Again in August 2021, Microsoft revealed that the common Clock app in Home windows 11 could be getting a big redesign. This included a brand-new integration with Spotify referred to as Focus Periods, which might allow you to create a Focus Timer that may assist you to set a sure period of time to finish a process whereas providing you with discover when a break is due.

Nonetheless, Neowin (opens in new tab) reported that for the previous a number of months, the certification for that integration has expired, leaving the function utterly unusable. And regardless of complaints from many customers in Microsoft’s official assist boards (opens in new tab) and Suggestions Hub (opens in new tab), there have been no official fixes on that facet.

Spotify’s official boards acquired the identical complaints, and finally a consultant said (opens in new tab) that “We have checked round and it appears to be like like it is a identified limitation on Home windows’ facet in the intervening time because of an expired certificates,” then went on to advise customers to report the difficulty to Microsoft assist for a extra detailed clarification.

TechRadar has reached out to Microsoft for touch upon the difficulty, and we’ll replace this text if we obtain a response.

That is unacceptable 

This definitely isn’t the primary time we’ve had a malfunctioning Home windows 11 function, or one which Microsoft took months to unravel. Between the tech large’s OS stealth-nerfing graphics playing cards because of a safety function, compelled updates inflicting Bluetooth instabilities, AMD processors not working, and extra, there appears to be no finish to the woes.

However this one, specifically, isn’t a very good search for Microsoft, because it’s a function that Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer Panos Panay promoted himself, and championed as a “gaming-changing” integration on his official Twitter. Now, after two years, the mixing is useless within the water, with no indicators of Microsoft fixing it and even wanting to repair it.

Whereas this isn’t a type of software program options folks paid actual cash for, with no hope of a refund, Focus Periods was undoubtedly a useful gizmo for individuals who battle with specializing in work. It’s an extremely helpful function, and one of many few I can consider for Home windows 11 that was genuinely useful, and seeing it gutted with none kind of substitute or repair in sight feels significantly irritating.

Hopefully, Microsoft will announce that it is addressing the difficulty quickly, or, barring that, some saint on the market will create a third-party app with the identical idea and higher long-term assist.