FocusTimer Pro User Guide

Make room for your best work. A macOS Stream Deck plugin by Dloper.

FocusTimer Pro combines a live countdown with app and website blocking, plus optional controls for your Mac’s focus environment.

Install and get started

Find FocusTimer Pro through the Dloper Stream Deck plugins page and open its Elgato Marketplace listing.
On the Marketplace page, click Open in Stream Deck and follow the prompts to get the plugin. Stream Deck handles installation.
In Stream Deck’s action list on the right, find FocusTimer Pro and drag Focus Timer onto a key.
Select that key and configure your routine in the settings panel below the Stream Deck layout.

Requires macOS 13 or later, Stream Deck 7.1 or later, and a Stream Deck keypad, including keys on Stream Deck + or Stream Deck Mobile. Supports Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Windows is not supported. You do not need to install Node.js or developer tools.

Settings save automatically as you type or change a control. Changes to durations, blocklists and environment options apply to your next session. If the panel reports a disconnection, select the key again and check your settings.

Your first routine

Set Focus and Break durations, each from 1 to 180 minutes. The defaults are 25 and 5 minutes.
Under Apps to block, choose an app from the dropdown. Choose more apps to add them to the list. Click × beside an app to remove only that app.
Enter distracting website domains separated by commas, for example youtube.com, reddit.com.
Enable any environment options you want after completing their setup below.
Save your work in apps or tabs that may close, then press the Stream Deck key to begin.

Refresh rescans the Applications, System Applications and your user Applications folders. For an app stored elsewhere, expand App not listed? and add its exact application name. Existing blocklists from earlier builds carry over automatically.

Key controls and countdown

Control or state	What happens
Press while ready	Starts a focus session using this key’s settings.
Press during focus or break	Pauses the countdown. Focus controls are released.
Press while paused	Resumes the countdown; focus controls are reapplied if you paused during focus.
Hold for 1.2 seconds, then release	Ends the session and restores the configured environment.
Focus finishes	Releases blocking, restores the environment and starts your break.
Break finishes	Returns to Ready. Press when you want another round.

The settings panel also has Start focus / Pause / Resume and End session buttons. Multiple Focus Timer keys share one session, even across profiles. The key that starts the session supplies its configuration.

The live progress ring shows time remaining. Mint indicates focus, violet indicates a break, and orange means there is a message to check in the settings panel. PAUSED means the countdown is frozen. Timer deadlines continue through sleep; if focus expires while your Mac sleeps, a full break starts when the plugin processes it after waking.

App and website blocking

During focus, checks run approximately every three seconds. Selected apps receive a normal macOS Quit request. Matching tabs close in Safari and Google Chrome, including tabs on subdomains such as old.reddit.com when reddit.com is listed.

Apps may ask you to save work or decline to quit. Permission prompts and busy apps can delay checks. FocusTimer Pro is a distraction aid, not an access restriction or a network filter. Other browsers and apps’ embedded web views are not filtered. Closed apps and tabs are not reopened automatically.

Blocking stops while paused, during a break and when the session ends. Stream Deck and the plugin must remain running. Essential macOS components and Stream Deck itself cannot be blocked.

Environment options

Do Not Disturb via Shortcuts

Create two shortcuts in Apple’s Shortcuts app before enabling this option:

Create FocusTimer Start. Add Set Focus, choose Do Not Disturb, and set it to On until turned off.
Create FocusTimer Restore. Add Set Focus to turn Do Not Disturb Off, or restore the Focus mode you normally use.
Run both shortcuts manually once and approve any prompts.
Enable Turn on Do Not Disturb via Shortcuts in FocusTimer Pro. If you chose different shortcut names, enter those exact names in the two fields.

The Restore shortcut runs when you pause, end the session or enter a break. It defines your ending Focus state; FocusTimer Pro does not automatically detect the Focus mode you had before the session.

Hide desktop icons

Hides Finder items on your desktop during focus and restores their previous visibility afterwards. Finder restarts when this setting is applied or restored; your files are not deleted.

Lock screen when the break starts

Locks your Mac as the break begins. This needs Accessibility permission for Stream Deck. Unlock your Mac normally to continue.

Permissions

When macOS asks whether Stream Deck may control a selected app or browser, allow it if you want that app controlled by your routine.

You can review permissions in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation. For screen locking, also enable Stream Deck under Accessibility. Only the permissions needed for your chosen features are required.

Messages and troubleshooting

Could not quit …: the quit request failed and the app has not been confirmed closed. Check for a save dialog and review Automation permission. If an app exits before replying, the plugin checks its running state to avoid showing a false failure.
Could not inspect Safari / Google Chrome: check Automation permission for that browser. Website controls support these two browsers only.
Could not load apps: click Refresh. If needed, use App not listed? to add a name manually.
Create the Start and Restore shortcuts …: both named shortcuts must exist in Shortcuts. Check their spelling and run them manually.
Interrupted session restored: the plugin recovered a previous session’s environment settings. It leaves the timer idle rather than resuming blocking.
Recovery data could not be read: contact support before deleting recovery data; it may contain settings that still need restoring.

For further steps, see Support. For local data handling, see Privacy.

Help and more plugins

Visit FocusTimer Pro Support & Guides for help. The settings footer also links to More Plugins, Support and Dloper.

When contacting support, include your macOS version, Stream Deck version, FocusTimer Pro version, the affected feature and the exact message shown. Mention whether the app actually closed. Remove personal information from any screenshots or logs you share.