We stand with Ukraine to help keep people safe. Join us
Focus free download for Mac

Focus

Version 2.8

Shows frontmost application icon.

4.9
Based on 7 user ratesRead reviews & comments

Focus overview

Focus shows you the active application's icon. Because its function is that simple, I've thrown in the usual junk of customizability: size, transparency, position on screen and window layering can all be adjusted to your needs.

What’s new in version 2.8

Updated on Jul 19 2012

Version 2.8:

Note: Now requires a 64-bit Intel processor.

  • Updated to Intel 64 bit
  • For OS X Mountain Lion compatibility: Control-click the application and choose Open to be able to override your Gatekeeper setting

Information

License

Free

Size

450 KB

Developer’s website

http://eerko.nl/software/

Downloads

12887

App requirements

  • Intel 64
  • Intel 32
  • Mac OS X 10.4 or later
Try our new feature and write a detailed review about Focus. All reviews will be posted soon.

Write your thoughts in our old-fashioned comment

MacUpdate Comment Policy. We strongly recommend leaving comments, however comments with abusive words, bullying, personal attacks of any type will be moderated.
0.0

(0 Reviews of )

There are no reviews yet
  • Comments

  • User Ratings

sgmoye-1
sgmoye-1
Dec 6 2019
2.8
5.0
Dec 6 2019
5.0
Version: 2.8
Wonderful app, of which it is impossible to say too much in its favor. Showing the frontmost application, unobtrusively at that, is worth any amount -- and I would be glad to pay it. It needs desperately to be updated for Mac OS Catalina. I miss this app more than any other, and is a good argument for reverting to an earlier version of the OS.
Diefis
Diefis
Feb 9 2014
2.7
5.0
Feb 9 2014
5.0
Version: 2.7
Very nice.
Stranger
Stranger
Aug 12 2012
2.7
0.0
Aug 12 2012
0.0
Version: 2.7
WIll this app change the TEXT of the current app/finder to the right of the apple menu to an icon? I had something that used to do that, but since upgrading to 10.8 I can't find it. I think it was part of an app I used to have, but I don't recall what it was
gcoghill
gcoghill
Oct 13 2007
2.6
5.0
Oct 13 2007
5.0
Version: 2.6
Focus is a great little app for those that want something like this - visual users who like to see the icon instead of plain text showing the user which application is in front. Glad to see this updated to Intel, thanks!
Igabe
Igabe
Feb 10 2007
2.6
5.0
Feb 10 2007
5.0
Version: 2.6
Superb. I make the 'Focused icon' ~100px large and put it on top of the menubar (partially hidden gives it a nice look) in the top right of my screen. Set it to hide when the mouse approaches the area for Spotlight.
hced
hced
Feb 1 2007
2.6
5.0
Feb 1 2007
5.0
Version: 2.6
Follow-up on EL-CRAVITO's comments below: It would be nice if I could exclude the Finder icon, but keep the clock dials. :)
hced
hced
Jan 23 2007
2.6
5.0
Jan 23 2007
5.0
Version: 2.6
Hi, you asked for my CPU usage. I have a Mac G5 dual 2.5 Ghz, 1.5 GB RAM, ATI Radeon 9800 XT Pro (256 MB), PPC, OS X 10.4.8. I tried to use some of the memory analyzing programs in the Developer suite, but I'm not too sure how they works, so I used the old 'top' method in Terminal. In normal operation, without moving the mouse or doing anything that affects Focus, it's between 0.6% - 1.1% CPU (never less, never more than this). If I switch from the current program to another program, Focus goes up to about 4.5% CPU, and stays there for about 1.0 seconds. Maximum CPU usage value that I've seen so far: 10.3% CPU. At the time of this test, I only had Safari, Mail and Terminal open. Although, I'm using a lot of window-less apps such as iCalViewer, Zooom, Relaunch, MacMinder, etc. I don't mean to say that Focus is a complette memory hog, not by any chance. :) But if it could help in any way, these are my statistics. Good luck with further improvement and thanks a bundle, for a very nice application! (I definitely intend to keep using it!). Henrik
hced
hced
Jan 23 2007
2.6
5.0
Jan 23 2007
5.0
Version: 2.6
I love it. Works great! Looks geourgeous. One note: it seems like it's a little hard on your CPU resources, but I guess that is the price you'll have to pay for eye candy such as this. :) Thanks!
New-User
New-User
Feb 18 2006
2.5
0.0
Feb 18 2006
0.0
Version: 2.5
Well it does what it says, it displays the current app icon. Personally I like to put it next to the App menu in the menubar at 16x16 size. I wish Apple gave us the option of doing that. It's a nice app. But it's not actually useful in any sense. Just more eye-candy on the screen.
Guest
Guest
Jun 24 2005
2.5
4.5
Jun 24 2005
4.5
Version: 2.5
Basically what previews reviewers have said. Really great little app!
Guest
Guest
May 2 2005
2.5
4.5
May 2 2005
4.5
Version: 2.5
http://homepage.mac.com/eerko/sit/Focus.sit
Guest
Guest
Mar 22 2005
2.5
4.5
Mar 22 2005
4.5
Version: 2.5
