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FocusMe can block any desktop application by its process name, window title, or by selecting it from a list of running/installed apps.

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Block Some Apps (Blacklist)

Specify exactly which apps to block.

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Adding an Application

On the Targets page (Step 1) of the Plan Wizard:
  1. Click Add App
  2. Choose how to find the app:
  1. Select the app(s) you want to block — use Ctrl+click to select multiple
  2. Click Add

The Targets page in the Plan Wizard — Applications section

The Add App dialog — Process tab showing running processes

The Add App dialog — Installed tab

Not sure what process name an app uses? Use the Helper Tool — right-click the FocusMe tray icon and select Helper while the target app is open. It shows the exact process name, window title, and path.

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Common Apps to Block

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Block All Apps (Whitelist Only)

For extreme focus, block everything and only allow specific apps:
  1. Choose Block All Apps
  2. Add exceptions — the apps you need for work
  3. Everything else is blocked
Example: Allow only WINWORD.exe (Word), EXCEL.exe (Excel), and chrome.exe (Chrome) during work hours.
When blocking all applications, make sure to add your essential tools to the whitelist. If you lock yourself out of everything with Enforced protection, you’ll need to wait for the schedule to end.

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Block Method

The Block method dropdown at the bottom of the Applications step controls how blocked apps are handled:

The block method dropdown for applications

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How App Blocking Works

When a plan is active, FocusMe watches for blocked apps. If one is launched or brought to focus, FocusMe immediately minimizes, closes, or kills it (depending on your block method) and shows a notification telling you which plan blocked it.

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Matching Methods

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When to Use Each

  • Process name — best for most apps. Simple and reliable.
  • Window title — useful for blocking specific content within an app (e.g., block windows titled “YouTube” in any browser).
  • Process path — use when the same executable name is used by multiple apps and you need to target one specifically.

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Windows Store / UWP Apps

Modern Windows Store apps (UWP) use different process names than traditional desktop apps. Use the Helper Tool or the Installed tab in the Add App dialog to identify them correctly. Common examples:
  • Windows Store TikTok → look for its process in Task Manager
  • Microsoft Store Netflix → typically ApplicationFrameHost.exe (match by window title instead)
For UWP apps, matching by window title is often more reliable than matching by process name, since many UWP apps share the same host process.

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Penalty

For Block plans, you can enable the Penalty to add escalating consequences when you repeatedly try to open blocked apps. Instead of just blocking, the Penalty extends blocking time with each reoffence. Learn more about the Penalty →

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Platform Differences

On macOS, you must grant FocusMe Accessibility permission in System Settings for application detection to work.