows 11’s built-in Focus feature as a practical way to cut notification noise without adding another productivity app. The tool, available through the Windows Clock app and Settings, combines a configurable timer with Do Not Disturb, task integration, and optional...
  2. WindowsForum AI

    Teams GCC High/DoD: Stop Auto Do Not Disturb During Sharing

    Microsoft is planning a Microsoft Teams setting for GCC High and Department of Defense tenants that will let users stop Teams from automatically switching their presence to Do Not Disturb when they begin presenting or screen sharing. The feature, listed as Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 567300, is...
  3. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Notification Cleanup: Disable 5 Routine Alert Types

    Windows becomes markedly less distracting when users disable five categories of low-value alerts: tips and suggestions, recurring setup prompts, browser notices, game-launcher messages, and routine Windows Security scan results. The key is to make these changes selectively rather than silencing...
    • WindowsForum AI
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    • do not disturb notification settings windows notifications windows security
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  4. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Do Not Disturb Button: What It Suppresses

    Paul Thurrott published the Thurrott.com Windows 11 Field Guide attachment “dnd-nots-button” on July 8, 2026, documenting the Do not disturb button that sits inside Windows 11’s Notifications pane and controls whether the operating system interrupts users with banners and sounds. The page is...
  5. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Notification Center: Taskbar Clock Controls, DND, and Hidden Behavior

    Windows 11’s Notification Center, highlighted in Paul Thurrott’s June 27, 2026 Windows 11 Field Guide material, is the flyout opened from the taskbar clock that combines missed app alerts with calendar-adjacent glanceability and Microsoft’s modern Do Not Disturb controls. It looks like a small...
  6. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Notification Hierarchy: Do Not Disturb, Focus, Priority & Privacy

    Windows 11 users can reduce notification interruptions by combining Do Not Disturb, Focus sessions, priority notifications, per-app notification priority, and lock-screen privacy controls in Settings, rather than disabling alerts outright or relying on a single global notification switch. That...
  7. WindowsForum AI

    Fix Windows 10/11 Notifications Not Showing: Do Not Disturb, App Permissions, and Services

    Fix Windows 10/11 Notifications Not Showing: Do Not Disturb, App Permissions, and Services Difficulty: Beginner | Time Required: 10 minutes Windows notifications are useful for email alerts, calendar reminders, app messages, security prompts, and system updates. If notifications suddenly stop...
  8. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Focus: the hidden Pomodoro-style attention tool

    Microsoft’s Windows 11 Focus feature gives users a built-in Pomodoro-style timer through the Clock app, automatically enabling Do Not Disturb, hiding taskbar badges and flashing alerts, and optionally integrating Microsoft To Do and Spotify during timed work sessions. That makes the How-To Geek...
  9. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Clock Focus Sessions: One-Click Do Not Disturb for Deep Work

    If you spend your day fighting Slack pings, calendar reminders, browser alerts, and the constant drip of Windows toast notifications, Microsoft already shipped a surprisingly effective way to get your attention back: Focus sessions in the Clock app. The feature is easy to miss, but it can flip...
  10. WindowsForum AI

    Silence Windows 11 Notifications: A Practical Guide to Focused Work

    Windows 11 can feel helpful — until every pop-up, tip, and promotional nudge pulls you out of a productive flow. If your attention is being ferried away by “Finish setting up your device,” welcome screens, or app reminders that show up at the worst possible moment, you don’t need to live with...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • app notifications management do not disturb focus mode windows 11 notifications
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  11. WindowsForum AI

    Master Windows Notifications: Silence Noise with Do Not Disturb and Focus Assist

    Windows notifications are useful, but when they stack up they become interruptions — here’s a practical, crystal‑clear guide to turning them off on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, tuning Do Not Disturb / Focus, and keeping the alerts you actually need without sacrificing security or important...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • do not disturb focus assist notification settings windows notifications
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  12. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Focus Sessions: Timeboxed Focus with DND and To Do

    Windows 11’s built‑in Focus Sessions quietly changes how the operating system handles interruptions: it combines a simple timer, automatic Do Not Disturb behavior, and integrations with Microsoft To Do and Spotify to give you a low‑friction way to block distractions and structure work into...
  13. WindowsForum AI

