Foreground

Focus on one window.

Foreground is a small macOS menu bar utility. Press a shortcut to centre the window you're working in and dim the rest of the screen — wallpaper, menu bar, Dock, and other apps. Press it again or hit Esc to put everything back where it was.

⌥⌘F

Download for macOS Buy a licence — $5

macOS 15 or later · Apple silicon and Intel · v0.1.0

How it works

Uses normal Mac windows

Moves whichever window is focused — editor, browser, terminal, notes — using macOS Accessibility. Nothing to install into individual apps.

Escape exits

Esc restores your window. If you use Vim, you can switch it to double-press so a single Esc still goes to the app you're typing in.

Configurable

Adjust the top and bottom margins, padding, corner radius, how dark the backdrop is, animation speed, what clicking the backdrop does, and the keyboard shortcut.

Puts things back

Toggle it off, close the window, switch Spaces, or unplug a display and Foreground gets out of the way and restores your window's original size and position.

Details

Small
A ~3 MB native Mac app with a menu bar icon and a settings window. It sits idle until you press the shortcut.
Offline
No account and no telemetry. The only network call it makes is checking for updates if you leave automatic checks on.
Safe to quit
If Foreground quits or crashes mid-session, your window's original position and size are restored.
Requirements
macOS 15 or later (Apple silicon and Intel). Prompts for Accessibility permission on first launch so it can move windows.
Limitations
macOS full-screen windows live in their own Space and can't be repositioned, so Foreground skips them. Fixed-size windows are centred without resizing.

Licence

Foreground is free to try for 14 days. After that, it shows a prompt when you trigger the shortcut — you can click Remind Me Tomorrow to keep using it for the day, or buy a licence key for $5 to remove the reminder.

Download for macOS Buy a licence — $5

One-time payment · use your key on any Mac you own · email me anytime for a refund