Protection Levels
Protection levels apply to stopping, skipping, pausing, and other plan actions. Not all levels are available for every action.Unprotected
No challenge. You can perform the action with a single click. Good for: Testing plans, flexible schedules, low-stakes blocking.Password
You set a password when creating the plan. To perform the action, you must enter the password. Good for: Mild accountability. Adds a speed bump that makes you pause and think before acting.Random Chars
FocusMe generates a string of random characters that you must type out exactly. The character count is configurable directly on the protection page using the inline spinbox — longer strings take more effort. You can also enable Perfect mode, which requires an exact match with no mistakes.
Enforced
The plan cannot be stopped by any means until the schedule allows it. There is no password, no override, no escape hatch. Good for: Maximum willpower support, serious commitments, parental controls.In older versions of FocusMe, Enforced was called “Forced”. It’s the same feature, just renamed for clarity.
Disallowed
Available for skip break, pause/postpone, and add to whitelist actions. When set to Disallowed, the action is completely blocked — there is no challenge, no workaround, and the button is hidden entirely. Good for: When you want to guarantee that breaks can’t be skipped, plans can’t be paused, or whitelists can’t be modified during active blocking.Disallowed is different from Enforced. Enforced applies to stopping the plan. Disallowed applies to skip, pause, and whitelist actions — it removes the option entirely rather than requiring an impossible challenge.
Protection Settings
The Protection page in the Plan Wizard has these settings:| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Protection when active | Challenge required to stop the plan while it’s blocking |
| Stop delay when active | Wait period after requesting to stop (e.g., 15 minutes). Gives you time to reconsider. |
| Protection on standby | Challenge required to stop/edit the plan outside schedule hours |
| Stop delay on standby | Wait period for stopping outside schedule hours |
| When Disabled | Password-protect editing and deleting of disabled plans. Prevents tampering with a plan’s settings while it’s not running. |
| Skip break | Challenge to skip a break on Screen Break or Pomodoro plans. Can be set to Disallowed to prevent skipping entirely. |
| Pause/Postpone | Challenge to pause the plan. Can be set to Disallowed to prevent pausing entirely. |
| Pause limit | Maximum pause duration |
| Add to Whitelist | Challenge to add exceptions while the plan is active. Can be set to Disallowed to prevent whitelist changes entirely. |
- Protection when active: Enforced (can’t stop the plan while it’s running)
- Protection on standby: Password (need a password to edit outside schedule)
- When Disabled: Password (need a password to edit or delete the plan when it’s not running)
- Skip break: Disallowed (breaks cannot be skipped)
- Pause/Postpone: Random Chars (4) (must type 4 random characters to pause)
Default Protection for New Plans
New plans are created with moderate protection by default:- Stop when active: Random Characters (8)
- Skip break: Random Characters (4)
- Pause/Postpone: Random Characters (4)
- Add to Whitelist: Disallowed
- Pause length: 15 minutes
Editing Running Plans
When a plan is active, you can still edit it — but only to make protection stricter. You can increase the stop challenge level, reduce pause limits, or tighten schedule times. You cannot weaken protection on a running plan (e.g., changing from Enforced to Password, or extending pause duration). This also applies to whitelist and When Disabled protection. This prevents you from undermining your own plans in a moment of weakness while still allowing you to strengthen them.Tips for Effective Protection
- Start mild, increase gradually. Begin with Password protection. Once you’re comfortable, try Random Characters. Only use Enforced when you’re confident in your schedule.
- Test before committing. Run your plan with no protection for a day to verify the schedule, targets, and rules are correct. Then add protection.
- Set up your schedule first. With Enforced mode on a Weekly Schedule, blocking activates and deactivates automatically. Make sure the schedule has gaps for when you need unrestricted access.
- Use pause limits as a middle ground. Instead of going straight to Enforced, use Password protection with 2-3 pause limits. You can still take breaks, but the friction prevents mindless disabling.
- Emergency codes. FocusMe provides emergency unlock codes for genuine emergencies. These are single-use and limited — they exist for safety, not convenience.
Emergency Stop Codes
If you’re locked out by an Enforced plan and genuinely need to regain access (e.g., an urgent work situation), FocusMe provides emergency stop codes as a last resort.
How to Request a Stop Code
- Right-click the active plan → Request Stop Code, or click the Request Stop Code button on the Break Screen
- A dialog appears showing your Device ID — copy this
- Contact FocusMe support with your Device ID to request a stop code
- Enter the stop code you receive into the dialog
Stop Code Responses
| Response | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Success | The code is valid — the plan is stopped immediately |
| Already used | This code has already been redeemed and cannot be used again |
| Invalid / Expired | The code is incorrect or has expired. Request a new one. |