The Top 8 Apps and Extensions for Avoiding Distractions While Working

Do you want to focus on your work with undivided attention? These anti-distraction applications and extensions can be useful.

Productivity and concentration are closely related. Unfortunately, there are lots of distractions that interrupt your focus and make you less productive. With every distraction, you are hampered by your performance without even realizing it.

However, you can always use these free apps and extensions to avoid distractions.

1. FocalFilter

FocalFilter is a free anti-distraction tool that helps you achieve maximum productivity. The Windows-based app works on any browser you use for web access, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. This app supports the following versions of Windows OS: 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.

The simple and minimalistic interface of this app lets you add the website URLs you want to block. This tool saves the list permanently until you edit it. Using this app, you can also customize the block time.

However, this app offers a rigid method of avoiding distractions. It is impossible to revoke the block other than uninstalling the app or rebooting the computer. You can visit the blocked sites after the block time is over.

Download: FocalFilter for Windows (Free)

2. focus booster

If you want to understand where your time goes, you can use focus booster. This time tracking app resists distraction and allows you to complete your tasks with improved focus. It lets you develop some long-lasting productive habits so that you can do more work in less time.

With the free plan of this tool, you can perform up to 20 Pomodoro sessions/month. The plan includes a Pomodoro timer as well as productivity reports. Choose the client name and label for a task and start the timer. You can visualize your productivity with its detailed timesheet.

Download: focus booster for Windows (Free)

3. WriteMonkey

This full-screen editing app helps you break free from all the distractions of the internet and computer. Most aspects of this program are customizable, including colors, fonts, and page layout.

Besides being a free platform for writing, it offers you advanced statistics through its built-in statistics module. With this tool, you can check word counts, character counts, page counts, word frequencies, Gunning Fog index, lexical density, etc.

You can also set a time limit for finishing a write-up. This app is also available in a portable version that you can carry in a USB device and use on any system without installation.

Download: WriteMonkey for Windows | macOS | Linux (Free)

4. FocusWriter

When you are writing in a browser-based text editor, the latter might lure you into visiting time-wasting websites or social platforms. FocusWriter allows you to write without any external distractions.

The app supports TXT, basic RTF, and ODT files. It also lets you choose any of the preferred themes for the background. You can also add timers, alarms, and daily goals to achieve enhanced productivity.

The app is available in more than 20 languages. Therefore, you can use it seamlessly in your native language. The app is compatible with Windows 7, 8.1, 10. You can use it on Linux as well.

5. Noisli

Want to build your world of focus, away from all the annoying noises? Noisli is the right Chrome extension for you. Besides increasing your productivity, it reduces stress and helps you get into the zone quickly. This extension has more than 100,000 users and a rating of 4.1 out of 5.

You need to select the productivity tab from the playlists and play any sound from the collection. You can also adjust the volume of each natural sound here. Customize the duration and start the timer for an uninterrupted work session.

It also lets you create your favorite playlist by combining multiple noises of your choice. Apart from these, the extension has curated playlists of background sounds for random and relaxed occasions. You can easily share the Noisli playlists with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, email, and link.

6. BlockSite

If you have the habit of getting distracted by visiting time-wasting websites? Get the BlockSite extension in your Chrome browser and stay away from the websites that distract you. This Chrome extension gathered a rating of 4.5 on a scale of 5, and more than 1,000,000 people use it.

You can blacklist distracting websites through this extension. Or, you may wish to add websites to your whitelist and block every other website in the world. It also lets you set up a blocking schedule along with interval time. You can add this setting for each day of the week.

This extension is also suitable for working in Focus Mode. Add focus time and break time to finish work without any disruptions. You can also determine how many times the focus time cycle will repeat.

7. Timewarp

The Timewarp extension stops you from procrastinating and helps you get things done within the stipulated time. Whenever you visit Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, and other similar websites, it redirects to your focus task. It has 10,000+ users and a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

The extension offers three kinds of wormholes to you. You can choose from these options to avoid wasting time.

• Redirect: Specify a From Site and a Destination Site. When you access any distracting site, the extension will automatically redirect you to a productive destination site.
• Quote: Add the site URL and any motivational quote. Whenever you access that site, you will see the quotation.
• Timer: You can add time for some websites. Whenever you access those sites, you can see a real-time clock showing the time spent there.

8. xTab

This productivity extension controls your distraction differently. You can limit the total number of simultaneously open tabs on your Chrome browser. It has 30,000+ users and a rating of 3.9.

When you reach the tab limit, it will open the excessive tabs. The good thing is, you can choose which tab the extension will remove in such situations. The default setting is to remove the least recently used tab. However, you can also choose to close the least accessed or open at the earliest tab.

Moreover, you can also block new tabs from opening when you reach the tab count limit. The extension will not close pinned tabs, tabs containing audio, or tabs that have been opened but never visited.

Related: The Best Website Blockers That Remove Distractions While You Work

Stop Distractions With Free Apps and Extensions

You can use any of the above tools and browser extensions to minimize distractions during work. You can only be able to concentrate on your tasks when distractions are absent. To enhance your productivity further, you can also implement the Flowtime technique of focused work.

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