Articles on: Profiles & Mappings

Automatically Allow or Block Outputs by Foreground App

Foreground output rules provide a safety layer on top of Main Output. You can block output in selected applications, restrict output to an approved list, or use both approaches together.


These rules affect PlayAbility's remapped output. They do not block the original input produced by your physical keyboard, mouse, controller, or other device.


Understand the two lists


Under Settings > Advanced > Focused app, PlayAbility provides:


  • Output OFF for these apps: a matching foreground app blocks remapped output.
  • Output ON only for these apps: when this list contains any entries, remapped output is allowed only for matching foreground apps.


The rules are evaluated in this order:


  1. An Output OFF match blocks output.
  2. If the OFF list does not match and the ON list is empty, output is allowed.
  3. If the OFF list does not match and the ON list has entries, the foreground app must match the ON list.


If an app appears in both lists, Output OFF wins.


The filter does not turn output on by itself. Main Output must also be on.


Block remapped output in selected apps


This is useful when PlayAbility should work in a game but remain quiet in chat, launchers, password fields, or other desktop applications.


  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select Advanced.
  3. Under Focused app, find Find apps.
  4. Select Output OFF list.
  5. In Browse apps, select Open windows.
  6. Select Refresh list if needed.
  7. Search for an app and select its row.
  8. Confirm it appears under Output OFF for these apps.
  9. Repeat for every app you want to block.
  10. Turn on Limit remapped output using the lists below.


Leave Output ON only for these apps empty if you want all other foreground apps to remain allowed.


Allow remapped output only in approved apps


This is the more restrictive setup: once the ON list has an entry, every unlisted foreground app is blocked.


  1. Under Find apps, select Output ON list.
  2. Browse or search for the game or application.
  3. Select its row.
  4. Confirm it appears under Output ON only for these apps.
  5. Add every other application that should receive remapped output.
  6. Turn on Limit remapped output using the lists below.


You can still add apps to the OFF list for explicit exceptions. OFF always wins.


Enter process names manually


If an app is not available in the browser:


  1. Bring the target app to the foreground.
  2. Read its process name beside Active window now.
  3. Type or paste the name into the text box under the required OFF or ON list.
  4. Separate multiple names with new lines, commas, or semicolons.
  5. Select another control or click outside the box to apply the list.


PlayAbility normalizes names to lowercase and removes a trailing .exe.


Verify the output rules


  1. Turn on Main Output.
  2. Turn on Limit remapped output using the lists below.
  3. Bring an allowed application to the foreground.
  4. In Focused app, confirm Active window now shows the expected process.
  5. Check the Output filter on status. It should say that remapped output follows Main Output for this app.
  6. Test one mapping in the allowed application.
  7. Bring a blocked or unlisted application to the foreground.
  8. Confirm the status says remapped output is off, then verify the same mapping no longer produces output there.


PlayAbility's own window is always treated as allowed so you can use Settings even while the filter is enabled.


Remove or change a rule


  • Select the remove button on a process badge to delete that entry.
  • Or edit the corresponding text box and then move focus out of the box.
  • To stop applying both lists without deleting them, turn off Limit remapped output using the lists below.


Troubleshooting and limitations


Output is blocked in every app except one


Check Output ON only for these apps. Any entry turns that list into an allowlist. Remove every ON entry if you only want to use the OFF list.


An allowed app is still blocked


  • Check whether it also matches an OFF entry; OFF wins.
  • Compare its rule with Active window now.
  • Confirm Main Output and the required output type are on.
  • Expand Advanced in Focused app and review Last error.


A blocked app still receives output


Confirm the app is actually in the foreground and that Limit remapped output using the lists below is on. Launchers and games often use different processes, so use the value shown by Active window now while the real target window is focused.


The wrong application matches


Process rules support exact and partial matching. Replace short or generic entries with a more distinctive full process name.


No foreground app has been detected


Until detection finds a foreground process, Main Output continues to apply. Wait for Active window now to populate. If it remains Not detected yet, expand Advanced and review the last detection error.


Output works while PlayAbility is in front


This is intentional. PlayAbility and its Electron process are ignored by the filter so that Settings remains usable.


Original physical input still reaches the blocked app


Foreground rules block PlayAbility's generated output, not the original device event. Keyboard and mouse input muting is a separate opt-in feature with safety, platform, and anti-cheat limitations.


Focus changes are detected too slowly


Expand Advanced and reduce How often to detect the active app (ms). The supported range is 200 to 10,000 ms; shorter values perform checks more frequently.

Updated on: 29/07/2026