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Sometimes you need to briefly access a blocked site or app — checking a work-related YouTube video, or responding to a Facebook message. Pausing lets you do this without stopping the entire plan.

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How to Pause

  1. Open FocusMe or right-click the tray icon
  2. Find the active plan
  3. Click Pause
  4. If the plan has protection, enter your password or type the random characters
  5. Blocking is suspended for the configured pause duration

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Pause Limits

If configured, pauses are limited by:
  • Pause count — maximum number of pauses per day (e.g., 3)
  • Pause length — maximum duration of each pause (e.g., 10 minutes)
Once you’ve used all your pauses, the plan cannot be paused again until the next day.

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Pause vs Stop

ActionEffect
PauseTemporarily suspends blocking. Resumes automatically after the pause duration.
StopFully deactivates the plan. Must be manually restarted (or wait for the next scheduled activation).
Pausing is the safer option — you know blocking will resume automatically. Stopping risks forgetting to restart.
On Screen Break and Pomodoro plans, the button says Postpone instead of Pause — it delays the start of a break. It’s the same mechanism with the same limits and protection settings.
If you find yourself pausing constantly, your plan might be too aggressive. Consider switching to a Time Limit plan type that gives you a daily budget instead of total blocking.