Anyone who works on a Mac with multiple windows open knows the struggle. You’re trying to focus on writing, but your eyes keep drifting to Slack notifications, that half-finished email in the background, or the dozen Safari tabs you promised yourself you’d close later. Your desktop becomes visual noise that constantly competes for attention.
Monocle tackles this problem with an approach I’d describe as noise-cancelling for your screen. The app sits in your menu bar and blurs everything except your active window, creating a focused workspace that gently guides your attention where it needs to be. Think of it as Do Not Disturb mode, but for visual distractions rather than notifications.
The core functionality is simple but effective. When Monocle is active, your current window stays crisp and clear while everything else fades into a soft blur. You can choose between gradient mode, which provides context while maintaining focus, or fullscreen mode for complete immersion. A shift-click toggles between these modes, making it easy to adjust based on your current task. I’ve found gradient mode works well for most situations since I can still glance at other windows without fully switching focus, while fullscreen mode is excellent for deep work sessions where I need zero distractions.
What sets Monocle apart from similar window management tools is the level of customization available. You can fine-tune the visual style, control transition animations, and configure behavior to match your workflow. The app supports multiple displays properly, which matters for anyone working with external monitors. You can also hide the dock and menu bar entirely when you need truly immersive focus.
Version 2.0 brought significant improvements to the experience. Window-to-window transitions are noticeably smoother, and the settings interface received a complete refresh. The app now supports macOS 15 Tahoe and includes a license reset feature for users who need it. One experimental addition is a tool for sharing desktop setups, though I haven’t explored that feature extensively yet.
In my experience running Monocle on a Mac Mini with M4, performance is solid. The app uses minimal system resources and feels responsive when switching between windows or toggling focus modes. The blurred background doesn’t introduce any noticeable lag, even when working with resource-intensive applications.
The developer offers a 7-day free trial with no strings attached, which gives you enough time to determine if this approach to focus management works for your workflow. After the trial, you can purchase a single-seat license for $9 or a three-seat license for $20. Both are one-time payments with no subscription, which I appreciate. This pricing puts it in line with other productivity utilities while remaining accessible.
For comparison, alternatives include HazeOver ($4.99), which dims rather than blurs background windows, or the free Backdrop app which takes a simpler approach to the same problem. Some users might also consider full-screen mode for individual apps, though that’s a more rigid solution that doesn’t work well when you need to reference multiple windows.
Monocle requires macOS 10.15 Catalina or newer and works with both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. The app is crafted by Dominik Kandravy with assistance from Cursor, and the attention to polish shows in the details. If you frequently struggle with visual distractions when working with multiple windows, or if you’re coordinating work across multiple displays, Monocle provides a focused solution worth trying during the free trial period.