    Five Windows 11 Defaults to Disable for Privacy, Performance & Focus

    If you just unboxed a new Windows 11 laptop, there are five settings you should consider turning off right away to tighten privacy, reduce distractions, and reclaim background resources for the tasks that matter most. Background / Overview Windows 11 ships with a range of convenience features...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • advertising id diagnostics do not disturb enterprise focus mode group policy notifications performance privacy registry search highlights security startup apps system tips telemetry webview2 widgets windows 11 windows privacy
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  14. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Start Menu Phone Link: Seamless Desktop Phone Access

    Microsoft’s quiet expansion of Phone Link into the Windows 11 Start menu has quietly reshaped how many of us treat our phones while working on a PC, folding basic phone functions—notifications, calls, messages, photos, and device status—into a single, one-click experience on the desktop...
    • WindowsForum AI
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    • android bluetooth connectivity cross-device desktop workflows do not disturb file transfer insider preview iphone microsoft notifications phone link photo gallery photo sync privacy rcs security start menu windows 11
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  15. WindowsForum AI

    Restore Outlook Notifications on Windows 11 and 10: A Practical Troubleshooting Guide

    Missing or silent Outlook alerts can quietly undermine schedules, cause missed meetings, and fracture workflows — and fixing them is often a matter of methodically checking a handful of settings rather than reinstalling your life. This guide walks through every practical step to restore Outlook...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • desktop-alert do not disturb focus assist microsoft 365 notification settings outlook outlook cache outlook notifications power saver push notifications subfolder-notifications troubleshooting guide update management windows 10 windows 11
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  16. WindowsForum AI

    Configure Focus Assist (Win10) and Focus Sessions (Win11) for Distraction-Free Work

    Configure Focus Assist (Win10) and Focus Sessions (Win11) for Distraction-Free Work Difficulty: Beginner | Time Required: 15 minutes Introduction We all get distracted by pop-ups, chat pings, and noisy apps when trying to concentrate. Windows provides built-in tools — Focus Assist on Windows 10...
    • WindowsForum AI
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    • action center automatic rules clock app distraction-free do not disturb focus assist focus sessions microsoft to do notification blocking notifications pomodoro priority productivity quick settings spotify windows 10 windows 11
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows Tutorials
  17. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Productivity Hacks: Shortcuts, Focus Sessions, Snipping Tool

    Windows 11 ships with more productivity horsepower than it gets credit for — and many of the best time-savers are hidden behind simple keystrokes, underused system apps, and quiet defaults you can tweak in minutes. The five features below — essential keyboard shortcuts, Focus Sessions in the...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • backup data recovery do not disturb file history focus sessions multitasking onedrive privacy productivity recycle bin screenshot shortcuts shortcuts snap layouts snipping tool speech recognition ssd trim voice typing window management windows 11
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  18. WindowsForum AI

    Boost Windows 11 Productivity with Scheduler, Clipchamp, Focus Sessions, To Do, Virtual Desktop

    Windows 11 already includes a small arsenal of productivity tools that, when used together, can shave hours off your weekly workload — and you don’t need to install a single third‑party utility to get started. The Pocket‑lint piece that inspired this roundup highlights five built‑in tools the...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • automation clipchamp do not disturb enterprise policy focus sessions microsoft to do outlook privacy productivity screen capture task management task scheduler time management video editing virtual desktops windows 11 windows tools workflow
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  19. WindowsForum AI

    Maximize Windows 11: 9 Built-In Tools for Faster Productivity

    Windows 11 ships with more than a fresh coat of paint; it hides a toolkit of genuinely useful apps that can streamline work, tame clutter, and eliminate a surprising amount of friction from daily computing. While some preinstalled apps deserve the “bloat” label, nine standouts—Sticky Notes...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • automation built-in apps clipboard history clipchamp do not disturb focus sessions home office nearby sharing productivity quick assist remote support sticky notes storage system utilities task scheduler tips virtual desktops windows 11 workflow
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  20. WindowsForum AI

    Master Windows 11 Productivity: Hidden Features & Smart Tips for Better Focus & Multitasking

    Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest flagship operating system, symbolizes not just the evolution of Windows aesthetics but also a dedicated push to deliver greater productivity, user focus, and workflow efficiency. Despite its reputation—sometimes lampooned for design quirks or the infamous blue...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • battery management clipboard history customization digital focus do not disturb focus sessions multitasking operating system optimization power settings powertoys productivity tips snap layouts tech tips virtual desktops windows 11 windows features windows productivity windows tips workflow efficiency
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News