Settings

The Settings page controls FocusMe’s global behaviour. Open it from the Settings tab in the sidebar. Options are grouped into tabs along the top: General, Browsers, System, Notification, Appearance and, when you’re logged in, Commitment.

Many protection-related settings cannot be changed while a plan is enabled. If a setting is greyed out, stop all plans first and try again.

General

General settings

Setting	Description
Start at Logon	Launch FocusMe automatically when you log in: None, Current User or All Users. Not available on Linux. Must be All Users while Share Settings for All Users is on.
Share Settings for All Users	Share plans and settings across every user account on this computer. Requires administrator privileges and a restart of FocusMe.
Restrict Logon of Users	Restrict which user accounts can log in to this computer. Click Allowed Users to open the Allowed User Accounts dialog and tick the accounts that may sign in; unticked accounts are logged out automatically when they try.
Protect Guest Account	macOS only. Protects the macOS guest account so it cannot be used to sidestep your plans.
Master Password	Disabled, Random Chars or Password. When set, FocusMe asks for the master password before showing the main screen. See Master Password below.

Misc settings

Setting	Description
Start Minimized	Start FocusMe hidden in the system tray; click the tray icon to show it. Always on while a Master Password is set. Your own choice comes back if the master password is removed.
Start Tab	Which tab opens when FocusMe starts: Plans, Activity or Tasks.
Font Scale	Normal, Large or Extra Large. Applied after FocusMe restarts.
Language	The application language. Applied after FocusMe restarts.
Dark Theme	Switch the interface to darker colours to reduce eye strain.

Update settings

Setting	Description
Version	Shows the installed version. When logging is on, the row also shows Save Logs (saves the log files), Disable (turns logging off) and Save Diagnostics (bundles logs and diagnostic information into a file you can send to support).
Check Now	Check for an update immediately. When one is available the row shows Update available: with the version and an Install button, followed by Downloading… and Installing… progress. If FocusMe was installed by an administrator and you use a standard account, the row says Updates are installed automatically by the protection service, and Check Now asks for any update straight away and shows the result.
Change Log	Open the change log in your browser.
Update Method	Prompt asks before installing an update; Automatic installs updates without asking.
Update Frequency	How often FocusMe checks for updates: Every 4 hours, Daily, Twice weekly, Weekly (default), Every 2 weeks or Monthly.
Early Access	Receive early-access builds before they are released to everyone.

Updates can be installed while plans are running. The installer only refuses to install an older version while plans are active. See Updates.

Other settings

Setting	Description
Start of Week	Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Used for weekly schedules, Activity and weekly counter resets. Locked while a weekly plan has recorded usage; it unlocks when the weekly counters reset.
Next Day Offset Hours	When FocusMe treats a new day as starting, for plan and Activity resets: Midnight, 1AM, 2AM, 3AM or 4AM (default 4AM). Late-night usage counts towards the previous day.
Backup Settings Daily	Back up your settings and plans to your user profile once a day.
Use 24 Hour Clock	Show times in 24-hour format. When off, AM/PM is used where possible.

Master Password

The master password protects access to FocusMe itself rather than to an individual plan. When it is set, FocusMe asks for it before allowing access to the main screen, which makes it suitable for business use or parental control. Choose one of:

Password: the row shows New password and Repeat password fields. Type the password into both. The row confirms Passwords match or Passwords don’t match. Click Apply to set it.
Random Chars: type a string of random characters (1 to 200 long) each time you open FocusMe. Set the length, tick Perfect Entry if you want a single typo to regenerate the string so you must start again, then click Apply.

Once a master password is set, the row only shows the current mode and a Change button. To change or remove the master password, click Change and enter the current one first (or type the characters shown, for Random Chars). Only someone who knows the master password can change or remove it. While a master password is set, Start Minimized stays on, so FocusMe starts in the tray and asks for the password when you open it.

If you forget your master password, contact FocusMe support. Support can remove a master password remotely; when that happens FocusMe tells you Your master password has been removed by FocusMe support. Store the password in a password manager to avoid this.

Browsers

Browser settings

Setting	Description
Browser Addon (Recommended)	One button per browser installed on this computer — Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Opera, Opera GX, Vivaldi, Zen, LibreWolf, Waterfox, Wavebox and, on macOS, Safari (installed from the Mac App Store). Click a button to open the addon install page in that browser. See Browser Extension.
Addon Verification	What FocusMe does when its browser addon cannot see which website you are on. Off — the browser is never closed. If FocusMe cannot see which website is open in a browser, it warns you and tells you how to fix it. Basic — if a browser runs without the addon, FocusMe warns you and then closes it. Standard — like Basic, and also steps in when a page cannot be checked at all (for example Incognito windows where the addon is not allowed); you always get a warning first. Strict — the browser closes within seconds, and only the pages needed to set the addon up stay open; the countdown is remembered across restarts. Cannot be lowered while a plan is enabled. Click the info icon for a description of each level.
Block Browser When Website Block Fails (Caution!)	Block the whole browser if it does not close a blocked website on command. Might result in lost work. Always on while Addon Verification is Strict.
Block Secondary Browser Windows (Caution!)	macOS only. Allow only one window per browser; secondary windows from the same browser are closed. Might result in lost work.

