Running a Session

A focus session is the heart of Focusmo: you pick a task, start the timer, and the app protects your attention until you're done.

Starting a session

There are several ways to start, so you can use whichever fits your flow:

• Up next card — the top of the Focus screen (⌘1) shows the task that starts next, its length and timer mode. Press Start, or ⌥⌘F from anywhere.
• Floating timer — click the Start button on the floating timer.
• Command palette — open the palette, type or select a task, and press ⌘Enter to start immediately. Type a duration first (like 30m, 1.5h, or until 5pm) to run the session for exactly that long. Plain Enter just adds the task to your list without starting.
• Task list — starting a task (or moving it to the top) begins a session on it.
• Deep Focus view — select up to 3 main goals for the day and work through them (see Deep Focus).
• Menu bar — start right from the status-bar icon menu.
• Quick capture — a global shortcut can grab the task currently selected in Things 3 and start a session on it in one keystroke.
• Shortcuts & Siri — "Start a focus session in Focusmo". See Shortcuts & Siri.

The focus overlay

While a session runs, Focusmo can show a full-screen focus lock overlay — a dimmed screen with just one thing on it: your current task, and the time remaining. Clicking the background does nothing on purpose; the design goal is to keep exactly one commitment in front of you.

Controls on the overlay:

During a session

• Add 5 minutes — hover over the timer to reveal a +5 button (Timer mode only). It's also offered on the completion screen.
• Blocking is active — if the task's Project has blocking rules, blocked apps are closed and blocked websites are redirected while the timer is in a working state (not while paused or on a break).
• Do Not Disturb — with the DND integration enabled, macOS notifications are silenced automatically.

Ending a session

A session ends when you complete the task, complete all tasks, the timer finishes, a Pomodoro round completes, or you stop manually. Stopping early skips any pending break and goes straight to the wrap-up.

Done completes the task. Pressing Done on the overlay or the floating timer marks the task finished (just like ticking its checkbox in the list), and a linked task in Things, Reminders or another source is completed there too (following your Complete Behavior setting).

The completion screen

When a session ends, the completion screen appears with context-aware buttons — for example Finish Session, Add 5 Minutes, Take Short Break, or Start Next Cycle, depending on how the session ended.

If reflection notes are enabled (Settings → General → App Behavior → Show reflection notes), Focusmo asks what you accomplished, with a text field. If you pressed Done, the task is already marked complete; otherwise a "Mark task as complete" checkbox lets you log progress on a task without closing it out.

In Pomodoro, the end of a break brings its own next-step screen — Start next block or Done for today.

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