Focus is the perfect way to make your PC friends salivate over OS X's display capabilities. I use mine to display the current app's icon towards the middle right of my screen. It makes using my machine much friendler. It's a wonderful cue for non-mac folks to see when they've "switched" applications (ie, "Am I *in* the Finder??") You can exclude screen hogging apps, like Photoshop and iMovie, so Focus doesn't display an icon. It would be nice if Focus automatically hid itself when a window (or pallete) of the front-most app were under it. Focus DOES crash under one scenario: when an app you've listed as an exclusion has been moved/deleted since you lasted launched Focus. You can either delete the entire plist file (akin to clearing the exclusion list), or edit the plist file - since it's just an XML list. To edit the plist, use Property List Editor (comes with Mac Dev Tools CD) or Plist Editor Pro (here on MacUpdate). [Standard disclaimer applies for non-techies who wish to fiddle without consequences!] Another gripe is the performance of this vertiable eye-candy software. Regarding "exclusioned" apps, Focus still shows the icon for a split second before hiding it. So, in my setup, you get a glimpse of the QuickTime Player icon when switching to QuickTime Player. It makes the app feel jerky and I'm sure this could be revised in a future version. A final gripe is that this app is psuedo-backgroundless. In other words, it should have been made as a preference pane extension(?) instead of an application. The only way to view Focus's preferences is on your first start-up (I think) and when you launch it when it's already launched. Plus the preference window is really a modal window (or is that pallete). The sad news is that this app seems to be discontinued. The good news is that it's a nice accessory to a mac system that's fairly set and doesn't change much - else you'll get the exclusions-crash problem. I use it and hope it gets revised some day. I wouldn't mind Apple somehow including this in their system either. Focus really goes well with a friendly mac and assists people who have difficulty using computers with visual cues. I recommend you download the app and chuck it if you don't like it.
Guest
Guest
Mar 8 2005
2.5
0.0
Mar 8 2005
0.0
Version: 2.5
The web site offering this software (Dutch, I think) does not seem to be 'live' any more. Does anyone know of an alternate site for this?
Guest
Guest
Dec 24 2003
2.5
4.5
Dec 24 2003
4.5
Version: 2.5
Don't know why one reviewer said this was buggy... I use it and like it. Works on Panther. Love the analog clock on the icon.
Guest
Guest
Aug 14 2003
2.5
4.5
Aug 14 2003
4.5
Version: 2.5
It's getting better and better for each version release. For those of us who look at things "visually", this utility is a no-brainer. Thanks.
Guest
Guest
Jun 23 2003
2.3.1
4.5
Jun 23 2003
4.5
Version: 2.3.1
A good alternative to this is X-Assist, that's my two cents.
Guest
Guest
Apr 30 2003
2.2
4.5
Apr 30 2003
4.5
Version: 2.2
Neat little app to spice up your desktop. Think of it as a remote control ID for your apps. It does this one thing, and does it well.
Guest
Guest
Apr 27 2003
2.1
4.5
Apr 27 2003
4.5
Version: 2.1
quite buggy.....not impressed
Guest
Guest
Apr 15 2003
2.0
4.5
Apr 15 2003
4.5
Version: 2.0
OK, this may sound weird...but this little gem may actually be the thing I like best about living and working in OS X. Don't get me wrong: there's plenty to admire in OS X: stability, power, reliability (you know all that). But for me, it's a pretty humorless place...without a lot of the half-useful/half-whimsical touches that always distinguished the "classic" Mac OS. So I respect OS X, but I don't have a lot of deep-down affection for it. Focus, on the other hand, is the kind of little Mac app that inspires just that kind of affection. It's elegantly implemented and it's fully customizable (as too many OS X apps are not). It's small, and it doesn't hog up the CPU. And it helps make the somewhat austere OS X environment seem a little more friendly. Is it useful? Sure. It's great to have that instant feedback on the frontmost application. And the clock (what a brilliant idea!) only enhances its usefulness. Is it whimsical? You bet. Watching those floating icons cross-fade and vanish under the mouse is just plain fun. I keep my icon in the lower-right-hand corner, looking for all the world like a TV-station icon. Cool! Sometimes OS X makes me growl at its obtuseness; sometimes OS X makes me gape in amazement at its capabilities. But thanks to Focus, OS X now does something else: it makes me smile. Hello...Apple? Please hire this gentleman. OS X badly needs him.
sgmoye-1
sgmoye-1
Dec 6 2019
5.0
Dec 6 2019
5.0
Version: null
Diefis
Diefis
Feb 9 2014
5.0
Feb 9 2014
5.0
Version: null
gcoghill
gcoghill
Oct 13 2007
5.0
Oct 13 2007
5.0
Version: null
Igabe
Igabe
Feb 10 2007
5.0
Feb 10 2007
5.0
Version: null
hced
hced
Jan 23 2007
5.0
Jan 23 2007
5.0
Version: null
Guest
Guest
Jun 24 2005
4.5
Jun 24 2005
4.5
Version: null
Guest
Guest
Mar 8 2005
5.0
Mar 8 2005
5.0
Version: null
How would you rate Focus?
Similar apps
DeskCover
Make your Desktop less distracting.
Is this app is similar to DeskCover? Vote to improve the quality of this list.
Vote results
1
Upvotes
1
Total score
0
Downvotes
Camouflage
Hides clutter on your Desktop.
Is this app is similar to Camouflage? Vote to improve the quality of this list.
Vote results
0
Upvotes
0
Total score
0
Downvotes
Big Aperture
Enhance depth-of-field and apply other visual effects to digital images.
Is this app is similar to Big Aperture? Vote to improve the quality of this list.
Vote results
0
Upvotes
0
Total score
0
Downvotes