Block Page settings

These options control the page shown in the browser when a website is blocked.

Setting	Description
Quotes	Which motivational quotes appear on the block page: Built-in quotes, My own quotes or Both.
My Quotes	Your own quotes, one per line, in the form `quote \| author`.
Block Page Look	Click Preview and Customise to open the block page in your browser, where you can change its colour scheme (Classic, Dark or Custom colour), add a message and switch quotes on or off.

System

The System tab holds tamper-protection, detection, activity and data options. Some rows only appear on a particular operating system.

Setting	Description
Protect FocusMe Process	Restart FocusMe if it is ended with tools such as Task Manager or Activity Monitor.
Protect FocusMe Configuration	Protect FocusMe’s configuration files from being edited outside the app.
Fast Blocking	Detect and block websites and apps faster. Uses slightly more CPU and battery.
Block Task Managers / Block Activity Monitor	Block Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS) and similar tools completely.
Block Terminals (Windows) / Block Terminal / iTerm (macOS) / Block Command Prompt (Linux)	Windows: a level. Close terminals shuts Command Prompt, PowerShell and Windows Terminal windows while a plan is active, + Disable Command Prompt also stops it opening at all, and + Disable scripts also stops scripts and commands running in the background. Do not use Disable scripts if you are a developer or a gamer, as some apps and games need these to start. macOS and Linux: an on/off switch that blocks the terminal while a plan is active.
Protect Terminal Commands	Windows only. Monitor terminal windows and close them if protected keywords are detected.
Protect FocusMe Directories	Prevent the FocusMe installation and settings folders from being viewed in Explorer or Finder.
Protect Activity	Protect your recorded activity from being cleared or disabled. Can only be turned off when all plans are stopped. See Activity.
Use Internal Clock & Get Time from Internet	Use FocusMe’s own clock, verified against the Internet, so changing the computer’s clock cannot shorten a plan. If you change time zones you need to stop all plans for FocusMe to accept the change.
Block Date & Time Changing / Block Date & Time Preferences	Block the operating system’s date and time settings. Not needed when using the internal clock.
Block W10/W11 PC Settings	Windows only. Block the Windows Settings app. Not needed when using the internal clock.
Block Users & Groups	macOS only. Block the Users & Groups pane of System Settings.
Block Privacy & Security	macOS only. Block the Privacy & Security pane of System Settings. It still opens briefly when FocusMe asks you for a permission.
Extra Protection Service	Windows only, shown when FocusMe was installed by an administrator. Click Enable to have FocusMe restarted automatically if it is closed, and its files guarded. Requires administrator permission. Click Disable to turn it off; this cannot be done while plans are enabled.
Run in Safe Mode	Shown when Extra Protection is enabled. Also launch FocusMe when Windows starts in Safe Mode.
Enhanced Window Detection	macOS only. Click Enable to grant Screen Recording permission for faster, more reliable detection of open apps and websites in the background. FocusMe does not capture, record or transmit any screen content.
Protect Process Suspending	Windows only. Stop FocusMe’s processes from being put into a suspended state.
Kill Tampering Processes	Windows only. Detect and close processes that attempt to end or tamper with FocusMe.
Block 3rd Party Uninstallers	Prevent certain third-party uninstaller apps from running.
Protect PowerShell History	Windows only. Protect the PowerShell command history.
Protect Startup Cleaners	Keep FocusMe set to start with the computer even if a startup cleaner disables it.
Check Inactive App Windows	Block app windows that are open but not currently active. Recommended.
Check Secondary Browser Windows	Block websites whenever the browser is visible, not only when it is in focus. Enables Check Minimized Browser Windows, which also checks browsers that are minimised or covered by a full-screen app (not usually recommended).
Record Activity	Record app and website usage on this computer. Powers the Activity page, weekly recaps, Coach insights and device sync. Existing data is kept when disabled. Cannot be disabled while a plan or Protect Activity is enabled.
Protect Uninstall	Refuse to uninstall FocusMe while plans are enabled.
Protect Switch User	Not on macOS. Disable “Switch User” while a plan is enabled.
Protect Sign Out	Not on macOS. Protect signing out until other apps are closed or all plans are stopped.
Protect Clipboard	Stop the clipboard from containing blocked websites and other disallowed commands.
Show ‘Delete’ Application Block Method (Advanced Users)	Not on macOS. Add the Delete block method to the application block methods in the Plan Wizard.
Maximum Number of Plans	Limit how many plans can exist. `0` means Unlimited.
Enable Import & Export of Plans	Allow plans to be exported to and imported from `.FMP` files. Cannot be changed while a plan is enabled. See Import & Export Plans.
Coach & Anonymous Data Collection	Logged in only. Share usage data to enable Coach reports and personalised recommendations. Data is linked to a pseudonymous token, kept separate from your account details.
Reminder to run Coach Report	Shown while data sharing is on. Generate Coach reports automatically and notify you when they are ready: Off, Weekly, Weekdays, Daily or Custom (pick the days).
Delete My Data	Shown while data sharing is off. Permanently delete all your Coach usage data from FocusMe’s servers.

