Modern screens are designed to grab and hold your attention. Bright colors, notifications, and endless feeds trigger dopamine responses that make it hard to focus on what actually matters.
I found myself constantly distracted—opening Twitter “just for a second,” checking email compulsively, or getting lost in YouTube rabbit holes when I should have been working.
Focus is a simple menu bar app that turns your Mac screen grayscale with one click. By removing color, you remove the dopamine triggers that keep you scrolling.
It's not about blocking websites or forcing yourself to work. It's about making distractions less appealing so you can naturally stay on task.
I'm Danny, a developer who struggled with digital distractions. I tried website blockers, app timers, and productivity systems—but they all felt like fighting against myself.
Grayscale mode was different. It didn't block anything. It just made my screen less interesting. Twitter in grayscale? Boring. YouTube thumbnails without color? Not tempting.
macOS has grayscale mode built-in, but it's buried in Accessibility settings. I wanted something faster—a menu bar icon, a keyboard shortcut, automatic scheduling. So I built Focus.
Focus is intentionally simple. No complex features, no gamification, no productivity theater. Just a toggle that makes your screen less distracting.
The app respects your privacy—all data stays on your device unless you explicitly enable cloud sync. No analytics, no tracking, no data collection.
Focus includes a 14-day free trial with all features—grayscale toggle, scheduling, keyboard shortcuts, Raycast integration, and cloud sync for statistics across devices.
After the trial, purchase a license for $10 (one-time payment) to continue using Focus. No subscription, no recurring fees.
Focus is built with Swift and SwiftUI for macOS 15.0+. It uses private macOS APIs to control grayscale mode, the same APIs that power the built-in Accessibility features.
The app is lightweight, uses minimal system resources, and runs entirely in the menu bar—no dock icon, no window clutter.
Have questions, feedback, or feature requests? I'd love to hear from you.
Support: Use the in-app feedback option in Focus settings
Website: focus.computer