Do Not Interrupt Mode

Do Not Interrupt Mode gives you control over when Sorta shows notifications, perfect for focused work, presentations, or screen recordings.

What It Does

When enabled:

• Sorta continues organizing files in the background
• Auto-Sort still runs automatically
• Flows continue working
• Quick Access still functions
• No notifications appear on your screen

Enabling Do Not Interrupt

Using Keyboard Shortcut

Press ⌥⇧D (Option+Shift+D) from anywhere:

1. Hold Option and Shift
2. Press D
3. Mode toggles on/off

Using Menu Bar

1. Click the Sorta menu bar icon
2. Look for the moon icon (🌕 or 🌑)
3. Click to toggle

Visual Indicators

When to Use It

Presentations & Meetings

Prevent popups during client calls or presentations:

• Screen sharing sessions
• Video conferences
• Client demonstrations
• Team meetings

Focused Work

Eliminate distractions during deep work:

• Writing sessions
• Coding sprints
• Design work
• Any concentration-intensive task

Screen Recordings

Keep recordings clean without notification overlays:

• Tutorial videos
• Demo recordings
• Marketing content
• Documentation videos

Testing New Flows

When testing automation:

• See files move without notifications
• Verify behavior without interruptions
• Test flow logic cleanly

What Still Works

When Do Not Interrupt is enabled:

What Is Paused

Combining with macOS Focus

Do Not Interrupt works alongside macOS Focus modes:

Manual Combination

1. Enable macOS Focus (Do Not Disturb)
2. Enable Sorta Do Not Interrupt (⌥⇧D)
3. Maximum notification silence

Automation (Shortcuts App)

Create an automation:

Trigger: When Focus "Work" activates
Action: Enable Sorta Do Not Interrupt

Then reverse when Focus ends.

Tips

Quick Toggle

Memorize ⌥⇧D — it becomes second nature:

• Press without thinking
• Single action enables/disables
• Works from any app

Check Before Important Events

Before calls or presentations:

1. Glance at menu bar
2. Verify moon icon shows full moon (🌕)
3. You're protected from interruptions

Use During Testing

When setting up new flows:

1. Enable Do Not Interrupt
2. Test file sorting manually
3. Watch files move without popups
4. Disable when done testing

Troubleshooting

Mode doesn't stay on

Problem: You enable it but it turns off.

Solutions:

1. Toggle it a few times to reset
2. Restart Sorta completely
3. Restart your Mac
4. Check System Settings → Notifications for Sorta

Notifications still appearing

Problem: You see notifications despite moon icon showing full moon.

Check:

1. Is the moon icon really full? (🌕 = ON, 🌑 = OFF)
2. Is Sorta running properly?
3. Are notifications from another app?

Fix:

1. Toggle Do Not Interrupt off and on
2. Restart Sorta
3. Check System Settings → Notifications for Sorta
4. Verify Sorta notifications are allowed (not blocked)

Keyboard shortcut not working

Problem: ⌥⇧D does nothing.

Check:

1. Are you holding the right keys? (Option+Shift+D)
2. Is Sorta running?
3. Did you change the shortcut in Settings?

Fix:

1. Click menu bar icon and toggle manually
2. Restart Sorta
3. Check Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts
4. Grant Accessibility permission if needed

Settings

Customizing the Shortcut

1. Click Sorta menu bar icon
2. Go to Settings
3. Find Keyboard Shortcuts
4. Find Do Not Interrupt Mode
5. Click to change
6. Press your desired key combination
7. Save

Available Shortcut Options

Best Practices

Enable Before, Disable After

Get in the habit:

1. Before focused work or meetings → ⌥⇧D
2. After → ⌥⇧D again to re-enable notifications

Check the Moon Icon

Visual confirmation:

• Full moon (🌕) = protected
• New moon (🌑) = normal notifications

Combine with Workflow

Use alongside other productivity techniques:

• Pomodoro sessions
• Time blocking
• Deep work periods
• Focus modes

Do Not Interrupt vs. Disabling Auto-Sort

Next Steps

• Quick Access guide — Combine with Quick Folder Picker
• Auto-Sort — Background organization that continues running
• Keyboard Shortcuts — All shortcuts reference