Import/Export must be enabled here before the Export and Import items appear in the plan context menu.

Notification

Setting	Description
Play Sounds	Play a sound when plans start, stop, pause and so on.
Block Notifications	Show a message when something was blocked and why.
Quiet Hours	Mute notification sounds between Quiet Hours Start and Quiet Hours End.
Fixed Interval Normal/Low Threshold	The remaining time (hh:mm) that separates “normal” from “low” fixed-interval notifications.
Fixed Interval Notify Every (Normal)	How often fixed-interval notifications appear while above the threshold (hh:mm), or None.
Fixed Interval Notify Every (Low)	How often they appear below the threshold (hh:mm), or None.
Daily Screen Time Alert	Show a notification when your daily screen time exceeds a threshold.
Weekday Threshold (hours)	Hours of screen time before the alert on Monday–Friday (default 10).
Weekend Threshold (hours)	Hours of screen time before the alert on Saturday–Sunday (default 4).

Per-plan notifications (Status Change, Time Limit Usage, Soon Starting, Soon Ending, Fixed Intervals) are ticked under Options on the Review step of the Plan Wizard. This tab controls global notification behaviour. Where notifications appear, and how they look, is set on the Appearance tab.

Appearance

These options change how the floating Timer Window and FocusMe’s notifications look, and where they appear.

Style

Setting	Description
Style	The look of the timer windows and notifications: Default, Light, Minimal or High contrast.
Size	Small, Medium or Large.
Opacity	How see-through the timer windows and notifications are, from 100% down to 50%.
Progress	Ring shows a countdown ring on the timer window; None hides it.
Show Seconds on Timers	Show seconds in the timer countdown.
Breathing Pulse on Break Screen	Ease the break ring in and out, with a breathing caption, for the first minute of a break.

Screen Corners

Setting	Description
General Notification Position	Where FocusMe notifications appear: Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left or Bottom Right.
Coach Notification Position	Where Coach report notifications appear. Shown while Reminder to run Coach Report is on.
Pomodoro and Break Position	Where Pomodoro and break notifications appear: Same as notifications, Centre of the screen or one of the four corners.
Timer Position	The corner new timers open in: Default or one of the four corners. Changing it moves every open timer there.

Timer Window

Setting	Description
Smart Timer Display	Only show the timer when it is actively in use, for example while a time limit is counting down or a session is in progress.
Show FocusMe Logo	Show the FocusMe logo in the timer window.
Show Plan Name	Show the plan name in the timer window.
Show Status Text	Show the status text line (for example “Time limit” or “Pomodoro 2 of 4”).
Show Additional Text	Show the second information line (for example how much time is left in the session).
Show Action Icons	Show stop, pause and skip icons on the timer window.
Countdown Font Size	Size of the countdown digits (16 to 40).
Info Font Size	Size of the text lines (8 to 16).
Countdown Position	Put the countdown on the Left or Right of the window.

Commitment

Shown only when you are logged in.

Setting	Description
Accountability Partners	The list of partners you have added, each with a status: Pending (invitation not yet confirmed), Active in N hours - stop all plans to activate immediately (confirmed while plans were running) or Confirmed. Pending partners have a Remove button; once a partner confirms, only they can remove themselves.
Add Accountability Partner	Enter a Partner email and an optional Name (optional), then click Add. The partner receives an email with a confirmation link.
Refresh	Reload the partner list from your account.
Lock Accountability Partners	Prevent yourself from adding or removing partners until all your plans are stopped. Once locked, the button becomes Unlock Accountability Partners and shows Stop all plans to unlock.

See Accountability Partner for how partners approve requests. Below the partners, Commitment settings holds the rules FocusMe support follows when you ask for an assisted stop. Stricter changes work at once; easier changes wait 7 days.

Setting	Description
How strict?	Gentle, Recommended or Strict fill in a set of rules; Custom is your own mix.
Who can approve a stop?	My partner or FocusMe support, or Only my partner.
Commitment fee	Charged when FocusMe support stops a plan for you.
Wait before a stop lands	Extra time between approval and the plans stopping.
Most assisted stops	A limit per month, 3, 6 or 12 months.
No assisted stops until	A lock date, with This lock cannot be shortened.
When a stop can land	The days and hour a stop may take effect.
Free stops a month / Urgent stops / Lock-break fee / If a plan is set up wrong	What support does in an emergency or when a plan is set up wrong.

See Commitment Settings for what each rule does.

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Advanced

General

General settings

Misc settings

Update settings

Other settings

Master Password

Browsers

Browser settings

Block Page settings

System

Notification

Appearance

Style

Screen Corners

Timer Window

Commitment

​General

​General settings

​Misc settings

​Update settings

​Other settings

​Master Password

​Browsers

​Browser settings

​Block Page settings

​System

​Notification

​Appearance

​Style

​Screen Corners

​Timer Window

​Commitment

General

General settings

Misc settings

Update settings

Other settings

Master Password

Browsers

Browser settings

Block Page settings

System

Notification

Appearance

Style

Screen Corners

Timer Window

Commitment