Is your organization ready for Windows 8.1? Part 13, Quiet hours

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Microsoft has made big strides on making Windows 8.1 an efficient platform to use, both for people migrating from Windows 7 (and previous versions of Windows) to Windows 8.1 and for those migrating from the original version of Windows 8.

As a frequent presenter, I really like one of the new Windows 8.1 features, that makes Windows 8.1 the ultimate platform to combine my personal, work and community life on one platform: Quiet hours.

Now, while I personally love this feature, I know this feature will also enable your colleagues to be more productive.

 

Quiet hours

Quiet hours is a feature in Windows 8.1, that allows you to mute the sound of notifications and the display of notification banners (in the top right corner of your main screen).

You can use Quiet Hours in two ways:

  1. Pre-defined quiet hours per day
  2. Ad-hoc quiet hours

Here’s how to set this up:

Set up pre-defined quiet hours

Setting up pre-defined quiet hours is done in the settings panes of The New Interface.

First, bring up the Charms bar, by either clicking in the top right or bottom right corner of your main screen and move the mouse up and down, or by swiping in from the right side of your touchscreen, or by pressing Win + C.

From the Charms bar, select Settings. In the Settings pane, select Change PC settings.

Then click Search and apps from the left pane, followed by Notifications. Scroll down to Quiet hours in the main pane and turn the switch next to On, when the setting is not On already.

Note:
Quiet hours is enabled by default in Windows 8.1, to not display notifications between midnight and 6 AM. These are preferred settings for Always On devices.

Pre-definined Quiet Hours in The New Interface

Now define the timeframe in increments of 15 minutes in which you want Quiet hours enabled.

Note:
This timeframe will also be enabled during weekends. It does not work together with the Working days defined in the settings of Microsoft Outlook.

When you scroll down even further, you can granularly define the apps for which you do want notifications during quiet hours.

Note:
These settings also apply to ad-hoc quiet hours.

When done, close the pane by either pulling it down from the top edge of your screen (either by mouse or gesture) or by pressing Alt + F4.

Set up ad-hoc quiet hours

If you’re presenting with your Windows 8.1 device and use Quiet hours to be more productive, you’ll really love ad-hoc Quiet hours.

Just like the pre-defined Quiet hours, these settings are enabled through The New Interface, but are not buried. Ad-hoc Quiet Hours can be enabled within four clicks.

Bring up the Charms bar, by either clicking in the top right or bottom right corner of your main screen and move the mouse up and down, or by swiping in from the right side of your touchscreen, or by pressing Win + C.

From the Charms bar, select Notifications. Now, select either Hide for 8 hours, Hide for 3 hours or Hide for 1 hour.

Tip!
Ad-hoc quiet hours can also be found in Windows Server 2012 R2.

 

Concluding

Quiet Hours is a useful feature for Always On devices. For work devices, that are turned off outside office hours, the Quiet hours can be reused to create time frames for colleagues to concentrate on their work without distractions.

Further reading

How to Use Quite Hours in Windows 8.1 to Silence Notifications
Where to Find the Settings for Quiet Hours in Windows 8.1
How to Use Quiet Hours in Windows 8.1 to Silence Notifications?
Use Quiet Hours to Silence Windows 8.1 Notifications
How to Use Quite Hours in Windows 8.1 to Silence Notifications
How to Enable Quiet Hours in Windows 8.1

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