Support

Focus Mode collects no data and has no account system, so there is no support inbox tied to your usage. This page covers everything most people need. If something here doesn’t fix it, reinstalling from a fresh copy of the extension folder fixes most extension issues.

Install

  1. Open Chrome → chrome://extensions → turn on Developer mode.
  2. Click Load unpacked and select the focus-mode folder containing manifest.json.
  3. If you edited any file afterwards, click the reload icon on the Focus Mode card on that same page.
  4. Pin Focus Mode to the toolbar so the popup is one click away.

Troubleshooting

Alt+Shift+X does nothing

First, check you’re on a normal web page — Focus Mode cannot move chrome://, chrome-extension:// or new-tab pages, and it will tell you so in the popup. Second, check another extension hasn’t claimed Alt+Shift+X: go to chrome://extensions/shortcuts and set Focus Mode’s shortcut there. Third, try the popup button instead — if the button works, it’s a shortcut conflict, not the extension.

I closed the focus window and my tab is gone

Closing a popup window closes its tab in Chrome — that’s browser behaviour, not a Focus Mode bug. Reopen the tab with Ctrl+Shift+T (Cmd+Shift+T on Mac) to get it back, then use the second Alt+Shift+X press (or the popup button) to exit Focus Mode properly next time.

Focus Mode restored, but a tab is missing or out of order

Tabs you closed yourself while focused are intentionally skipped on restore — there’s nothing to restore. Extra tabs you opened while focused are moved back after your original tabs. If the original window was closed, Focus Mode creates a new normal window for the restored tabs.

A feed is still showing after I turned a site control on

Reload the page, then check the option is actually on in Options → Site controls (all options are off by default). Social sites change their markup often — if a specific feed stops hiding after a site redesign, that selector needs updating in the extension (see its SELECTORS-TO-WATCH file). Search, messages and profile pages are never hidden on purpose.

Ambient sounds stop when I close the popup

Sounds play in an offscreen document so they should keep playing after the popup closes. If they stop, your Chrome build may not support offscreen audio — in that case the popup warns you and plays locally while it’s open. Reopening the popup and moving a volume slider restarts the mix.

The Pomodoro timer reset / didn’t switch phases

The timer lives in Chrome alarms, so it survives closing the popup, but not a browser restart or an extension reload — both clear in-progress alarms. Start a fresh session after a restart.

After a browser restart, Focus Mode says it isn’t on

That’s by design. The restore snapshot is stored in session storage, which Chrome clears on restart, so a stale snapshot can never resurrect dead tabs.

Focus Pro — how unlocking works

Focus Mode Pro — Lifetime Unlock. Pro adds saved ambient sound mixes, focus stats export, and unlimited favorites. Everything else is free.

  1. Donate any amount via PayPal: paypal.com/ncp/payment/YEDDB49C2FPEU
  2. Open the Focus Mode popup (or Options page) and tap “I’ve donated”.
  3. Pro unlocks on that browser immediately. There is no licence key to enter, because PayPal doesn’t report who paid — unlocking is on the honour system.

Pro is per-browser, not per-account (there is no account). If you install Focus Mode on a second computer, repeat the “I’ve donated” tap there after donating once.

Privacy in one paragraph

Focus Mode sends nothing anywhere. Settings, blocklists, stats, favorites, captures and distraction logs live in Chrome storage on your device. The full policy is on the privacy page.