Hello, continuing on from our macOS Monterey Series.
Welcome to Episode 5, titled: macOS Monterey Set up a Focus.
Need to concentrate on a specific task and minimize distractions,
use the new Focus feature, in macOS Monterey.
In this episode, I'll demonstrate how to:
1. Add or remove a Focus.
2. Choose which notifications to allow when a Focus is active.
3. Schedule a Focus to turn on or off automatically.
4. Share your Focus status.
5. Keep Focus up to date across your Apple devices.
And finally,
6. Some Helpful Tips When Using Focus.
We've got lots to cover.
Straight to the demonstration.
Sooooooo, Let's Get Started.
1. To add or remove a Focus.
On your Mac, launch System Preferences from the Dock or click on the Apple menu
and select System Preferences, then click on the Notifications & Focus icon.
Click Focus and then click on the Add button +,
to add any of the following provided Focus listed here, like Gaming or Work.
To create a custom Focus, just as before, click the Add button +, and choose Custom.
Enter name, I'll just enter "Gone Fishing", then select a color and icon.
When complete, click the Add button.
By the way, you can create up to 10 custom Focus.
To change a custom Focus, simply click on the Focus in the list,
then click Edit button shown here.
Change the name, color and icon, then click Done.
To remove a Focus, click the Focus in the list,
then click the minus - button at the bottom of the Focus list.
Incidentally, a removed custom Focus is deleted, however;
a provided Focus, such as Gaming or Work,
is removed from the Focus list , but still available for use again later.
2. Choose which notifications to allow.
From the Focus list, I'll click on the custom Gone Fishing Focus, created earlier.
Now, click on the Options... button, shown here,
and choose under which condition, that certain events or tasks
are allowed to send notifications.
For events or task that require your immediate attention,
select to Allow time sensitive notifications.
As shown, in order for the time sensitive notifications to work,
make sure to check, from from Notifications Preferences,
that time sensitive alerts, is active.
It's On by default, for apps like Messages, Reminders, and Game Center.
But for Calendar, it's off by default and must be activated, as shown.
On by default, you can also select who to Allow phone calls from.
From the dropdown list, choose Favorites, All Contacts or from Everyone.
Uncheck, not to Allow phone calls if you wish.
Again, On by default, repeated calls from the same person within three minutes,
will not be silenced. Simply uncheck, not to Allow repeated calls, if you wish.
From the Allowed Notifications From list,
click People, then on the Add button + here,
select one or more contacts, for the Gone Fishing Focus.
Similarly; from the Allowed Notifications From list,
click Apps, then the Add button + to choose which App or Apps
to allow notifications from.
To remove a contact, click on the person from the list, then the Remove button -, shown here.
Similarly; to remove an app, click on an app from the list, then the Remove button -.
Moving on.
3. Schedule a Focus to turn on or off automatically.
You can schedule or automate a Focus to turn on or off at certain times and days,
when you reach or depart a certain location, or opening and closing certain apps.
Let's first take a look of adding a Time Based Automation.
Simply click the Add button +, from the Turn on Automatically list,
then choose to schedule the Focus based on times and days.
From the Automation window, choose the Times and Days to automate your selection.
Then click on the Add button.
Similarly, as before, to schedule a Focus based on Location,
click the Add button +, and select Location Based Automation.
Location based notifications gets activated automatically,
when you reach your destination and deactivates when you leave your location.
I'll just enter a search location and then click the Add button when done.
It should be noted, in order for Location Based Automation to work,
make sure that Location Services is enabled in Privacy preferences, as shown.
To schedule a Focus to automatically turn on or off,
when using certain Apps, as before,
click the Add button + and select the App Based Automation.
Now, from the Automation window, I'll just click the Calculator app, for this demo.
As shown, whenever the Calculator app is opened,
the Gone Fishing Focus gets activated automatically and disabled,
when the app is closed.
Incidentally, by default, the Gaming Focus is set to turn on automatically,
whenever a wireless bluetooth game controller is connected to your Mac.
To temporarily stop using any automation,
just deselect any tick boxes in the list.
To Edit or remove any automation,
simply control click or right click on the automation and select Edit or Remove.
You can also click on the automation and click on the Remove button -, shown here.
Moving on.
4. Share your Focus status.
Enabled by default, Share Focus Status tells apps, like Messages,
you have notifications silenced and to notify you anyway if something is important.
As shown, when someone sends a message,
the person is shown that you have your notifications status silenced.
The person can still send a message, if there's something important.
Let's do just that.
It should be noted, only your notification status is displayed and not which Focus you are using.
Turn off if you don't want to share your Focus status.
5. Keep Focus up to date across your Apple devices.
As shown, and selected by default.
When you sign in with the same Apple ID, on all your Apple devices,
your Focus list is shared across all devices. Turn off if required.
And finally,
6. Some Helpful Tips When Using Focus.
1. macOS Monterey, iPadOS or iOS 15 or later,
is required to use the Focus feature.
2. To quickly silence all notifications,
turn on the Do Not Disturb Focus in the Control Centre, from menu bar.
3. Turn on the Do Not Disturb Focus on or off
by pressing and holding down the Option key
while you click on the date and time in the menu bar.
4. You can turn a Focus on or off from Control Centre,
or click the button at the top of the Focus preferences.
The Focus button changes color when active.
And that’s all there is to it.
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Peace.