Back in November 2021, Microsoft revealed that the regular Clock app in Windows <> would be getting a major redesign. This includes a new integration with Spotify called Focus Sessions that lets you create a focus timer that lets you set a certain amount of time to complete a task while notifying you when you take a break.
However, Neowin (opens in a new tab) has reported that in the past few months, the integration’s certification has expired, making the feature completely unusable. Despite numerous user complaints on Microsoft’s official Support Forums (opens in a new tab) and Feedback Center (opens in a new tab), there is no official fix over there.
The same complaint was received on Spotify’s official forums, eventually, a representative said. (Opens in a new tab) “We’ve checked and it appears this is a known limitation on the Windows side at this time due to expired certificates” before going on to advise users to report the issue to Microsoft Support for a more detailed explanation.
this is unacceptable
This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve encountered a Windows 11 feature glitch, nor is it one that Microsoft has spent months addressing. Between graphics cards that the tech giant’s operating system makes invisible, forced updates that cause Bluetooth instability, AMD processors that don’t work, and more, there seems to be no end to the quandary.
But for Microsoft, it’s especially a good look, since it’s a feature Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay himself promoted, championing the integration as a “game-changing” on his official Twitter account. Now, two years later, the integration is dead, and there’s no sign that Microsoft fixed it, or even wants to fix it.
While it’s not one of those software features that people pay real money for, with no hope of a refund, focus sessions are certainly a useful tool for those struggling to stay focused at work. It’s such a useful feature, and one of the few genuinely useful Windows 11 features I can think of, it’s especially frustrating to see it broken without any replacement or fix.
Hopefully, Microsoft will announce that it’s going to fix this soon, or, otherwise, some sage will create a third-party app with the same concept and better long-term support.
