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FocusMe can block any application on your computer — games, messaging apps, browsers or anything else.

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Quick setup

Step 1 What to block, Applications tab, with a few apps on the block list

  1. On the Plans tab click Add a Plan and name the plan
  2. On What to block, switch to the Applications tab
  3. Type the app’s process name into the add row (Type an app to block, e.g. steam.exe…) and click Add, or click Pick from installed apps… to choose from a list
  4. Click Next and choose when the plan runs on When it runs
  5. Click Next and choose a preset on How strict
  6. On Review, click Create & Enable
Start typing in the add row and FocusMe suggests matching installed apps after two characters. Apps you have already added show Already added.

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Picking an app

The app picker on the Installed Apps tab

Pick from installed apps… opens the app picker with four tabs: Tick the apps you want, check the Target Type and Match at the top right of the picker, and click Done. Apps picked this way are added with an Exact match, so only that app is affected.

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Choosing a target type

Every application entry has a type and a match. Click a row on What to block to change them. Matches are Contains, Exact, Starts With, Ends With and Regex. The Helper in the sidebar shows every one of these values for any open window — see Using the Helper Tool.

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What happens to a blocked app

Open the Advanced expander at the bottom of What to block to reveal Blocking behaviour. The application Block action decides what FocusMe does when a blocked app is in front: Tick Include background processes to also block matching apps that are running without a visible window.

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Blocking games

Block the game itself rather than the launcher, unless you want the launcher gone too:
  • Steam is steam.exe. Blocking it removes the store, the library and every game launched through it. To block only games, see Block All Steam Games
  • Epic Games and other launchers work the same way: block the game executable, found under Running Processes while the game is running
  • Minecraft runs as javaw.exe; block it by Window Title containing Minecraft instead
Game executables can change names after an update. If blocking stops working, open the game and check its process name again in the Helper.

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Windows Store apps

Store apps run under Windows system processes, so adding ApplicationFrameHost.exe is the wrong approach. Use Application Name, Window Title or the Open Windows tab instead. Block Windows Store Apps → Learn more about blocking applications →