# Welcome back: pick up where you left off

> After three minutes or more away from PlexiDesk, a Welcome back pill says how long you were gone. When it appears, and how to get back into your work.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/focus-welcome-back
Section: Focus and flow > Focus tools
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

Coming back to work after a break is often the hardest part. When you return to PlexiDesk after some time away, a small pill near the bottom of the window greets you with **Welcome back** and tells you how long you were gone, so you know at a glance whether you need a moment to find your place.

## Before you start

- The Welcome back pill is part of every plan and needs no AI.
- It works everywhere in PlexiDesk: on Home, on a desk or in any other area.
- There is nothing to set up, and no setting to change.

## When it appears

The pill appears when you come back after one of these:

- **You used another app** for three minutes or more, and then switched back to PlexiDesk.
- **PlexiDesk was minimised or hidden** for three minutes or more, and then you brought it back.
- **PlexiDesk stayed in front, but you did nothing in it** for ten minutes: no click, no key press and no scrolling. Moving the pointer on its own does not count as doing something.

Only one pill shows at a time.

## What you see

At the bottom centre of the window, a pill reads **Welcome back —** followed by how long you were away, for example **you were away 12 min**, or **you were away 1h 20m** for longer breaks. It also carries a **Bring me back** button and a **×**.

The pill closes as soon as you click, press a key or scroll anywhere in PlexiDesk, so it never stands in your way.

## Get back into your work

The pill tells you how long you were away. To see what you were doing, use one of these:

1. **Where was I.** Put the [Where was I widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/home-widget-where-was-i) on your Home dashboard. It shows the desk you last worked on, how long ago that was and the last web page you opened, with **Resume** to go straight back.
2. **A handoff note.** Before you step away from a desk, open **Resume** from its quick actions and click **Generate resume**. Plexii writes a short note of where the desk stands and what to do next, and it is waiting when you come back. It needs AI set up. See [Write a handoff note with Resume](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-resume).
3. **Your activity trail.** The [Recent activity widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/home-widget-recent-activity) lists what you did on your desks, so you can go back further than the last desk.

## Tips

- **Read the time first.** A few minutes away usually needs nothing. After an hour, open Where was I or your handoff note before you dive in.
- **Leave yourself a note before a long break.** A handoff note written before you go is the quickest way back in.
- **Start small.** If getting going again feels heavy, click **Focus** on the desk for a five-minute session. See [Start a focus session](https://plexiidesk.com/help/focus-session).

## Common questions

### Bring me back closes the pill without a recap

In version 4.3.26, the pill closes at the first click, key press or scroll, and that includes pressing its own **Bring me back** button. Use the [Where was I widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/home-widget-where-was-i) or your [handoff note](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-resume) to see where you were.

### Why did the pill appear while I was at my desk?

PlexiDesk was in front of you, but there was no click, key press or scrolling in it for ten minutes, for example while you read something or worked on paper. Click anywhere and it closes.

### Why did it not appear after a short break?

The pill needs three minutes or more away. Shorter breaks do not count.

### Can I turn it off?

There is no setting for it. It closes at your first click, key press or scroll.

## Related tasks

- [Where was I widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/home-widget-where-was-i)
- [Write a handoff note with Resume](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-resume)
- [Recent activity widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/home-widget-recent-activity)
- [Long stretch reminders](https://plexiidesk.com/help/focus-long-stretch)
- [Focus tools in Plexii](https://plexiidesk.com/help/focus-overview)